Ontario is adding truck parking and other amenities to an under-served area in the northern part of the province.
On Tuesday, Aug. 13, the Ontario government announced it would be investing more than $6 million toward upgrading the Batchawana Bay rest area located on Highway 17 north of Sault Ste. Marie. According to officials, the rest area is being expanded to “accommodate commercial vehicles and support the safe movement of people and goods across the region.”
Among the upgraded amenities will be newly constructed entrance and exit lanes, along with a separate truck parking area with nine spaces for commercial vehicles.
While it may not have a wealth of spaces, the new facility will serve truckers in a much-needed stretch of the province. According to officials, the upgrades to the Batchawana Bay rest area will “provide truck drivers with a comfortable stop in the middle of a 220-kilometer (approximately 136-mile) stretch of Highway 17 that currently has no designated facilities for truckers.”
“Ontario’s truckers are crucial to our economy, keeping our shelves stocked and moving $3 billion worth of goods on our highways every day,” Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s minister of transportation, said in a statement. “No matter where they’re traveling, these men and women should have confidence in safe and reliable rest stops.”
In addition to truck parking, drivers will also have year-round access to heated washrooms at the upgraded rest area. According to the project’s plans, the washrooms will be renovated with “new fixtures, enhanced lighting and upgraded heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.”
Other trucker-friendly amenities planned for the renovated facility include:
- Free Wi-Fi
- Personal device-charging stations
- TV with information displays
- Closed-circuit television cameras
Officials added that, during the upgrades, work also will be done to support underground infrastructure to allow for future electric vehicle charging stations.
A spokesperson for Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure told Land Line that work on the rehabilitation project began in July, with construction expected to be completed “early next year.”
The upgrades are part of the province’s five-year plan to improve the rest area network across Ontario. Published in December 2020, the plan includes upgrading 14 existing rest areas, building 10 new rest areas and adding 165 truck parking spaces at four existing ONroute locations.
Ontario isn’t the only Canadian province making an effort to support the trucking industry. In March, officials in British Columbia cut the ribbon on the North Surrey Truck Parking Facility. In addition to 106 parking spaces for commercial vehicles, the facility includes fencing, cameras and 24-hour security to give truckers peace of mind while parking overnight. LL
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