Extension will help generate economic growth and development in Durham Region and well beyond

The group’s leadership called the announcement a great day for everyone associated with dLAB and the broader Durham Region community. They noted dLAB was developed out of a provincial environmental assessment that identified GO expansion across Hwy. 401 as the preferred choice for attracting significant new jobs and residents to the Oshawa and Clarington cores and that these benefits are now closer than ever to becoming a reality. They recognized the provincial government for its commitment to helping create critically needed jobs and investment in the region through enhanced transit opportunities.

The extension, which was announced by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne in Bowmanville, will see the Lakeshore East rail corridor from Oshawa to Bowmanville extend further east by close to 20 kilometres. In addition, four new stations will be built, two in Oshawa, one in Courtice and one in Bowmanville. One new station, Thornton Corners, is scheduled for construction on the dLAB East property, and will serve as a critical hub for fostering a transit-centric employment and education hub. dLAB West and East (www.dlab.ws) will create thousands of new high-prestige jobs in the heart of Durham Region, offering a mix of commercial and other space that will attract leading employers and bring people to Durham Region from Toronto in the west, Northumberland to the east, and Peterborough in the northeast.

The announcement comes following the release in April 2016 of a third-party economic impact analysis for eastern expansion of the line. The analysis showed that a provincial choice to fund the extension would unlock both development and re-development opportunities of more than 60 sites and that would ultimately help Durham Region boost its current rate of 67 jobs per 100 employed residents, the lowest rate in the GTA. In addition, the project has the potential to generate $1.1 billion in transit-oriented, walkable urban development that would enable:

• The creation of 21,000 permanent new jobs;
• 6,000 person years in construction employment;
• 6,000 homes to be built within walking distance of a GO station;
• More than $70 million in annual savings for residents related to time, vehicle costs and improved road safety; and
• A significant reduction in the amount of CO₂ emissions by decreasing private vehicle use by 50 million kilometres a year.

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Media contacts:
Allison Rosnak
Durham College (on behalf of dLAB)
905.721.2000 ext. 2333 (office) or
allison.rosnak@durhamcollege.ca