Chow pledges 20% of Scarborough East LRT jobs to local youth

Mayor Olivia Chow promised Thursday that 20 per cent of Scarborough East LRT construction jobs will go to local residents, with youth aged 18 to 35 filling at least 15 per cent of apprenticeships. The announcement came with a $28 million commitment to violence prevention, mentorship and employment programs, and a broader pledge to create 15,000 youth jobs through the Toronto Youth Employment Strategy in partnership with United Way.

"Now that we're building the Scarborough East LRT, the young people who live here should be the ones getting the jobs," Chow said. "A good first job, a paid apprenticeship, a path to a real career: that's how we give young people a future in their own neighbourhood."

Chow said the project will have shovels in the ground by the end of her first term if she is re-elected. She framed the local hiring commitments as double what was promised for the Finch West and Eglinton Crosstown LRT projects.

Rival Brad Bradford's campaign immediately questioned the pledges, accusing Chow of overstating job commitments for a transit line she has failed to budget for. "She promised young people jobs on a transit line she has failed to budget for," Bradford's campaign said in a statement. The campaign noted that Scarborough East LRT remained at 10 per cent design stage throughout Chow's term and that she did not identify it as a priority until April. Bradford also challenged whether Chow has clarified whether summer jobs or short-term internships count toward the 15,000-job commitment.

According to a Liaison Strategies poll released October 13, Bradford holds 50 per cent support in Scarborough compared to Chow's 47 per cent.