Highway 69 tragedies renew calls to finish stalled four-laning work - Update

Mayor Paul Lefebvre began Tuesday’s city council meeting by offering his condolences to two young Sudbury men who were orphaned last week after their parents were killed on Highway 69. Vinod and Shilpa Patel died on April 7 along a two-lane stretch of the highway near Britt that has yet to be widened to four lanes. About 68 km of Highway 69, from Grundy Lake Provincial Park to the Nobel area, remains undivided and two lanes. It’s work that should have been completed almost a decade ago, but remains stalled. Work on four-laning Highway 69 from Sudbury to Toronto began two decades ago. The intent is to make the travelling to and from Toronto safer and quicker. The Patels were on their way to Toronto for a medical appointment — the final follow-up for Vinod, who had recently undergone brain surgery, CBC Radio in Sudbury has reported. That stretch of Highway 69 passes through lands belonging to Henvey Inlet First Nation, Shawanaga First Nation and Magnetawan First Nation and remains stalled due to ongoing negotiations between the province and the affected communities. Advertisement 3 Story continues below Article content Lefebvre said city officials are frustrated that the four-laning remains stalled. “It is an ongoing struggle,” he told city councillors. “We talk to the premier, the minister of transportation and the MTO about the importance of finalizing that highway. Financing has been put in — the federal government, back in 2019, put in $169 million, (to be) matched by the province.” Lefebvre said no matter who it is, whenever representatives from senior levels of government are in town, “we keep pushing.” But, he said that the whole community needs to advocate for the completion of Highway 69. “It can’t just be us; it has to be the whole community that advocates together — that is how we finally finish,” he said. A third person died on Highway 69 last week — within a day of the Patel tragedy, in fact. The OPP has not released the name of the person killed in that tragedy. The OPP said the fatal collision occurred on April 9 near Woods Road in Carling Township. Lefebvre said while there are economic benefits to be gained from four-laning the highway, it is “first and foremost” about the safety of motorists. For many who live in Northern Ontario, Highway 17, Highway 11 and Highway 69 are lifelines — to employment and medical care in southern Ontario, for example. “We have seen that accident, and I think the next day there was another accident, with another fatality,” Lefebvre said. “This is not acceptable … I just wanted to say to council and to the community, that we need to continue that advocacy together, and our condolences to the Patel family.” Dakota Brasier, director of media relations for Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria, said the government is working as it can to finish four-laning Highway 69. “On behalf of our government, we want to extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who tragically lost their lives on Highway 69. Our thoughts remain with them during an incredibly difficult time,” Brasier said in an email statement. “For Northern Ontario, Highway 69 is not just another road. It is a lifeline for families, workers, and communities, and our government understands how important it is to get this work done. “That is why we have already widened 84 kilometres of Highway 69 to four lanes and moving as quickly as possible to widen the remaining 68 kilometres in consultation with engineers and local First Nations. We are doing the work to get Highway 69 finished and make this critical corridor safer for Northern families.” On their way to Toronto The OPP said the Patels died when they collided with a transport truck early on April 7, leaving behind their sons, Arsh and Yug Patel. The sons told CBC Radio they wonder why the widening of Highway 69 to four lanes has not been completed. “This is not the first collision. This has been going on for a long time, and (the province has) had lots of time to fix the highway and make it a four-lane,” Arsh, 22, a chemical biology student at McMaster University, told the CBC. Yug, 17, a Grade 11 student at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School in Sudbury, said he doesn’t want other families to go through the same experience. “I think this is more than enough evidence that action needs to be taken,” he told the CBC. Friends of Vinod and Shilpa Patel told CBC the couple played a central role in Sudbury’s Gujarati community and were known for helping others. The Patels started the association after immigrating to Sudbury from India around 2009 to help other newcomers adjust to life in the north, the CBC reported. Shilpa worked as a tax consultant and often helped international students and newcomers. Vinod worked in information technology. The Sudbury area’s two MPPs – Jamie West (Sudbury) and France Gelinas (Nickel Belt) – sent a letter to Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria this week reminding him about the importance of four-laning Highway 69. They wrote that last week’s accidents “resulted in three fatalities, leaving two families and members of our communities mourning once again. “In the last eight years, despite numerous promises and statements made by (Premier Doug Ford), not a single kilometre of the remaining two-laned portion of (Highway 69) has been four-laned. This has resulted in preventable tragedies, like the most recent fatalities. “While we eagerly wait for the response to our previous letter, we felt compelled to reach out to you again to advocate on behalf of our constituents. We want you to understand the urgency of the situation and the impacts these growing number of accidents and fatalities continue to have on northern residents, communities, and anyone travelling on Highway 69.” Meanwhile, a petition on charge.org, called Finish Highway 69/400 Now, has collected more than 8,000 signatures. Go to tinyurl.com/43b83jf6 for more information and view the petition. It was started after the Patels were killed. “This heart-wrenching incident unfolded on the dangerous two-lane sections of Highway 69/400 in Northern Ontario, which have become all too familiar with fatal head-on collisions. It’s time for action, not delays, to prevent further tragedies in our community,” the petition says in part. “The (provincial) government has a moral obligation to protect its citizens. The immediate completion of these planned expansions on Highway 69/400 is not just a matter of convenience, but of life and death. We are urgently calling on the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to expedite the construction process, allocate necessary resources, and ensure a safer road environment for all drivers and passengers.” MPPs release documentary Highway 69 is not the only major road in Northern Ontario to come under scrutiny in recent months. A trio of Northern NDP MPPs this week provided a ride-along of sorts regarding their road trip last month from Queen’s Park to the Ontario/Manitoba border and back, travelling on highways 11, 17 and 69. At least 10 people have died on Highway 11 alone over the past six months. Most of those roads are two lanes. Advertisement 8 Story continues below Article content Timiskaming-Cochrane MPP John Vanthof, Mushkegowuk-James Bay MPP Guy Bourgouin and Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa made the two-week trek to highlight the need for improved highway safety in the north. While on the journey, they listened to members of the communities along the way, including the families of victims of the all-too-frequent collisions that occur each winter. Now, Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles and her northern caucus have released a documentary based on the journey that showcases what they say is the urgent need for safer northern highways. To watch the documentary, go to tinyurl.com/4h7fptex. “Going on this two-week journey was an experience I hope will open a lot of eyes through this documentary,” Vanthof said. “We don’t need to watch shows about dangerous roads. We live it. This should finally reveal why highways 11 and 17 need real investment and modernization.” Mamakwa said he agreed. “After almost two weeks on the road, the stories and experiences shared (are) something we will always carry with us. “This tour made it clear that for northerners, worrying about loved ones making it home safe is a daily reality. It’s past time the province steps up to protect lives.” Bourgouin said he hoped the documentary would convince the Ford government that it needs to take action on these highways. “The reality of Highway 11/17 seems invisible to decision-makers in the south, but Northerners know these roads are lifelines. “We hope that by sharing these stories, tragedies, and the fears families carry every time they get behind the wheel, we can raise awareness that change is needed, and that we need action now to secure these roads.” West and Gelinans also spoke at the documentary’s unveiling at Queen’s Park in Toronto. “Sudburians rely on northern highways every single day,” West said. “That’s why our leader, Marit Stiles, joined the northern highway tour. She knows that the only way for a leader from southern Ontario to truly understand northern highways is if they experience it themselves. “She’s driven these roads. She’s heard the terrifying stories, and she’s met with grieving northern families. That’s why Marit’s fighting for better northern highways, too.”