Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP are on your side for safer Northern highways

THUNDER BAY - Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles was joined by the NDP's Thunder Bay candidates Lise Vaugeois (Thunder Bay-Superior North) and Judith Monteith-Farrell (Thunder Bay-Atikokan) to announce her plan to make highways safer across Northern Ontario.

"Highways in the North are a lifeline. Building and maintaining highways is a basic responsibility of the provincial government, but after years of neglect under Doug Ford’s Conservatives, they have become increasingly unsafe.” said Stiles.

“Northerners shouldn’t feel like they are taking their lives into their hands when they drive on these roads. As Premier, I’ll change that.

An NDP government will make northern roads and highways safer, and ensure truck drivers have comprehensive training to safely operate on Northern highways.

Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP will:

• Make highways safer. Starting with widening Highway 11/17 and Highway 69, while building the Cochrane Bypass.
• End private highway maintenance contracts that have been a disaster for Ontario drivers and bring snow clearance and highway maintenance back under public control.
• Upload “connecting link” highways back to the provinceto save cities and towns money while ensuring these highways are well maintained. We will support municipalities so they’re able to maintain, snow-clear and repair their roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
• Increase training for truck drivers, so they are prepared for Ontario’s snowy winters, especially in Northern Ontario.
• Ensure reliable, convenient and affordable passenger transportation in the North.The Ontario NDP will fast-track the long-delayed delivery of the Northlander passenger service to both Timmins and Cochrane, with a proper connection to the Polar Bear Express. We will also support rail services like the Huron Central and Algoma Central Rail Lines.

Facts

• In 2022, the Ford government cut $158 million in funding for two Highway 11/17 widening projects in Northern Ontario in order to divert the cash to highway projects in southern Ontario.