Municipal leaders and industry partners are teaming up to call on Queen’s Park and Ottawa to accelerate investment in Highways 11 and 17.
Officials say the partnership between the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA), the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities and the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association reflects shared concerns around highway safety, economic resilience, supply chain reliability, and Canada’s national connectivity.
“Ten years after the Nipigon Bridge got wiped out, severing the Trans-Canada and exposing the corridor’s vulnerability, we’re still waiting for a meaningful federal and provincial response that matches the scale of this risk,” says Stephen Laskowski, OTA president. “However, we believe it is a new day with Prime Minister Carney and Premier Ford’s shared commitment to nation-building.
He says with the feds recent focus on strategic infrastructure and the province’s push for growth, they’re hopeful a decade of inaction is over.
“We need a nation-building investment that reflects the corridor’s role as a lifeline for our economy and national security,” says Laskowski.
Dave Plourde, FONOM President, says municipal leaders aligning with industry reinforces what Northerners already know that Highways 11 and 17 are critical to our safety and to Canada’s economy.
“With momentum building, now is the time for governments to work together and move practical improvements forward,” he says.
In April, the province passed Timiskaming-Cochrane MPP John Vanthof’s motion declaring the expansion and modernization of Highways 11 and 17 a project of national significance.
[RELATED] Motion on Highways 11 and 17 passes at Queen’s Park
