Speed enforcement cameras to stay, Sudbury, Ont., mayor says

Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre says the city will keep its 6 automated speed cameras despite Premier Doug Ford calling them a "tax grab." Angela Gemmill has more.

While Ontario Premier Doug Ford is vowing to get rid of them, Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre says automated speed cameras in his city are here to stay.

Earlier this week, Ford called the cameras “a tax grab” and said if cities don’t get rid of them on their own, he will try to force their hand.

“I’ve driven by speed traps that aren’t even close to school areas. It’s nothing but a tax grab,” he said.

“Hopefully, cities will get rid of them like Mayor Del Duca did in Vaughan. Or I’m going to help them get rid of them very shortly.”

But Lefebvre said this week that Ford’s reaction is based on the large number — 150 speed cameras — in the Greater Toronto Area. There are only six of the cameras in Greater Sudbury.

“His was a reaction to Toronto going from 75 cameras to 150 cameras,” the mayor said.

Lefebvre said the cameras help reduce speed in high-priority areas and are usually set up around schools and four-lane highways, where it’s difficult for drivers to exit a driveway.

“I hear where the premier is coming from, but basically ... how many do we need in a city?” he said.

Six is enough

Sudbury has no plans to add new cameras, Lefebvre said.

“We’re just trying to help people change a bit of that speed behaviour,” he said.

“That’s not city council asking for this — a lot of our citizens are asking us to step up and keep our roads safe.”

In 2024, revenue from fines generated from the cameras totalled $753,000 in Sudbury, while the cameras cost $325,000 to operate. The revenue is used to fund road safety initiatives.

While Sudbury is determined to keep its cameras, Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Matthew Shoemaker agrees that the devices are primarily a way of adding revenue.

“What you’ve seen in communities that implemented automated speed enforcement is a shift from asking the police to enforce speeding to now asking the police to enforce vandalism against automated speed enforcement,” Shoemaker said.

Cameras change driving behaviour

“So, it doesn’t actually alleviate any of the problems of enforcement or reduce the enforcement,” Shoemaker said. ”It just changes the type of enforcement you’re doing.”

A recent survey from the Canadian Automobile Association found that the cameras change driver behaviour. In all, 73 per cent of those surveyed admitted they slowed down when nearing a speed camera.

City of Greater Sudbury staff will present data on 2025 ticket counts and revenue at an Operations Committee meeting later this year.

Meanwhile, the six cameras will be moved to new locations in October. The city has already released the list of new sites.