Bill 49, Northern Highway 11 and 17 Safety Act, 2025

Summary#

This bill aims to improve safety on Northern Ontario’s main highways, especially in winter. It focuses on more truck inspections, stronger traffic enforcement, tougher testing for new commercial drivers, and direct provincial control of winter road work on key routes.

• Requires weigh scales and truck inspection sites on Highway 11 (north of North Bay) and Highway 17 to be open and staffed at least 12 hours every day.
• Directs the province to ensure the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has enough officers to enforce traffic laws.
• Requires new commercial truck drivers to be tested by a government-certified examiner before they can be licensed.
• Puts the Ministry of Transportation in charge of winter maintenance on those stretches of Highway 11 and all of Highway 17 (the Ministry can still use contractors).
• Takes effect as soon as it becomes law.

What it means for you#

• Workers and families in Northern Ontario

  • You may see more OPP patrols and more active weigh stations.
  • Winter road work on Highways 11 and 17 will be run by the Ministry of Transportation, which could mean faster and more consistent snow clearing and sanding.
  • You could face fewer long closures in storms, but also occasional slowdowns near inspection sites and during active plowing.

• Commercial truck drivers

  • Expect more open scales and inspections along Highways 11 and 17. Keep paperwork, vehicle, and load within legal limits to avoid delays and fines.
  • If you are a new driver, you must pass a road test with a Ministry-certified examiner to get your commercial certificate and license. Scheduling could take longer if demand is high.

• Trucking companies

  • Plan for more frequent inspections and enforcement in the north. Non‑compliance (weight, brakes, logs, etc.) is more likely to be caught.
  • Update training programs to align with testing by Ministry-certified examiners. There may be added time and administrative steps for new hires.

• Driving schools and testers

  • Commercial licensing road tests must be done by examiners certified by the Ministry. Schools may need to get staff certified or partner with certified examiners.

• Local communities along Highways 11 and 17

  • Potential safety benefits from stronger enforcement and more active inspections.
  • Possible new public jobs tied to maintenance and enforcement in the region.

Expenses#

Expected to increase provincial costs for staffing inspections, OPP traffic enforcement, and managing winter road maintenance on Highways 11 and 17.

• No publicly available information.
• Costs would include keeping inspection sites open at least 12 hours daily and boosting OPP traffic enforcement capacity in the north.
• Bringing winter maintenance under direct Ministry management may require more provincial staff, equipment, or expanded contracts.

Proponents' View#

• More inspections and OPP presence will deter speeding, unsafe passing, and poorly maintained trucks, reducing crashes.
• Government-certified testing for new commercial drivers will raise training standards and cut down on weak or inconsistent testing.
• Ministry-run winter maintenance will improve accountability and consistency, helping keep these key routes open during storms.
• Safer, more reliable highways support northern communities, emergency access, and the flow of goods across the province.
• Fewer closures and collisions could reduce overall social and economic costs.

Opponents' View#

• Requires more public spending on staffing and equipment without a clear cost estimate or funding plan.
• “Sufficiently staffed” enforcement is vague and may pull officers from other areas or lead to hiring challenges.
• More inspections could slow freight and raise costs for trucking companies, which might be passed on to consumers.
• Limiting commercial road tests to Ministry-certified examiners could create bottlenecks and longer wait times for new drivers.
• Shifting winter maintenance management to the Ministry could disrupt existing contractor systems and reduce efficiency during the transition.
• Focuses on Highways 11 and 17 while other northern roads may face similar safety issues.