THUNDER BAY – Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca has recommitted to designating Highway 11 and Highway 17 Class 1 highways.
Del Duca made the pledge on Sunday morning during a brief visit to Thunder Bay’s Goods and Co. Market, where he visited with supporters and local business owners, even stopping to serve up bagels to hungry followers.
However, he fought back when asked why he didn’t make the move when he was Ontario’s Minister of Transportation from 2014 to 2018.
“Look, right now, I’m running to be premier. I’m not running to be a senior cabinet minister and what I learned in my time at the MTO is that we need to do more to support highway and road safety and maintenance throughout the province, including here in and around Thunder Bay, across the North, across the Northwest,” Del Duca said, flanked by Thunder Bay-Superior North candidate Shelby Ch’ng and Thunder Bay-Atikokan hopeful Rob Barrett.
“That’s why we’ve made this decision as part of our platform.”
The designation as a Class 1 highway would set strict standards for maintenance on both Highway 11 and Highway 17, requiring inspections three times every seven days and snow removal equipment must be deployed once 2.5 centimetres of snow has accumulated.
Repairs must also be made more quickly, including potholes, road cracks and shoulder drop-offs.
Highways in Ontario's north have been put under the microscope this past year, with a number of fatalities and several more near misses, including multiple instances at Sistonen's Corner, where Highway 102 and Highway 11/17 intersect.
Asked if it was a mistake not to do it earlier, Del Duca said he’s looking forward, not in the rear-view mirror.
“This isn’t what happened several years ago. It’s about where we are right now and how we make this province, including the Northwest, strong and safe and secure for the people that we’re honoured to represent,” he said.
Del Duca broached a number of topics during his campaign visit, which also included a private meeting with Fort William First Nation Chief Peter Collins and a stop at Fresco’s Deli on Frederica Street.
Del Duca said it’s readily apparent Ontario’s Indigenous people are facing serious challenges and promised to reinstate a stand-alone ministry responsible for Indigenous relations and reconciliation.
“I think it was a horrible mistake on the part of the current government, the Ford Conservatives, to get rid of that exclusive and standalone responsibility, given how serious the challenges are,” Del Duca said.
Inclusion in the education system will also be a big plank in the Liberal party platform, should they form government following the June 2 election.
“Our plan has thousands of new units of off-reserve Indigenous housing that we’ll build. We have a lot of other ideas around the curriculum in our public school system, to make sure all of our students are learning about our history – both the not-good-at-all, the horrible stories that are part of our history around, for example the residential school system, and how we can work together to make sure we are building a more caring and tolerant society going forward,” Del Duca said.
The Liberal leader added there are also measures in the party platform aimed at leaving a lasting economic development opportunity legacy and creating jobs for Indigenous people.”
Del Duca re-committed to a ranked-ballot system and said the Liberals would work with the federal government and municipalities to combat a growing guns and gang problem that has hit Thunder Bay, in particular, fairly hard.
