Ford and Trudeau governments come to an agreement on Highway 413 [Video]

The future of the Ford government’s signature Highway 413 project could soon be clearer, with an agreement between Ottawa and Queen’s Park almost final — after a pause on building work lasting almost three years.

The massive highway project, set to run from Milton, Ont., to Vaughan, was frozen in May 2021, after the federal government arrested its progress until protections for certain endangered species were guaranteed.

The freeze was applied under the Impact Assessment Act, which a recent Supreme Court of Canada opinion suggested may not be constitutional.

On Thursday, both Ontario’s transportation minister and attorney general said the Trudeau and Ford governments had agreed on the future of the project.

That agreement was sent to a court on Wednesday to be ratified as a consent order.

“We have come to an agreement,” Attorney General Doug Downey told reporters. “We filed the consent with the federal court. And of course, because …