[wave46]

/Rantmodeon

I've lived in Northern Ontario for a majority of my life. I've lived in some of the small towns and larger cities of the region. I'd like to think I have a holistic view of the Northeastern part of it and know enough people in the Northwest that I have some sense of the issues that its people face.

If we were gifted $25-30 billion dollars of infrastructure money (what a freeway would cost), I sure wouldn't waste it on some fucking unused freeway between Nipigon and Hearst or Nipigon and the Sault.

I'd spend it on long-term care facilities for our aging population, so they didn't have to occupy acute-care hospital beds.
I'd spend it on our isolated reserves that don't have clean water or all-weather roads.
I'd spend it on improving our existing highways.
I'd spend it on improving educational opportunities for our most isolated and marginalized residents.
I'd spend it on improving bus service between isolated communities (not everyone drives!)
I'd spend it on areas of the province's (and country's) highways that do have serious safety problems.

Certain areas of the north might justify a freeway. However, for the bulk of the region, a divided freeway is terribly low on the priority list. In the magical world of infinite money, sure, let's pave the roads in gold. In the pragmatic world I live, not so much.

Just one man's questionable opinion.

/rantmodeoff