TORONTO, (March 24, 2004) — The Ontario Liberal government refused to back-off suggestions it may implement tolls to pay for the expansion of Hwy. 69 — the main roadway linking Toronto to Sudbury and other parts of Northern Ontario.

Despite assurances to the contrary during the election campaign last fall, Transport Minister Harinder Takhar refused to promise that Hwy. 69 — which will be widened to four lanes between Parry Sound and Sudbury, Ont. — would be exempt from any future plans to toll new infrastructure.

“We have not decided one way or another about which highways will be tolled or not,” Takhar was quoted as saying by the Canadian Press, adding the formula for applying tolls will be decided one highway at a time.

Last fall, Premier Dalton McGuinty promised that any expansion of northern highways will be funded through the Northern Ontario Highways Strategy, and that he would not implement tolls on highways where no alternative exists.

But earlier this month the Premier drew the ire of road users when he confirmed they would likely need to dish out for any new road construction. Once again, he was quick to remind that the province’s current fiscal situation is a result of the $5.6 billion deficit it inherited from the previous Tory government.

In response, the Ontario Trucking Association called upon the government to establish a “Toll-Road Users Protection Act” that protects road users in legislation and establishes the parameters under which the provincial government would use tolls to help pay for building new infrastructure.

President David Bradley said such a law should be enacted to “guarantee that all economic impacts will be considered; that tolls would only be applied to certain, significant new highway construction in consultation with road users; that a viable non-tolled alternate route must exist for all road users; that tolls would be reasonable; that they would not be used to pay for ongoing maintenance; and that the tolls would come off when the capital costs of the highway are paid for.” Bradley also called for a plan to ensure road users aren’t paying fuel taxes for miles driven on toll highways.

New Democrat Shelley Martel, whose riding includes Sudbury, blasted the government for refusing to reiterate its promise not to toll Hwy. 69, adding it would hurt truckers who rely on the road as the only major through route between Southern Ontario and Sudbury.

Dennis Clarke, director of sales and marketing for Gardewine North — a subsidiary of Paul’s Hauling Group based in Winnipeg — was surprised when told of the news. Many of the 60 trucks a week heading to and from the Toronto area to a network of facilities that include Sudbury, North Bay, Timmins, and Sault Ste. Marie, use the highway, Clarke told Today’s Trucking– adding that tolls would no doubt make an impact on the company’s bottom line.

How much exactly? A heavy truck on the province’s only current toll highway, the 407, pays 41.85 cents/km. Even at half that rate, only between Parry Sound and Sudbury, that’s $34 a trip. That translates to about $4,200 a week for a fleet of 60 trucks making round trips.

“It would certainly be something that would be extremely cost-prohibitive,” says Clarke, who oversees the company’s facilities in Ontario. “The problem I have is we pay so much in fuel tax right now that should be going back into roads, and doesn’t. So for us to start paying tolls on top of that, well, we’re not happy about that at all.”

— with files from Canadian Press