Why it matters for Thunder Bay and the North
A proven “toolbox” of fixes: twinning, selective four-laning, and 2+1
Safer highways = stronger supply chains for mining, energy, and community life
Thunder Bay, ON – August 22, 2025 – NEWS — “Ontario cannot remain the weak link in Canada’s national highway system,” said Rick Dumas, NOMA President. “We stand ready to work alongside FONOM and all partners to ensure that Highways 11 and 17 are treated as the nation-building priority they are. This is about saving lives, ensuring the safety of our communities, and strengthening Canada’s economy for the future. The time for action is now.”
The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) is throwing its full support behind the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM), urging the Governments of Canada and Ontario to treat modernization of the Trans-Canada Highway—Highways 11 and 17 across Northern Ontario—as a true nation-building project.
FONOM’s call stresses that Ontario remains the most vulnerable link in the national corridor, where long two-lane stretches fuel collisions, closures, and costly supply-chain disruptions. The group is advancing a balanced “toolbox” approach: strategic four-lane widening, selective twinning, and European-style 2+1 corridors to deliver fast safety gains at lower cost. That approach echoes coverage and analysis NNL has reported for years—including the case for 2+1 design and targeted upgrades across the Thunder Bay–Kenora and Thunder Bay–Nipigon segments.
NOMA also aligns with FONOM’s view that corridor reliability is a national issue: each serious crash or storm closure can sever Canada by road—an argument NNL has repeatedly documented through closures, rollover investigations, and editorials calling for an urgent fix.
“The Trans-Canada is essential to both the North and the entire country,” added Fred Mota, NOMA Executive Vice-President. “NOMA strongly supports FONOM’s efforts and calls on governments to work with municipalities, industry, and local leaders to move this project forward. Together, we can ensure safer highways, stronger communities, and long-term economic growth for all Canadians.”
What “nation-building” looks like on 11/17
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Target the chokepoints first: High-risk stretches between Kenora–Thunder Bay and Thunder Bay–Nipigon, plus priority 11-corridor sections east toward Hearst. NetNewsLedger
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Use 2+1 where it works best: Alternating passing lanes with a median barrier deliver head-on-collision prevention at a fraction of twinning costs—an approach long championed in NNL’s pages. NetNewsLedger
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Keep twinning on the table: Ontario has already advanced twinning between Thunder Bay and Nipigon—momentum that should accelerate alongside selective four-laning. NetNewsLedger
Why the timing is urgent
Northern traffic volumes, heavy trucking demands, and weather extremes are already straining a two-lane backbone. Closures routinely strand travelers and stall freight—whether from multi-vehicle winter collisions or commercial rollovers—undercutting national trade and local life in Northwestern Ontario.
Ontario has improved winter standards on the Trans-Canada (bare pavement target within 12 hours), but NNL analysis has shown the corridor remains a weak link without structural capacity upgrades.
Ties to Northern priorities: mining, energy, and ports
Modernizing 11/17 underpins national projects that flow through Thunder Bay’s logistics hub—Ring of Fire development, increased St. Lawrence/Thunder Bay port activity, and NWMO’s proposed deep geological repository near Ignace—all of which depend on reliable east-west movement. (FONOM has recently underscored these linkages in formal resolutions.) fonom.org
Broad support across municipal leaders
Support for making the Northern Trans-Canada a generational investment spans municipal associations—including AMO, ROMA, NOMA, FONOM and the EOWC—as regional and provincial partners coalesce around a pragmatic, staged build-out.
Related NNL coverage
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NOMA to Ottawa & Queen’s Park: Make Highway 11/17 a National Priority (toolbox approach, priority segments) NetNewsLedger
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Opinion: Ontario Needs to Prioritize the Trans-Canada Highway (winter closures, safety) NetNewsLedger
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Highway 17’s Chronic Challenges: Time for Action (why closures “break” the country) NetNewsLedger
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Editorial: The Trans-Canada in Northern Ontario—Our Weak Link NetNewsLedger
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Ontario Sets ‘ON Trans-Canada’ Snow-Clearing Standard (12-hour bare-pavement target) NetNewsLedger
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Transport Rollover Shuts Down Highway 17 (Dryden) and Highway 17 Closed Near Dinorwic (recent disruptions) NetNewsLedger+1
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Twinning Announced: Highway 11/17 Thunder Bay–Nipigon (project milestone) NetNewsLedger
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The 2025 New National Dream (nation-building transport vision) NetNewsLedger
