Northern Groups Say Budget Leaves Highway 11 And 17 Upgrades Unfunded

THUNDER BAY – November 10, 2026

Northern Ontario’s two main municipal associations say the federal budget released last week leaves the region’s most important east-west highways without a dedicated upgrade plan. The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association and the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities both noted that Budget 2026 contains no new funding agreement, project schedule, or corridor-wide commitment to widen Highways 11 and 17.

Those two routes form the primary Trans-Canada Highway link across the North. They carry passenger traffic, commercial freight, and access to services for communities from Kenora through Thunder Bay, Nipigon, Terrace Bay, Marathon and farther east. Large sections remain two-lane. A closure on any of those stretches can force long detours and isolate communities for hours or longer.

NOMA president Rick Dumas, the mayor of Marathon, said the region is ready to contribute to national growth through mining, forestry, energy and transportation. He called for partnerships and investment that recognize the North’s role in moving people, resources and goods. FONOM president Dave Plourde, the mayor of Kapuskasing, said the two governments have an opportunity to make meaningful commitments to Highway 69 and the Trans-Canada corridor. The associations want a jointly funded, phased plan that includes four-laning, selective widening, and 2+1 configurations on stretches where full twinning is difficult.

Budget documents highlight federal priorities that include critical minerals, energy infrastructure, housing, the Ring of Fire and the Mackenzie Valley Highway in the Northwest Territories. They do not identify a new cost-share arrangement or construction timeline for the Northern Ontario Trans-Canada sections. The groups have pressed both Ottawa and Queen’s Park for years for a coordinated approach. Prime Minister Mark Carney has previously described the corridors as important. Premier Doug Ford has said the province is prepared to work with the federal government on them. The associations say recognition has not yet produced a funded plan.

In Northwestern Ontario the practical effects are familiar. Winter weather, heavy trucks, and limited passing opportunities create regular delays and safety concerns on Highway 17 west of Thunder Bay and on Highway 11 north of the city. Resource projects, including those tied to critical minerals, depend on reliable road access for equipment, workers and product. Local officials have argued that national interest projects further north still rely on these highways to move materials and people from the south.

The associations represent municipalities across the region. They have offered to meet jointly with federal and provincial officials to identify priority sections and develop a schedule. They continue to call for a shared funding model rather than one level of government carrying the full cost. No formal funding talks have been announced since the budget was tabled.

Residents and businesses along the corridors will watch whether the gap identified this week leads to new discussions or remains an item for future budgets. The highways are already carrying the traffic that supports both local economies and national resource goals. The question raised by the municipal groups is whether the current two-lane configuration is sufficient for that role, or whether a funded upgrade plan is required.

Winter is approaching. Seasonal conditions will again test the existing roads. Any major incident or weather-related closure will again highlight the limited redundancy on the Trans-Canada through the North. The municipal associations say that is the case for moving the file from statements of importance to a concrete, jointly funded construction schedule.