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Twenty-one years ago, Ontario’s former Conservative government downloaded public transit onto municipalities.

At the time, then-TTC chairman Paul Christie welcomed the decision and the “advantages” it would bring this city’s public transit network, to help it expand and grow.

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“We have wanted clear title to transit for a long time,” Christie said at the time. “It will lead to, further down the road, for more transit co-ordination.”

Things didn’t exactly work out that way.

The download was part of a bigger swap of local and provincial services intended to ensure Ontario taxpayers had “fair, efficient and accountable public services,” but for a variety of reasons became more problematic over time — especially because of funding.

Among those who most strongly opposed handing the TTC over to the city was Christie’s predecessor and current Liberal MPP Mike Colle, who suggested at the time that “the property-tax base can’t support it.”

Colle was right.