The Ontario Legislature is declaring Highways 11 and 17 in northern Ontario as roads of national significance.
MPPs from all parties are giving support to an NDP motion.
The motion was brought forward by Timiskaming – Cochrane MPP John Vanthof.
He is pleased with the support.
“It’s not often that we all agree on something, and that we all agree that 11/17 should be an issue of not only national significance, but I think provincial significance,” says Vanthof.
NDP support a full twinning of the Trans Canada.
Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford says it is a ginormous undertaking that will take a generation or more to complete.
Still, he supports the NDP motion, saying it is time to set aside partisan politics for the sake of safety.
He notes that while the province is funding 100% of the highway twinning in his riding, the federal government recently announced $30 million to do the same east of Thunder Bay, a riding with federal Liberal representation.
“We can no longer afford to approach highway safety by adhocary or the strategic interests of where a riding is held,” says Rickford.
“This is how segments of the highway across northern Ontario have been built. It needs to stop.”
Vanthof says that, despite the declaration, it does not absolve the province of its responsibilities to keep our highways safe.
“One thing I am worried about is that we don’t hear every time that while the feds didn’t want to help…that the government’s going to abdicate their responsibility to the federal government,” says Vanthof.
The province recently announced plans to increase commercial vehicle enforcement by hiring more transportation inspection officers and expanding inspections.
Plans for a four-laned highway from Thunder Bay to Kakabeka Falls are also underway.
