[ScreamingViking]

Either level of government could pull funding any time. They've shown time and again that financial penalties are not a deterrent. And a project being under construction or in implementation means little either -- recall that the Eglinton West subway project was cancelled by the Harris government, and they had already started digging; the provincial Liberals put a stop to planning major transportation corridors deep into the process; the Cap and Trade agreement was thrown out the window by the current government; military procurements have been torn up by the feds; etc., etc., etc.,...)

I think the political cost would be a lot bigger though. And this is now a PC project, despite half the money coming from the federal Liberals, so there's no reason to stop it because a previous provincial government comprised of a different party got the ball rolling.

If all the dithering hadn't delayed this we'd be talking about expansion not first steps. But with a big project like this, dithering always seems to be part of the routine.