role="main" class="main-container container js-quickedit-main-content" id="main-content">

Bill 49, Northern Highway 11 and 17 Safety Act, 2025

Bourgouin, Guy

Vanthof, John

Vaugeois, Lise

Current status:

Second Reading Vote

Please select

View bill

Status

Debates

Acts affected

Votes

Original

Bill 49 Original (PDF)

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

The

Bill amends the Highway Traffic Act and the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act .

The

Bill adds

section 5.5 to the Highway Traffic Act .

Subsection 5.5 (1) provides that the Minister of Transportation shall ensure scales

and inspection sites along the portion of Highway 11 that is north of North Bay

and along Highway 17 are staffed daily for a minimum of 12 hours. Subsection

5.5 (2) provides that the Government of Ontario shall ensure traffic

enforcement by the Ontario Provincial Police is sufficiently staffed to ensure

enforcement of the Act. The Bill also adds subsection 58.1 (6.1) to the Act. Commercial

truck drivers must now be tested by an examiner certified by the Ministry of

Transportation before being licensed.

The

Bill adds

section 96 to the Public Transportation and

Highway Improvement Act . This

section provides that winter maintenance

operations for the portion of Highway 11 that is north of North Bay and for

Highway 17 shall be managed by the Ministry of Transportation.

Bill 49 2025

Act to amend the Highway Traffic Act and Public Transportation and Highway

Improvement Act with respect to northern highway safety

His

Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the

Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Part 1 of the Highway Traffic Act is amended by

adding the following section:

Staffing

– scales and inspection sites

5.5

(1) The

Minister shall ensure scales and inspection sites along the portion of Highway 11

that is north of North Bay and along Highway 17 are staffed daily for a minimum

of 12 hours.

Staffing

– traffic enforcement

(2) The

Government of Ontario shall ensure traffic enforcement by the Ontario

Provincial Police is sufficiently staffed to ensure enforcement of this Act.

Section 58.1 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:

Driver

education certificate – commercial truck drivers

(6.1) Despite

subsection (6), in order for a commercial truck driver education certificate

prescribed under a regulation made under this

section to be issued,

(

a) the

driver must be tested by an examiner certified by the Ministry in accordance

with the regulations and the examiner must indicate the driver should be

certified; and

(

b) the

Ministry must issue the certificate in accordance with the regulations.

Part XVI of the Public Transportation and Highway

Improvement Act is amended by adding the following section:

Management

– winter northern highway maintenance

(1) This

section applies to the following:

1. The

portion of Highway 11 that is north of North Bay.

2. Highway

Same

(2) Winter

maintenance operations for a highway or portion of a highway to which this

section applies shall be managed by the Ministry.

Same

(3) For

the purposes of subsection (2), the Ministry may work with contractors and

providers.

Commencement

This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short

title

The

short title of this Act is the Northern Highway 11 and

17 Safety Act, 2025 .

Date Bill stage Event Outcome Committee

November 3, 2025

Second Reading

Vote

Lost on division

October 30, 2025

Second Reading

Question put

Vote deferred

October 30, 2025

Second Reading

Debated

June 4, 2025

First Reading

Ordered for Second Reading

June 4, 2025

First Reading

Vote

Carried

First Reading

June 4, 2025

Carried

Ordered for Second Reading

Second Reading

October 30, 2025

Bourgouin, Guy

Mushkegowuk—James Bay

Bresee, Ric

Hastings—Lennox and Addington

Cerjanec, Rob

Ajax

Dowie, Andrew

Windsor—Tecumseh

Mamakwa, Sol

Kiiwetinoong

Smyth, Stephanie

Toronto—St. Paul's

Vanthof, John

Timiskaming—Cochrane

Vaugeois, Lise

Thunder Bay—Superior North

Question put

November 3, 2025

Lost on division