Councillor accuses province of overlooking our transportation needs

A resolution to be presented to city council next week suggests the Ontario government is deadheading the unique transportation needs of the province's north.

Ward 1 Coun. Sandra Hollingsworth will ask that the city push for appointment of either a deputy minister or associate minister of northern transportation.

The council meeting will be livestreamed on SooToday starting at 5 p.m. Monday.

The full text of Hollingsworth's resolution follows:

Addition to Ministry of Transportation

Mover: Coun. S. Hollingsworth
Seconder: Coun. M. Bruni

Whereas the topography and climate of Ontario, north and west of the Canadian Shield, is uniquely different from that of the balance of the province; and

Whereas due to that topography, it is more costly to construct or maintain 100 kilometres of highway in Northern Ontario than the balance of the province; and

Whereas the highway network in northern Ontario is vital to connecting citizens to health care, employment, groceries, and recreation; and

Whereas Highway 11, Highway 17, and Highway 69 are the 400 systems of northern Ontario; and

Whereas the municipal share of connecting link funding has become prohibitive for all communities and

Whereas the Province of Ontario has made, and continues to make, a significant investment in the Ontario Northland and bring back the Northlander train service; and

Whereas every senior politician in Ontario and the balance of Canada noted the raw earth elements deposits in the Ring of Fire; and

Whereas the transportation of these raw earth elements will travel through northern Ontario; and

Whereas the Nuclear Waste Management Organization has selected the community of Ignace for the location of Canada's deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel, and the fuel will be transported through Northern Ontario; and

Whereas on November 10, 2022, the province announced, 'Ontario Moving Ahead with First-Ever 2+1 Highway in North America'; and on July 14, 2023 the Ministry of Transportation announced, 'Ontario Starting Work on 2+1 Highway', and during the recent provincial election campaign, Premier Ford announced his government would 'extend the 2+1 highway another 220 kilometres from Temiskaming Shores to Cochrane'; and

Whereas as of May 2025, the minister has not announced a start date for construction of the initial 2+1 highway; and

Whereas the annual Ontario Road Safety Annual Report Selected Statistics does not provide a breakdown by region; and

Whereas the 2023 Ontario Road Safety Annual Report Selected Statistics reported that there were 1,504 large truck accidents in Ontario with 107 fatalities; and

Whereas large truck accidents occur daily in Northern Ontario, often resulting in death; and

Whereas accidents in northern Ontario are the cause of many lengthy highway closures or detours using municipal infrastructure not designed for highway traffic; and

Whereas many Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities members have commented that there is a lack of response to their concerns or inquiries from the Ministry of Transportation and/or regional staff; and

Whereas northern Ontario will be the economic engine that drives Ontario and Canada for the next 100 years; and

Whereas the province needs a dedicated team focused on improving today's network while planning for and acting on future requirements,

Now therefore be it resolved that the City of Sault Ste. Marie request that the premier either appoint a deputy minister of transportation for northern Ontario or create an associate minister responsible for northern Ontario transportation;

Further be it resolved that this resolution be sent to Premier Ford, the minister of transportation, the Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, the membership of the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities, the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association, the Rural Ontario Municipal Association, and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.