• Ontario Protecting Drivers by Improving Northern Highway Safety

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of Transportation
  Date: 2026-10-01 13:30:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Infrastructure, Transportation, Public Safety]

  The Ontario Ministry of Transportation has awarded a contract to Villeneuve Construction to replace the Hearst Truck Inspection Station on Highway 11 and add 14 kilometres of new passing lanes across Benoit Township, Calder Township, Gill Township, Grenfill Township, and Kendrey Township. The inspection station project includes demolishing the existing structure, replacing the scale, and adding a new pre-engineered building, with completion scheduled for December 2026. This initiative is part of broader commercial vehicle enforcement efforts by the provincial government, which also recently opened a $30-million commercial vehicle inspection facility on Highway 11/17 in Thunder Bay.

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• Ontario Expanding Trans-Canada Highway Near Nipigon

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of Transportation
  Date: 2026-09-28 18:00:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Infrastructure, Transportation, Public Safety, Economy]

  The Government of Ontario has started construction to widen a 5-kilometre section of Highway 11/17 from McGuire Road to Coughlin Road to two lanes in each direction separated by a grass median, including two new bridges across the Black Sturgeon River. The project is part of a broader provincial initiative to twin more than 107 kilometres of the Trans-Canada Highway between Thunder Bay and Nipigon as part of Ontario's $31-billion, 10-year highway infrastructure investment. The Government of Canada is contributing up to $26,050,000 for the project through the New Building Canada Fund's Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component. Additionally, the province is implementing 24/7 operations at the $30 million Shuniah truck inspection station on Highway 11/17 to strengthen commercial vehicle enforcement.

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• Ontario Developing New Training Requirements for Truck Drivers

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of Transportation
  Date: 2026-09-21 14:00:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Transportation, Public Safety, Labour]

  The Ontario Ministry of Transportation, led by Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria, is developing a new standardized entry-level truck driver training curriculum exceeding 103 hours to strengthen commercial vehicle safety. The mandatory curriculum will cover subjects including fatigue management, northern driving, human trafficking awareness, and air brake training. Additionally, Ontario is implementing a mandatory six-month waiting period effective January 1, 2027, for Class G or higher licence holders attempting a Class A road test, alongside heightened enforcement measures on Highway 11/17 and stricter work eligibility documentation rules for commercial drivers.

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