A community group is asking if Metrolinx is willing to bring Ontario Line jobs to Thorncliffe Park.

A Toronto community organization is calling on Metrolinx to meet specific targets to recruit from the communities most affected by the construction of the Ontario line.

The Toronto Community Benefits Network (TCBN), which advocates for equal opportunities for communities connected to new transit lines, says most of the jobs created by the line should go to those in Thorncliffe Park.

Residents and advocates for the area tell CBC Toronto that Metrolinx's planned 175,000-sq. storage and maintenance facility led to unemployment and social breakdown in society. Because of this, the neighborhood deserves a share of the hundreds of jobs linked to the transit network, said TCBN Director of Campaigns Kumsa Baker.

“We really want to make sure there's a plan for how they're going to build local roads, especially for the residents who will be most affected by the construction,” Baker said.

But the provincial transit agency has not signed a formal agreement on community payments as part of the Ontario Line development, TCBN said. Earlier this year, the band sent a letter called on the city's Toronto and East York Community Council to investigate why the city.

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A community benefits agreement typically includes targeted local and equity lease commitments for TCBN-compliant development projects and is legally enforceable.

Metrolinx has entered into such agreements in the past. One of these is with TCBN for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, signed in 2014, and the other is for the Finch West LRT. As a result of the agreements, Baker said, about 500 people in affected communities are employed in jobs connected to these networks.

CBC said in a statement to Toronto that Metrolinx will deliver public benefit Connected to the Ontario Network. These benefits include “employment opportunities, workforce development opportunities, and apprenticeships for disadvantaged groups.”

Metrolinx did not directly respond to a question about why it did not sign a Community Charges Agreement for the Ontario Line, saying it is “committed to maintaining strong collaborative relationships with the communities we serve.”

Metrolinx says it's committed to fair hiring

As for the group's concerns about the proposed rental targets, Metrolinx said, “We are working closely with our building partners to meet the 10 percent rental target, including for Thorncliffe Park residents.”

Those hiring goals have been extended to all of Metrolinx's major projects, including the Eglinton Crosstown West expansion and the Scarborough subway expansion, he said.

According to TCBN, Metrolinx CEO Phil Wester told a community group that by 2021, the transit agency aims to have 10 percent of the hires on the network go to black, indigenous and people of color and 10 percent to women.

But Baker said TCBN is concerned that the 2021 commitments are not reflected in the Ontario Line project agreements posted on the project's website.

“We've been following up with Metrolinx to see what those commitments are,” Baker said. “Unfortunately, we didn't see that reflected in the 10 percent rental target in the contract.”

When asked about TCBN's demands, the city said in a statement that it will “work closely” with Metrolinx to implement the council's recommendations on construction initiatives, including community benefit plans for the project.

“We will continue to monitor Metrolinx's progress,” the statement said.

Still, Baker worries, “If it's not in the contract, it's not going to be delivered.”

Job Fair Thorncliffe: Aims to connect with Connext6ix

Rob Granatstein, who heads communications at construction consortium Connect6ix, told CBC Toronto that he has posted more than 100 jobs so far and wants the local community to know what's available.

A Metrolinx job fair held in the area last week brought in organizations that would hire for the project and connect residents with skilled job training, he said.

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The jobs currently posted are for engineers, finance and procurement, Granatstein said. Construction works will continue in 2025, he said. “We're still in the design phase,” he explained.

“It's going to bring prosperity to this neighborhood, good transit, and good jobs,” he said.

As for Thorncliffe's specific hiring goals, Granatstein said, “We have goals for how many people we need to hire.”

“The biggest thing for us is to have the right skills to do this… there will be all kinds of jobs that will come up over the years with different skill levels. A really big focus for our team and Connect6ix is ​​to recruit from the community and bring some of these jobs,” – he said.

Ahmed Hussain, CEO of The Neighborhood Organization, a community service and advocacy agency in Thorncliffe Park, says he is optimistic about the potential for work on the Ontario network.

But he says he supports TBCN in calling for a formal agreement on community payments.

“We want to invest in this community that has been hit the hardest. “No other community hosts this storage facility,” he said.