New courthouse on the way for underserved area of Ontario

The Ontario government has announced plans to build a courthouse in Oakville to serve all of Halton Region.

Oakville Mayor Rob Burton revealed the news today, just days  after he raised the issue because of safety, overcrowding and delays at the existing aging facilities in Milton and Burlington

“It’s impressive how quickly Attorney General Doug Downey and Premier Doug Ford have responded to Halton Region’s unanimous resolution I and Milton Mayor Gord Krantz put forward on Wednesday,” said Burton about the news that was likely in the works before it was raised at the Halton Regional council meeting.

The Ford government in 2020 cancelled plans to build a new courthouse in Oakville, and instead decided to find upgrades at the facilities in Milton and Burlington.

Before the cancellation, it was planned that a courthouse would be built near Oakville Trafalgar Hospital for $400 million.

The timelines for the new project have not been revealed, and it’s not known where they plan to build now, but Queen’s Park has an architectural firm has already been selected to design the building.

Politicians in Halton have long complained about the conditions at existing courthouses, particularly the one in Milton, where aging infrastructure has led to safety concerns, closures at the facility, and cancellations of court cases. Additionally, the lack of courtrooms has resulted in delays in hearing cases.