The Government of Ontario is taking steps towards making the highways of the northwest safer for drivers.
In a press release issued on March 15, 2024, the Ontario government marked the opening of a new commercial vehicle inspection station on Highway 11/17. Located in Shuniah, a municipality located along the highway northeast of the City of Thunder Bay, the inspection station is a $30-million state-of-the-art facility that is part of the province’s plan to improve road safety and deliver faster and better transit infrastructure in the north of Ontario.
The plan itself, known as “Connecting the North: A Draft Transportation Plan for Northern Ontario,” was initially revealed in December 2020 and was partially a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the recognition of the unique travel needs of those living in that part of the province. The plan outlines several goals that will support the government’s broader transportation vision in the region, including improving bus service, continuing to work towards passenger rail service, supporting economic recovery through highway projects and more.
Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford said the station is the result of feedback from communities within the region about improving road safety on northern highways.
“Our government has heard from community members about the importance of improving road safety across the North, and today’s opening of a new commercial vehicle inspection station on Highway 11/17 demonstrates our commitment” Rickford said in the release.
“As we attract families and businesses to our beautiful and vast part of Ontario, we are investing in the necessary infrastructure to ensure our highways are safe and reliable.”
Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, announced in the release that the plan, and the projects announced as part of it, will help to keep drivers across the region safe as they travel the long distances between communities in the north.
“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is working to ensure Ontario’s highways are among the safest in North America,” Sarkaria said.
“The new Shuniah commercial vehicle inspection station will help reduce the risk of accidents, protect everyone on the road and ensure the safe movement of goods across Northern Ontario.”
The government states that commercial motor vehicles travelling on highways within the province are subject to mandatory roadside safety inspections, which covers trucks or highway tractors with a gross weight, or registered gross weight, of more than 4,500 kilograms, busses with seating capacity for ten or more passengers, tow trucks, concrete trucks and mobile cranes that are not off-road mobile cranes. Vehicles that fail inspections are required to undergo repairs to fix the offending issue and then have it re-inspected before a safety standards certificate is issued. The Ministry of Transportation and police officers can inspect commercial vehicles to ensure compliance and those that fail can be faced with fines up to $20,000 and suspension of operation until repairs are made.
The new repair station in Shuniah will be equipped with cutting-edge technology to allow for the identification of potential problems with commercial motor vehicles, according to the government, which could include issues like underinflated tires and malfunctioning brakes. Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland said the new inspection station will play a “critical role” in keeping the roads safe throughout the north of the province.
Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association president Wendy Landry also cheered the construction of the new inspection station, saying it is a “necessary step” in addressing concerns about the safety of highways in the region and helping to prevent more accidents.
“The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association has been a long-time advocate for highway safety,” Landry said.
“The investment of $30 million to open a new commercial vehicle inspection station near Thunder Bay is a welcomed and necessary step to address highway safety concerns and accidents on Highway 11/17. It will ensure vehicles are inspected to guarantee their safety and slow drivers down to take a rest while their vehicle is being examined. We greatly appreciate this investment and anticipate it will improve highway safety near Thunder Bay and across the North.”
According to the government release, there are currently 34 inspection stations across Ontario where officers inspect the condition of commercial vehicles and monitor behaviours and qualifications of commercial vehicle drivers. In 2023, the government increased its enforcement presence on Highways 11, 17, 144 and 101, where inspectors conducted more than 4,000 inspections which resulted in 3,200 charges, including 700 for speeding, as well as placing more than 1,000 vehicles out of service. The government is also helping to improve travel for those commercial vehicle drivers by building ten new rest areas, as well as repairing or expanding 14 existing facilities along provincial highways.
