Making good on a pledge made in the 2019 Ontario Budget, the province reinforced its commitment to conducting a review of transportation in northern Ontario by identifying opportunities for a modern, sustainable transportation system, and reviewing initiatives to better meet passenger transportation needs.
This week, the province, led by Vijay Thanigasalam, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation, has acted on the Ford Government’s commitment to make all northern communities in the province a better place to invest, live and work. Government stakeholders will be hosting a series of meetings with the trucking industry and other segments of the northern Ontario economy, including in Thunder Bay, to generate ideas that could achieve these laudable objectives.
“There are opportunities to improve road safety in the north as well as health, wellness and amenities for commercial drivers in general, while at the same time improving the flow of goods into and out of Northern Ontario communities,” said OTA Senior VP Policy Geoff Wood. “This is a win-win for the economy and all the people in northern Ontario, especially the professional truck operators who are the lifeblood of the province’s northern communities.
OTA looks forward to continuing this dialogue and involvement with the Ministry of Transportation as part of the ongoing process to deliver Premier Ford’s commitment to ensure all business in Ontario are having their needs addressed, regardless of where they are located.
MTO is in the process of collecting information on the region’s transportation network. This analysis is expected provide the government with a better understanding of the current state of the transportation network and help identify future needs and opportunities. Various roundtable sessions are planned across Northern Ontario.
OTA members who have suggestions to improve their businesses operating into and out of Northern Ontario economies should e-mail Geoffrey.wood@ontruck.org.