Mayor John Tory says he had a “heartening” meeting with Stephen Harper on Thursday night in which he introduced the Prime Minister to his SmartTrack plan and outlined how it would help both the city and the region by “connecting people with jobs.”

Tory told reporters at city hall on Friday morning that the meeting was his first real opportunity to personally discuss with Harper the benefits of SmartTrack and make the case for federal funding for the estimated $8-billion project, which relies primarily on the retrofitting and electrification of existing GO Transit lines.

“It was quite an in-depth discussion about SmartTrack and what it was and how it would be helpful in terms of connecting people to jobs as well as helpful in a regional context and I came away from it satisfied that it was a very productive and constructive meeting with the Prime Minister,” Tory said. “He asked a lot of questions and I took the questions he asked as all positive. They were the inquisitive kind of questions you’d expect from a sophisticated leader like him.”

Tory campaigned on building SmartTrack within seven years, though if he is to follow through on that promise he will undoubtedly require significant financial support from both the federal and provincial governments.

Discussing his meeting with Harper, Tory said that he did raise the issue of funding and came away optimistic that money will be available for the project down the road.

The project is still theoretical at this point, however council voted 42-1 on Thursday to fast-track the planning process and require that the city manager provide a “accelerated work plan” for conducting the initial due diligence by Jan. 22.

“We are looking at something obviously that in order to make it work we will have to have the support of, and I am very anxious to get and believe we will have, the federal government but it is one day at a time,” Tory said. “This was preliminary meeting to familiarize the Prime Minister with SmartTrack and of course we talked about the fact that in order for this work the way I have contemplated it we need the participation of the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario and the City of Toronto.”

Tory said he also a discussed a number of other issues with Harper on Thursday night, including housing, jobs and the economy in general.

Tory staying out of dispute between Harper, Wynne

Tory ‘s meeting with Harper came hours after Premier Kathleen Wynne released an open letter, requesting a private meeting of her own with the Prime Minister and calling on him to make their relationship one of “collaboration and not confrontation.”

The letter came on the heels of a Markham appearance in which Harper chastised Wynne, saying the Ontario government should focus on getting its fiscal house in order and not on “confrontation.”

Asked whether he raised the issue of Harper’s refusal to meet with Wynne during his meeting with the Prime Minister, Tory said it is not his place.

Wynne and Harper last met on Dec. 5, 2013.

“I am going to work very hard to maintain what I have now, which is two excellent relationships. One with the Prime Minister and the other is an excellent relationship with the Government of Ontario and the premier and her ministers and I intend to maintain those relationships on behalf of the people of Toronto because I think that is what they expect of me,” Tory said.

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