Northern Ontario municipalities press province for highway upgrades and funding.

At the ROMA conference, the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities and Greater Sudbury's mayor urged the province to support highway modernization, policing grants, housing and infrastructure funding; provincial officials heard those concerns but offered no detailed commitments.

Northern Ontario municipal leaders presented a set of priorities to provincial officials after discussions at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference. The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) pushed for modernization of key east–west highways and other supports. Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre reported advocacy for local infrastructure, housing and policing funding on his return to the city. Provincial officials heard concerns but did not provide detailed commitments during those conversations. Points raised: - FONOM asked the province to formally back modernization of Trans-Canada Highways 11 and 17, including four-laning, twinning and 2+1 safety designs. - The federation noted those corridors move more than $200 million in goods daily and called the routes national trade corridors. - FONOM requested targeted changes to the Mental Health Act to better address severe addiction and repeated emergency cycles, saying frontline workers report current gaps. - Municipal leaders urged a $100-million Northern Ontario policing grant, phased over three years, to address funding inequities for small, rural and remote communities. - Mayor Lefebvre pressed for Sudbury to capture more economic benefits from nearby mines and sought funding for recreational facilities, four-laning Highway 69, safety upgrades to Highway 144, supportive housing operations, and water/wastewater infrastructure. - Sudbury city officials supported a 40-unit supportive housing project on Bruce Avenue and raised concerns about the planned closure of the Cecil Facer Youth Centre, saying its loss would affect northern communities and local services. Summary: Municipal leaders framed a coordinated ask to the province focused on highways, policing, housing and infrastructure, and Sudbury highlighted local fiscal pressures including police budget increases and water/wastewater needs. Provincial officials listened but did not provide full details or firm commitments during the meetings. Undetermined at this time