TORONTO — On Sunday January 27, a delegation from Bonnechere Valley and the County of Renfrew, met with MPP Kinga Surma, Parliamentary Assistant to Minister of Transportation, Jeff Yurek, along with senior staff from the Premier’s Office and the Ministry of Transportation. The delegation comprised of County of Renfrew Warden Jennifer Murphy, Chair of the Highway 17 Extension Advisory Committee Peter Emon, and municipal staff spoke with MPP Surma and discussed that Premier Doug Ford has been supportive of the extension/expansion project since day one of his campaign. They reminded those in attendance that the Premier visited Renfrew to see the highway first-hand, and to announce his candidacy with MPP John Yakabuski at his first stop on the campaign trail.
The delegation’s formal request centered on getting the project started, and to show some real construction progress to the people of Renfrew County in the very near future. The delegation also reminded the Province that connecting links like Hwy 132, Hwy 60 and Hwy 41 are important links to an expanded 417. These links will promote growth in the region that supports economic development, tourism and improves this key transportation link to large employers in the County. This conversation built on previous requests dating back several years under both the previous government and this government as recently as last fall to move the project west from Scheel Drive to Bruce Street near Renfrew.
MPP Surma expressed that she is very familiar with the region, having grown up in the City of Ottawa. She said she is very excited to take the delegation up on its invitation to visit Renfrew County in her official capacity to see the growth that is possible with the extension of 417 west of Scheel Drive. She also was interested on hearing more about the challenges that come with only two lanes serving the largest geographic County in the Province and Northern Ontario.
The Province clarified that they were very aware of the project, as MPP Yakabuski continues to be a huge champion, and that he makes everyone aware of the importance of moving ahead on this expansion. The Province indicated that they are currently reviewing their capital budget plans, and should be able to get back to the County shortly with more information. In addition, the Province thanked the delegation for their continued communication, and looks forward to further discussions regarding this project.
Warden Murphy said, “This was a productive meeting, and I am pleased with the Province’s acknowledgment of the County’s significant contributions to discussions with regards to expansion of the highway. We are encouraged that MPP Surma is looking to visit our area to see firsthand the impact this project will have on our County.”
She continued, “We have had several meetings in recent years with both Provincial and Federal Government Officials, and we are pleased to have been able to meet with the MPP Surma, today; we look forward to ongoing discussions regarding the next phases of the highway expansion project.”
