Who should decide highway closures?
Some northeastern Ontario mayors say they are hoping for a change in the process when it comes to highway closures – whether due to motor vehicle collisions or bad weather.
The NorthEastern Ontario Municipal Association (NEOMA) has had the issue of highway closures on its agenda since February 2022.
Municipal officials told CTV News that highway closures have been happening much more frequently in recent years and it is having a direct impact on both citizen safety and municipal budgets.
Under the current process, municipalities are not consulted when it comes to deciding to close a highway.
“(Right now) it is an individual decision,” said NEOMA president Peter Politis.
“What we’re saying is should it be an individual decision or should we take the very same succinct approach we take with emergency measures and municipalities where there’s a formal process to make sure we have everything in place and we are making sure we have all the resources coming in to manage that.”
He said officials should not have to try and figure things out on the spot if there is an incident.
“When we do have an emergency incident and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) start reaching out to folks and start trying to figure out how to deal with it,” said Politis, adding there should be a plan in place.
Politis said the power to decide to close highways belongs to only the OPP and the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) and as it stands they have no responsibility to consult with municipalities.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Neither the OPP or MTO was available to comment prior to the publishing of this article.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'There's mom and dad's house': New video appears to show destruction of Jasper neighbourhood
Video posted to social media on Thursday morning appears to show the charred remains of a Jasper, Alta., neighbourhood.
LIVE NOW Multiple homes, businesses 'lost' to wildfire in Jasper National Park: Parks Canada
Officials from Parks Canada and Jasper say "multiple structures, including a number of businesses and homes, in and around the town of Jasper, have been lost" to wildfire in Jasper National Park.
Prince William's 2023 salary revealed in new report
Newly released financial reports show that William, the Prince of Wales, drew a salary of $42.1 million last fiscal year, his first since inheriting the vast and lucrative Duchy of Cornwall.
Jennifer Aniston criticizes JD Vance for 'childless cat ladies' remarks: 'I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children'
Jennifer Aniston is criticizing JD Vance for comments he made in his past about women without children.
WATCH LIVE Alberta premier fights back tears, promises help as Jasper devastated by fire
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith fought back tears Thursday as she sought to console Jasper residents coming to terms with a community devastated by wildfire.
NASA says no return date yet for astronauts and Boeing capsule at space station
Already more than a month late getting back, two NASA astronauts will remain at the International Space Station until engineers finish working on problems plaguing their Boeing capsule, officials said Thursday.
'Skibidi Toilet:' If you don’t know what it is, you will
'Skibidi Toilet' is already an internet sensation and now its about to get even more exposure.
French sprinter will wear a cap during Olympic opening ceremony after hijab dispute is resolved
French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla will be allowed to participate in the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics wearing a cap to cover her hair, an agreement reached with the French Olympic Committee after Sylla said she was barred because of her hijab.
Spicy dispute over the origins of Flamin' Hot Cheetos winds up in court
A former PepsiCo executive is suing the company, saying it destroyed his career after questioning his claim that he invented the popular flavor of Cheetos snacks.