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Province commits to road safety measures for northern Ontario

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The provincial government is committing to a number of measures to improve road safety in northern Ontario.

The action follows several lengthy closures and fatal collisions on Highways 11 and 17 this winter.

NDP MPPs from northern Ontario also recently travelled by vehicle across northern Ontario, documenting safety concerns they and others from the region have long expressed.

The province says it plans to increase the number of transportation enforcement officers in the region and conduct more enforcement blitzes, focusing on large commercial vehicles.

It also plans to deploy two mobile inspection units this spring as part of that enforcement.

The province is also looking to improve and upgrade highway signage to make it more visible to motorists.

New portable electronic messaging signs that provide motorists with safety information, weather conditions and road closures will also be installed.

“Our government is keenly aware how important safe roads, bridges and highways are to the residents, visitors and businesses in the north who rely on them daily,” states George Pirie, Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth, in a release.

“That is why we are taking action to improve safety, increase enforcement and make targeted investments that will keep people safe and goods moving, while strengthening connections between northern and remote communities.”

The province also intends to advance the preliminary design work on a four-lane highway between Thunder Bay and Shabaqua.

Public meetings will be held this spring.

Work is also proposed on upgrading the provincial rest areas in northern Ontario to provide more year-round truck parking.

“Highways 11 and 17 are lifelines for northern Ontario, and we’re making them safer and more reliable by cracking down on dangerous driving, strengthening enforcement and investing in new safety measures that keep people and goods moving,” states Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation.

Marit Stiles road trip Mar 3 2026

NDP members embark on travel through northern Ontario to document highway safety concerns

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The NDP is making a road trip through northern Ontario.

Their northern Ontario members intend to raise awareness of the need to improve highway safety.

Kiiwetinoong’s MPP Sol Mamakwa says the tour will shed light on what northerners experience daily.

“It’s also a chance for us to listen to first responders, people across the north who have been affected by collisions on these highways,” says Mamakwa.

“And it is our hope that the government hears them too.”

The NDP have put forward several requests, only to have Private Member’s Bills rejected in the Legislature.

The wish lists have included commitments to twin sections of Highway 11 and 17, transferring the responsibility of winter road maintenance from private contractors back to the Ministry of Transportation, better training of transport drivers and stronger enforcement of the commercial vehicle regulations.

NDP leader Marit Stiles intends to participate in part of the tour.

“Safety issues on northern highways are a day-to-day issue,” says Stiles.

“This is an issue that we in the Ontario NDP and my colleagues standing with me and others who are not here with us today have been raising for years. But the situation has become more than critical.”

Using figures obtained from the MTO, the NDP members say that the risk of getting into a collision in northern Ontario is as much as 10 times greater than in southern Ontario.

Mushkegowuk – James Bay MPP Guy Bourgouin says northern Ontario should not have to suffer through what he calls second-class conditions.

“We have the right to have secure roads like the rest of the province,” says Bourgouin.

“That’s why we are going to listen to people and take that testimony to prove to the people in the south of what they don’t understand, because it looks like the government is not understanding. We want to bring the North’s perspective so that the government understands what we’re living with daily.”

The MPPs plan to make several stops along the way, including in the communities of Kapuskasing, Timmins, Thunder Bay, Kenora, Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie.

They plan to document their tour on social media and on video for presentation to the government at a later day.

Fort Frances curling club youth curlers Feb 2024 (3)

New curling body proposed for Ontario

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Ontario’s three curling organizations are proposing to become one.

Curling Ontario, the Northern Ontario Curling Association (NOCA) and the Ontario Curling Council (OCC) would become Curling Ontario.

Laura Forget, Executive Director of the Northern Ontario Curling Association, says the goal is to improve on the administration side of the sport and strengthen support to local clubs.

“By coming together, the three organizations will be reducing duplication behind the scenes and be able to put more energy and resources into supporting clubs and curlers, especially in smaller and northern communities,” says Forget.

“It’s really about what we’d be able to offer behind the scenes. So more professional support, shared resources, stronger governance, improved programming, youth development, and higher quality service is what we’re really looking to offer our clubs.”

The three organizations are currently operating with minimal staff.

Forget is the only paid person with NOCA.

She says no one will lose their job, and the combined staff of the new body will still be smaller than similar organizations in other provinces.

“This would allow us to use people more efficiently, reduce the duplication and redirect that increased capacity back to the clubs,” says Forget.

Northern Ontario has long had separate representation in national competitions despite not being a province.

Trevor Bonot in action at the 2022 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship. (Photo, Curling Canada/Melanie Johnson)

Men’s teams were first permitted to represent the region at the Brier in 1927.

Women’s teams from Northern Ontario did not earn a direct berth to the Tournament of Hearts until 2015.

Forget says that will not be taken away by the planned merger.

“We will continue to have our own team and representation at all national championships,” says Forget.

“Team Northern Ontario and the Moose are not going anywhere. That’s been made very clear in the proposal, and we have that in writing from Curling Canada.”

“We’ve got quite the brand. I’m sure if anyone has watched any of the national championships on TV, the moose call is very prominent, and it’s not going anywhere.”

NOCA and Curling Ontario are holding special town hall meetings to discuss the proposal and gather input from their member clubs.

Both will hold special meetings on March 8th for their club delegates to vote on the proposal.

The Ontario Curling Council’s by-laws do not require its members to approve the merger, but plans for a special meeting to approve the revision of its by-laws.

The plan has the support of Curling Canada, the national body.

“We know that with limited resources in the sport system, change is coming, including integration and alignment at many levels,” states Nolan Thiessen, Chief Executive Officer of Curling Canada, in a release.

“This discussion is exactly that type of forward thinking and proactive response. The talk of this merger shows that the Northern Ontario Curling Association, Curling Ontario and the Ontario Curling Council are prioritizing long-term vision, adaptability, and sustainable growth to provide better service to curlers and the sport of curling in Ontario.”

dog on top of person's lap while sitting on ground at daytime

Major jump in homelessness reported in northern Ontario

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The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) reports that over 85,000 Ontarians were homeless last year, an eight percent rise from 2024.

In northern Ontario, homelessness grew by more than 37 percent.

“No one in Ontario should accept the scale and scope of homelessness described in this report,” said Robin Jones, AMO President. “We can solve this crisis, but we need to work together.”

Homelessness in the province could double by 2034 without significant intervention, AMO warns.

The organization recommends the provincial government shift its focus towards long-term housing solutions over temporary emergency measures. They propose an investment in 75,000 new affordable and supportive housing units over the next decade.

“We need the provincial government to lead with meaningful action, supported by federal investment, to protect individuals, communities and our collective prosperity,” Jones said.

red and white flag under blue sky during daytime

2025 budget offers new opportunities for northern businesses, says minister Hajdu

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The Liberal Party’s proposed 2025 budget will include about $185 million in spending towards the country’s new “Buy Canadian” policy.

Most of the funding will be split between Public Services and Procurement Canada, the federal government’s chief procurement agency, and a new program called the Small and Medium Business Procurement Program, which will be specifically tailored towards helping smaller Canadian businesses do business with the federal government.

Under the procurement programs, major public works projects, such as building infrastructure, will prioritize buying from Canadian suppliers where possible to keep Canadian dollars invested in the country’s industries.

Patty Hajdu, the Minister of Jobs and Families and for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNOR), frames this year’s budget as a response to the great challenge of the current moment: “To ensure that Canada has what it needs to be able to continue to be a sovereign nation. It sounds dramatic, but it is exactly that,” the minister says.

Hajdu defines the budget as a way to ensure that Canadian companies get support from the federal government as they try to find new buyers in the wake of American tariffs.

Infrastructure is a key component of the budget, representing tens of billions of dollars of new investments over the next few years.

Building new roads, ports, and railways will serve as an early test of the Buy Canadian model, offering chances for Canadian businesses to earn their share of the government’s multi-billion-dollar projects.

Minister Hajdu suggests that northern Ontario’s industries could see opportunities to take part in a retooled economy. She says Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper has expressed interest in finding new markets and selling new products, which is exactly the sort of thing the budget’s new procurement programs will be looking for.

The minister also points to Algoma Steel and Kap Paper as examples of companies that could find a lifeline with new procurements, fewer barriers to national and international trade, and larger infrastructure investments to connect them to their buyers.

A recurring criticism of the budget is the cuts it makes to public services, but Hajdu says she finds the controversy surprising. She argues that the plan to reduce the civil service focused on attrition, retirements, and reducing contract work.

“And it’s really so that we can invest in Canada, and invest in the kinds of things that municipalities need, just like we have a need here in Thunder Bay for infrastructure of all kinds,” she says. “That need exists, and in fact is amplified in smaller communities.”

The Liberal Party’s 2025-2026 budget still needs to be passed, and it is not yet clear if the party will have the votes it needs. The final vote will take place on Monday, November 17.

Large pipeline runs through a wooded, mountainous landscape

Oil/gas pipeline feasibility study now underway

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The provincial government has awarded a contract to complete a feasibility study on new oil and gas pipelines.

The proposed pipelines would flow oil and gas from western Canada to refineries in southern Ontario.

The study will also look at the possibility of lines going to new ports on James Bay, Hudson Bay and the Great Lakes.

It will also evaluate other development opportunities, such as all-season roads to the Ring of Fire mining area, mineral exports, hydro transmission grid upgrades and a strategic petroleum reserve.

“This nation-building pipeline and energy corridor will unite our country and help unlock new markets for Canada’s energy resources that will reduce our dependence on the United States, all while creating new jobs and opportunities for Canadian workers from coast to coast to coast,” states Premier Doug Ford in a release.

Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan signed agreements this summer to consider the project.

“Access to domestic and international markets is critical for Saskatchewan’s export-oriented economy,” states Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe.

“An East-West energy corridor is important for our province and for all Canadians, driving economic growth and delivering responsibly produced Canadian energy products to new markets.”

“Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan are proving what’s possible when provinces lead and stand together to advance a shared vision of responsible development, economic freedom and common sense,” states Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.

“That means standing up for our energy sector and ensuring our world-class resources reach the markets that need them, so Canadians can prosper from the opportunities we create here at home.”

A final report is expected to be issued sometime next year.