Following fatal collision, Batchawana Bay travel lodge voices Hwy. 17 safety concerns
Following a fatal collision last week, a popular travel stop along Highway 17 near the Sault is voicing its concerns over highway safety.
The owners of the Voyageurs' Lodge & Cookhouse near Batchawana Bay are calling on the provincial government to overhaul northern highways in a major way, in order to keep up with an increased traffic flow in a safe manner.
"This highway was built in the 1960s and has gone relatively unchanged, despite more cars on the roadways," said owner Frank O'Connor. "It might be costly, but we certainly have to look at making this highway wider and giving people more room to react."
O'Connor said he felt the need to speak out on social media, after five collisions this summer on Highway 17, between the Sault and Wawa.
O'Connor said he's in favour of adding paved shoulders for emergencies and easily identifiable turning lanes that make getting off the highway safer.
"We can't keep letting people die on our roads," O'Connor said. "It's time for the provincial government to step up and say you know what, it's time to improve the highway."
An entirely female motorcycle club visiting O'Connor's lodge, agrees.
The southern Ontario group, known as the Burbilly Girls, said they often ride up north to visit some of the region's beauty.
However, they said a lack of paved shoulders, rough roads and turning lanes can often make the trek a challenging and scary one.
"What makes me nervous is the oncoming traffic behind us," said Carrie Arpa, a member of the group. "Are you going to get hit from behind or if you're making a left? Will they see you in time?"
The MPP for Algoma-Manitoulin has long been advocating for increased safety along northern roadways.
But Michael Mantha said the need is even more urgent, as he expects more out-of-region travellers to visit as pandemic restrictions continue to ease.
"Our roads are not as wide as they are in southern Ontario, so those in southern Ontario coming up here are not used to those decisions," he said.
Mantha said widening the roads is definitely needed to keep everyone safe along the north's highways.
According to the Sault MPP, those plans are already in place.
"I was chatting with Minister (Caroline) Mulroney about the potential of even a three-lane project," said Ross Romano. "We have heard about that and there is some investigation into that right now."
Romano said he expects an assessment on its feasibility and other possible safety measures, to take quite some time.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.