Northern Ontario multimodal transportation strategy phase 1 report: the Northern Ontario context: implications and considerations for strategy development

Of the comments received, input ranged from municipalities, non-government organizations, Indigenous organizations and First Nation communities, citizen advocacy groups, and individuals.

All submitted comments were carefully reviewed and considered, with many of the suggestions and recommendations being incorporated into and informing the development of Phase 2 NOMTS work, including the Discussion Paper, Towards a Northern Ontario Multimodal Transportation StrategyDraft 2041 Northern Ontario Multimodal Transportation Strategy, and will inform the final government decision on the strategy and action plan.

Comments were wide-ranging and generally supportive of the Strategy. Below is a summary of the main themes heard during the engagement period.

Comment:

• There is a lack of passenger rail and passenger bus services in northern Ontario; without some type of passenger service connecting communities, people face challenges in meeting daily and basic needs. Many comments focused on the need to reinstate passenger rail services where it was recently discontinued.

Response:

• Further analysis and technical work was conducted on intercommunity passenger services following the consultation period. During Phase 2 of NOMTS, a technical report on intercommunity passenger transportation was developed and released in November 2016. The report describes intercommunity passenger services in northern Ontario including service and ridership provision and trends, outlooks, issues and opportunities.
• In addition, included in the Phase 2 Discussion Paper are directions to improve intercommunity bus services and to protect for future passenger rail infrastructure.
• Released in July 2017, the Draft 2041 Northern Ontario Multimodal Transportation Strategy built on the strategic directions of the Discussion Paper, and included directions to: 
  • Establish a network of core intercommunity passenger bus services across northern Ontario to connect major centres, improve community transportation services; and
  • Reinvigorate passenger rail services, where appropriate.

Comment:

• There are concerns over the transportation system in the Far North, such as the vulnerability of winter roads to closures, poor navigation/safety features at remote airports, and the high cost of air transport impacts food prices and daily living.

Response:

• Following the release of the Phase 1 Report – The Northern Ontario Context: Implications and Considerations for Strategy Development, technical background reports were developed that informed the creation of a Discussion Paper during Phase 2 of NOMTS.
• The Winter Roads Technical Backgrounder included an examination of Ontario’s winter roads, including road characteristics, jurisdiction and policies, use of winter roads, construction and maintenance guidelines, and issues and opportunities.
• The Remote Airports Technical Backgrounder describes remote airport policies and programs, facilities, operations, services, aircraft, and issues and opportunities.
• Based on this previous technical work and engagement with First Nation communities and partner ministries, the Draft 2041 Northern Ontario Multimodal Transportation Strategy included directions to enhance the quality of winter roads and lengthen their operating season, improve the function and reliability of remote airports, as well as collaboratively pursing the expansion of the all-season road network with interested First Nation communities.

Comment:

• There are numerous gaps in the highway network, such as the provision rest areas, passing lanes, and four-laning.

Response:

• During Phase 2 of NOMTS work, further analysis of current traffic levels (including historic trends and anticipated future traffic levels) and reliability and resiliency of the northern Ontario highway network was completed and described in the Highways and Roads Technical Backgrounder. Within this document, technical work was completed to identify potential priority locations for rest areas, four-laning, twining, and areas for highway capacity improvements.
• In addition, the NOMTS Discussion Paper released during Phase 2 included directions to prioritize highway safety and redundancy to support highway drivers, and improve highway reliability and resilience.
• The Draft 2041 Northern Ontario Multimodal Transportation Strategy included directions and actions to improve the reliability of the Trans-Canada Highway and increase highway capacity to support efficient goods movement and passenger travel.

Below is a brief overview of other main comments received during the engagement period:

• Provide municipal and provincial airports in northern Ontario with sufficient capital and operating support to meet the needs of their communities;
• Address the lack of consistency in ownership, standards, and maintenance of roads connecting First Nation communities;
• Provide greater attention on the Far North, particularity, on the ongoing infrastructure projects in the area, the limitations in environmental planning, and the need to protect globally significant ecosystems and vulnerable wildlife in the region; and
• Ensure that the characteristics of all geographic contexts in northern Ontario are considered, as they will require geoscientists and engineers in the planning and design of transportation construction and maintenance in the region.

The feedback on the NOMTS Phase 1 Report: the Northern Ontario Context: Implications and Considerations for Strategy Development, informed the development of the Discussion Paper, Towards a Northern Ontario Multimodal Transportation Strategy, and the development of nine technical backgrounders. In turn, these documents influenced the direction of the Draft 2041 Northern Ontario Multimodal Transportation Strategy, and will inform the final government decision on the strategy and action plan.

The nine technical backgrounders provide an overview of the trends, outlooks, issues and opportunities of several transportation modes/activities in northern Ontario. Released in October, 2016, the Discussion Paper summarizes the findings of comprehensive technical analysis across transportation modes and related topics in northern Ontario.