Ontario to invest in northern rest areas
THUNDER BAY, Ont. – The province of Ontario has committed to building four new rest areas in Northern Ontario and will also expand or repair 10 existing facilities.
The announcement was made Oct. 9 by Transport Minister Caroline Mulroney and Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines. Improvements will include more bathrooms, improved lighting, and increased parking.
“In these extraordinary times, we recognize that there is a significant need for better facilities at rest areas in Northern Ontario for our province’s travellers and truck drivers,” said Mulroney. “Building more rest areas with better facilities will make traveling safer and more comfortable, especially for those who need to drive long distances. Through these improvements we are also taking steps to raise awareness of human trafficking to help put an end to this serious problem.”
The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) welcomed the announcement.
“The Government of Ontario has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the trucking industry throughout the Covid crisis to improve truck drivers’ access to key services and amenities while on the road, which has allowed the industry to keep the province’s economy moving,” said Stephen Laskowski, OTA president. “Today’s announcement of adding more parking and rest areas for truck drivers in Northern Ontario is yet another example of this ongoing commitment.”
A list of projects can be found here.
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Makes sense. Have them right beside full service towns like the Sault and White River where they already have ever kind of service you need, but nothing in the remote rural stretches where one is likely to get caught in winter storms with no where to pull off.
Must have taken a government study that used millions in tax dollars to figure this out.