Ontario Trucking Association Brass checks out Dawson Road

THUNDER BAY, ON  – – The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) hit The Lakehead last week to meet with City officials about the future of trucks on Dawson Road.

Represented by Thunder-Bay-based McKevitt Trucking Founder John McKevitt, OTA President David Bradley and Senior VP Stephen Laskowski, the delegation spoke with Thunder Bay Mayor Keith Hobbs and the alderman for the area, Trevor Giertuga.

Dawson Road is Thunder Bay’s busiest east-west commercial truck route and a favored road for truckers operating through the city.  

Last year, a group of Dawson Road-area residents petitioned the City to ban trucks on the stretch of road and the city obliged by passing a resolution that would have effectively kept heavy-duty trucks off Dawson.

The resolution needed the support of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation in the form of signage along the Trans Canada informing people of the proposed new restrictions but the MTO turned down the request.

Council then referred the matter to the city’s inter-governmental liaison committee, which passed a motion to make Dawson Rd. into a community safety zone. That action would mean lower speeds along certain sections and a doubling of speeding fines.

According to Bradley, “we were well received by both Mayor Hobbs and by councillor Giertuga. There appears to be a genuine desire to look at alternative ways to improve the safety of all vehicles, not just trucks, on Dawson Rd. – at least for the time being – before further contemplating a ban.”

“We came away with the feeling that it is understood that a ban on trucks would be difficult to achieve for a variety of reasons and would just create other problems,” Bradley added. “We agreed to stay in touch and OTA offered to work with council, the local police and MTO to find a mutually beneficial solution.

To hear Today’s Trucking Editor Peter Carter tell CBC Radio why Dawson is such an integral link for truckers, turn your speakers on and hit play, below.