It’s time to do what should have been done at the first sign of substandard safety: get to work making the Red Hill Valley Parkway safe for everyone.
"It’s with great sadness that I am rising to bring attention to a very serious issue in Hamilton. This week, my colleagues from Hamilton—MPP Monique Taylor, MPP Paul Miller and our leader, Andrea Horwath—met with the families of Jordyn Hastings and Olivia Smosarski.
Olivia and Jordyn were 19-year-old best friends who died together when the vehicle that they were driving crossed the grassy median of the Red Hill Valley Parkway and collided with a minivan. Mechanical issues, inattentive driving, intoxication and distraction were all ruled out as a cause.
Theirs is not the only tragedy. In fact, there have been seven deaths and 668 crashes since 2012.
We are calling for a judicial review of how safety concerns about the roadway were handled, including the initial lack of disclosure about the 2013 friction test. The “angel” parents we met with said, “We know that nothing will bring back our precious children. We just want to ensure that no family has to suffer what we have.”
A judicial review will ensure an independent and transparent process and get devastated families the answers that they deserve. To echo Andrea Horwath, “It’s time to do what should have been done at the first sign of substandard safety: get to work making the Red Hill Valley Parkway safe for everyone.”
Mr. Speaker, we cannot allow any more lives to be put at risk."