Thunder Bay police will enforce new designated truck route bylaw, city says | CBC News
With its designated truck route bylaw now getting council approval, the City of Thunder Bay is now focused on getting everything ready in time for its implementation.
On Monday council approved the bylaw, which limits where heavy trucks can travel in the city. It will go into effect on Oct. 1, 2025 and be enforced by Thunder Bay police.
When it’s implemented, heavy trucks will be restricted to Highways 61 and 11/17, the Harbour Expressway, Main Street, and Island Drive, unless making a delivery or pickup, or performing another service, in Thunder Bay.
A map of the route can be found in the Monday, June 23 council agenda.
Kayla Dixon, the city’s commissioner of infrastructure and operations, said work on getting things ready for the implementation of the new bylaw is underway.
“Getting the signage in place,” she said. “There’s set fines that are required to be approved.”
“Then the third thing would be actually around the education piece, which I think is important, both to the industry and to the public, to ensure that we have compliance,” Dixon said. “We want education to go out in the trucking industry so that they’re aware that a designated truck route’s in place.”
Dixon said there will be a public education component, as well, so people are aware that trucks are allowed to be on non-designated roads if they’re performing a service, or making a pickup or delivery.
The bylaw itself applies to vehicles with a registered gross weight of 15,000 kg or higher, but there are some exceptions, including city vehicles actively engaged in their duties, emergency vehicles, passenger buses and vehicles transporting waste, the bylaw states.
The bylaw does not apply to “vehicles travelling to the residence or business premises of the owner or operator of the vehicle where the business premises or residence is only accessible by highways that do not form part of the designated truck route.”
Those found to be in violation can face fines or other penalties. Dixon said enforcement will be handled largely by Thunder Bay police.
“There’s probably going to be a couple blitzes, and then look at some ongoing compliance enforcement as well,” Dixon said.
A Thunder Bay police spokesperson confirmed the service will be involved in enforcing the bylaw. Thunder Bay police representatives were not available for interviews on Wednesday.
The bylaw has faced opposition from surrounding townships and municipalities. Conmee and Oliver Paipoonge, for example, have said the bylaw would double the number of heavy trucks travelling through their communities.
MPP opposed
Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland was unavailable for an interview, but said in a statement to CBC News that he’s also opposed to the bylaw.
“I’m disappointed in the decision made by Thunder Bay City Council regarding the implementation of the designated truck route bylaw,” the statement reads. “Instead of working collaboratively with myself, our government, and local communities to find a comprehensive solution to traffic flow concerns in the city and region, the city has opted to redirect 1,300 trucks per day onto a single route. This decision will significantly increase traffic volume and safety concerns on the Thunder Bay expressway.”
Conmee Mayor Sheila Maxwell could not be reached for comment on Wednesday, but has told CBC in the past that the proposed Shabaqua Extension would address the concerns, as it would provide a route for trucks that bypasses Conmee and Kakabeka Falls.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Transportation told CBC News that preliminary designs for the first section of the extension, and an environmental assessment, would get underway “in the coming weeks.”
