Northern Highways need real action, not same recycled promises by Ford government

QUEEN’S PARK — Following two weeks of the NDP Northern Tour: Our Roads, Our Safety, which travelled across northern Ontario along Highways 11 and 17, and included NDP Leader Marit Stiles and MPPs John Vanthof (Timiskaming—Cochrane), Guy Bourgouin (Mushkegowuk—James Bay), Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong), Lise Vaugeois (Thunder Bay—Superior North), Jamie West (Sudbury), and France Gélinas (Nickel Belt), Doug Ford’s Conservatives have finally conceded and announced commitments to maintaining these highways.

“After years of pressure and the NDP Northern Tour, this government is finally paying attention,” said MPP Bourgouin. “However, we’ve heard these promises before while lives continue to be put at risk. The government cannot keep recycling talking points while diverting resources away from the North. People deserve to know when real construction and safety improvements will happen, not just more words without action or accountability.”

MPP Vanthof added: “After years of delays and broken commitments, northern families are still waiting for safe, reliable highways. Announcements won’t fix dangerous conditions overnight. We need real timelines, transparent funding, and follow-through to ensure Highway 11/17 meets the safety standards our communities deserve every single day.”

“These highways are lifelines,” said MPP Mamakwa. “Safety cannot be optional or delayed. This government must work directly with northern and First Nations communities to deliver infrastructure that reflects our realities and ensures people can travel safely for care, work, and family.”

ADDITIONAL QUOTES:

“People in Thunder Bay and across the Northwest have been clear; we need real investment, not the same empty promises. This corridor is critical to our economy and safety, and when it gets shut down due to collisions, it shuts down the economy as well. The government must stop delaying and start delivering meaningful changes and that includes regulating the training of commercial drivers and regulating the trucking industry. The industry wants this; the drivers want this; and the people who use these highways every day as our main streets want this. It’s time the government finally acknowledges its responsibility and acts!”

• MPP Lise Vaugeois (Thunder Bay—Superior North)

“Communities in and around Sudbury rely on these highways every day. We cannot accept another cycle of announcements without results. Investments must be sustained and focused on safety so people and goods can move reliably, especially during harsh northern winters.”

• MPP Jamie West (Sudbury)

“Families in Nickel Belt have waited far too long for meaningful improvements and have grown tired of past promises not being delivered. Northern Ontario deserves safe, well-maintained highways that reflect their importance to our communities, and the entire provincial economy.”

• MPP France Gélinas (Nickel Belt)