First Nations chiefs are joining the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) and Northern Ontario municipal leaders in raising alarm about deteriorating highway safety in Northern Ontario following a series of fatal collisions involving commercial vehicles.

The Chiefs of Ontario recently called on the provincial government to take immediate action to improve safety along Highways 11 and 17 — critical corridors linking many northern and remote communities.

“These tragedies are devastating for our families and our Nations,” Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict said in a statement. “Our people rely on northern highways as lifelines for health care, education, work and supplies. When those roads are unsafe, it is our communities who pay the price.”

Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler added that the province must address “dangerous conditions that people are experiencing” before more lives are lost.

The concerns mirror long-standing warnings from the OTA, which says the safety situation on northern highways has worsened in recent years. The association recently contacted the Chiefs of Ontario expressing support for their concerns and proposing discussions on ways to restore safer conditions on northern corridors.

The OTA says stronger enforcement against non-compliant trucking operations must be part of the solution. The association has urged the province to eliminate the “satisfactory-unaudited” carrier safety rating category, open commercial vehicle inspection facilities around the clock, and introduce an endorsement-based licensing system tied to specific truck configurations.

It has also called for improved winter maintenance and infrastructure upgrades on Northern Ontario highways, along with tighter oversight of driver training and trucking operations.

OTA has further urged the province to convene a provincial truck safety summit and develop an action plan in 2026 to address what it describes as a growing highway safety crisis.

The Chiefs of Ontario represent 133 First Nations across the province, many of whose communities depend on Highways 11 and 17 as essential transportation links.