The organization that describes itself as the unified voice for northeastern Ontario is laying out its goals for 2026. The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) says highway safety and access to health care are the major priorities that it wants to see addressed this year. Kapuskasing Mayor Dave Plourde said making progress on both issues won’t be easy. “To say it’s going to be a walk in the park is a lie,” Plourde said Friday morning. “But it’s a mandate for me.” He said FONOM wants highway improvements designated as a national need. “Products from the west can’t come east and products from the east can’t come west when highways are closed,” Plourde said. Twinning Highways 11 and 17 is needed, considering how often lanes are closed due to winter storms, collisions and police investigations. “There are more cars and passengers on the highways,” he said. “We have the appropriate highways to get them from point A to point B.” Ministry of Transportation data says that Highway 11 from North Bay and Cochrane was closed 32 days from January to September 2025. Timiskaming-Cochrane NDP MPP John Vanthof said 62 per cent of the closures were related to crashes, 21 per cent were weather-related and 17 per cent were due to other factors, including sinkholes, washouts, vehicle fires and hydro issues. The NDP tried to pass a Northern Highway Safety Bill, but it was defeated. It included ensuring scales and inspection sites were staffed at least 12 hours a day, more staffing for Ontario Provincial Police enforcement, having MTO examiners to conduct truck driver testing and certification, and returning direct management of winter road maintenance in the north to the ministry. “If the Ring of Fire is actually developed as proposed, that’s thousands more commercial vehicles and I don’t think the government has seriously thought about that,” said Vanthof. “Our highways need to be rebuilt and redesigned.” FONOM officials say they hope the return of passenger rail service later this year will reduce the number of vehicles on the road. CTV News contacted the MTO and received this statement: “Ontario continues to strengthen safety and reliability along Highways 11 and 17. This year alone, we are investing nearly $600 million to build and repair northern roads, bridges and highways, including the vital 11/17 corridor. Since 2024, we’ve awarded over 40 construction contracts amounting to over $350 million along Highways 11, 17 and 11/17.” “To keep these vital routes reliable year-round, we uphold some of the highest winter maintenance standards in North America, with plows on the road within 30 minutes of a storm and more than 1,400 pieces of equipment working 24/7.” FONOM’s second priority is tackling health care needs by attracting more nurses to the region to trim hospital wait times. “Our life expectancy is lower in this part of the province,” Vanthof said. “Sometimes you’re not diagnosed early enough because if you don’t have a doctor, you end up in the emergency room.” Plourde praised the province’s Learn and Stay grant program, which entices students to stay in underserviced communities after graduation by covering their tuition, books and supplies. The province expanded nursing enrollment with close to $57 million the previous summer. Plourde would like to see more enhancements. “We do have colleges and so there might be an opportunity there to link more nursing courses to universities and have them train through colleges,” he said. “That would allow us to grow.”
