The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that GFL Environmental is buying Secure Waste Infrastructure for $5.4-billion to expand its footprint in Western Canada. The Globe's Tim Kiladze and Robyn Doolittle write that GFL is paying $24.75 a share for Secure, a 16-per-cent premium to the target's last closing price. GFL will mostly use shares to pay for the deal, with Secure agreeing to receive a split of 80-per-cent stock and 20-per-cent cash. If the transaction is approved, Secure shareholders will own 16 per cent of the combined company. Two Secure investors that collectively own 20 per cent of its shares have already agreed to vote in favour of the deal. Before markets opened Monday, GFL had a market value of about $22-billion on the Toronto Stock Exchange. However, GFL's shares fell after the deal was announced. On a conference call, analysts repeatedly questioned GFL about the rationale for the deal, considering Secure is not focused on GFL's bread and butter of municipal waste. GFL chief executive officer Patrick Dovigi said, "This is literally just to increase our exposure to Western Canada." He added that GFL's management sees the region as the country's economic growth driver over the next few years.