TORONTO — It’s no longer a question of if, but a question of when.

Ontario will be the first jurisdiction in North America to mandate the use of speed limiters on commercial trucks, as Queen’s Park gave its stamp of approval to Bill 41 yesterday.

The debate of speed limiter legislation has been a hot topic for nearly two and a half years when the Ontario Trucking Association introduced the idea and began lobbying the government for such a mandate.

At one point Quebec looked like it would be the first province to get out of the gate with speed limiter legislation. But after tabling a motion earlier this year, the government held back, saying it didn’t want to put itself on an island and preferred to wait until Ontario passed the rule first.

Ontario finally put the motion forward in its legislature in March 2008 and to much controversy.

It’s Official: Speed limiters are coming to Ontario.

The idea of mandated speed limiters has ruffled a lot of feathers – particularly among drivers and owner-operators – and it all finally came to a head on June 5 during a public hearing before the Standing Committee on Justice Policy.

Both supporters and denouncers of Bill 41 were on hand to voice their opinions of speed limiter legislation and many MPPs left the hearing wanting more information before making a decision. Written comments were accepted up until June 10.

In the end, Ontario’s government passed the now infamous Bill 41, which mandates all commecial trucks operating in the province be limited to a speed of 105 km/h, on June 16 on the strength of safety and environmental benefits.

“Speed limiters slow down trucks, help keep our roads safe and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is another step forward in our plan to build a cleaner, greener and stronger province,” said Transportation Minister Jim Bradley.

An official date of implementation has not yet been decided upon, but is expected soon.