MPP Guy Bourgouin’s bill for safe winter highways passes second reading

NDP MPP Guy Bourgouin’s bill to make winter driving safer on Northern Ontario’s highways 11 and 17 passed another important stage with its second reading vote on Thursday. If Bourgouin’s bill passes, highways 11 and 17 would be cleared of snow within eight hours.

“This is a good step for the people of Northern Ontario who need and deserve safer winter highways. The Ford government should have acted years ago to clear our highways on time to protect Northern drivers and their families. This government must not sit on this bill and let it die in committee. Each day that goes by means more drivers are risking their lives on the ice and snow of our uncleared highways. Doug Ford and the Conservatives must act now and pass this bill so that all Northerners can finally have safer highways during our long winters,” said Bourgouin.

Bourgouin’s bill would classify highways 11 and 17 the same as all 400 series highways that have the strictest snow removal requirements. The bill would bump them up to Class 1 in all of their sections, whether two or four-lane.

Ontario NDP