Northern New Democratic MPPs were on their feet in the Ontario Legislature on Monday, demanding action on safety on Highways 11 and 17.
Guy Bourgoin of Mushkegowuk-James Bay told transportation minister Prabmeet Sarkaria that people are tired of hearing him deflect, while their families and friends continue to die in collisions. He added that what Sarkaria is claiming to do is not working.
“So I ask what you do differently to make our highways safe?” said Bourgoin.
Sarkaria replied that along with a continued investment in highway projects, the government has hired 48 more transportation safety officers who performed 50-percent more inspections over the previous year.
With a handful of families of victims of accidents on 11 and 17 in the gallery at the Legislature,
John Vanthof of Temiskaming-Cochrane said the two highways are “at a crisis level” — everyone knows that, and so does Sarkaria.
“You’ve had the Northern Highway Safety Task Force. The MTO keeps stats on every kilometre of the highway, every accident” Vanthof remarked. “It’s not that you don’t know, it’s that you’re deciding to ignore the crisis.”
Sarkaria replied that the government is continuing to make investments in building more transportation infrastructure in the north.
