NOMA and FONOM say Budget 2026 lacks a dedicated funding plan to widen and modernize Highways 11 and 17 across Northern Ontario

THUNDER BAY — NEWS – Northern Ontario’s two municipal associations are renewing their call for Ottawa and Queen’s Park to jointly fund major upgrades to Highways 11 and 17 after the federal budget did not provide a new, dedicated commitment for the corridor.

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association and the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities said Monday that they welcomed federal measures aimed at critical minerals, energy infrastructure, housing, affordability and economic development.

Their concern is what the budget did not settle: a funding plan to widen and modernize the Trans-Canada Highway across Northern Ontario.

This is an issue where Ontario and Canada need to decide if having the Trans-Canada Highway in Northern Ontario be one of the weaker links in our transportation infrastructure.

NOMA president Rick Dumas, the mayor of Marathon, said the region is ready to contribute to national growth through mining, forestry, energy and transportation. He called for partnerships and investment that recognize the North’s role in moving people, resources and goods.

FONOM president Dave Plourde, the mayor of Kapuskasing, said the two governments have an opportunity to make meaningful commitments to Highway 69 and the Trans-Canada corridor. The associations have pressed for a phased plan that includes four-laning, while earlier advocacy has also identified selective widening and 2+1 configurations as options where full twinning is difficult.

The distinction matters in Northwestern Ontario, where Highways 11 and 17 are the principal east-west road links between communities and across the country. A closure on a two-lane section can interrupt passenger travel, freight movement and access to services over long distances.

Budget 2026 highlights federal infrastructure and resource-development priorities, including support connected to the Ring of Fire and the Mackenzie Valley Highway. NOMA and FONOM say those measures do not amount to a new funding agreement for widening Highways 11 and 17.

No project schedule, federal cost share or corridor-wide construction commitment was identified in the material reviewed for this story. The next reporting test is whether Ottawa and Ontario open formal funding talks and identify which sections would move first.