TORONTO - Guy Bourgouin is renewing his push for safer highways with the reintroduction of Chad’s Law.
The Mushkegwuk-James Bay MPP’s bill would make it illegal to pass on double solid lines in Ontario, something every other province already prohibits.
Bourgouin was joined by Sudbury MPP Jamie West, Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas, and Thunder Bay-Superior North MPP Lise Vaugeois, at Queen’s Park on Nov. 26 to table the bill for a second time.
The legislation is named for Chad, a driver from the Kapuskasing area who survived a severe head-on collision after a transport truck crossed two solid double yellow lines while attempting to pass.
Bourgouin recounted the crash — and Chad’s long-term injuries — as an example of the preventable risks northerners face on Highways 11 and 17.
“Chad was left with a broken neck, broken ribs, a fractured collarbone and sternum, a bruised lung, a concussion and PTSD,” Bourgouin said. “To this day, he lives with chronic pain, distorted eyesight, anxiety, trauma that affects every part of his life — and sadly, Chad’s story is not unique.”
SEE: Bill introduced to outlaw passing on a double solid line
Bourgouin said Highway 11 and 17 are “lifelines,” relied upon for work, groceries, school and the movement of goods across the province, yet they are increasingly unsafe due to truck traffic, narrow roadways, and inconsistent enforcement.
He pointed to a 2024 Ontario Trucking Association survey in which 600 drivers identified unsafe passing as their top concern in Northern Ontario.
SEE: Truckers list unsafe passing as top concern in Northern Ontario
What Chad’s Law would do
The bill proposes:
- Making it explicitly illegal to pass on double solid yellow lines
- Creating a $400 fine and three demerit points for the offence
- Bringing Ontario in line with road-safety standards elsewhere in North America
Vaugeois said the change is long overdue.
“Every other province in the country has a law that says you can’t pass on a double yellow line. Why doesn’t Ontario?” she questioned.
She added that long distances between passing lanes and soft shoulders increase pressure on truck drivers to take risks.
Gélinas echoed the concern, noting pass attempts in no-passing zones are often driven by long stretches with no safe alternative.
“Sometimes the distances between passing zones can be up to 25 kilometres,” she said. “Truckers will try to take risks, and the consequences are tragic.”
West contrasted the bill with delayed highway expansion projects.
“This doesn’t take a shovel in the ground or jumping on a bulldozer,” West said. “What [the premier] could do is implement Chad’s Law — something every other province has already done.”
West said northerners rely on cars, not transit, and feel the impact every time a fatal crash shuts down a major highway.
“In Northern Ontario, we don't have a GO train, we don't have a GO bus, we have our cars,” he said.
“That's how we get around. That's how we get to work. It's how we visit family … We travel these roads on a regular basis, and we all feel it when the highways are closed because someone's been killed or injured.”
This marks Bourgouin’s second highway-safety bill of the current session. His previous attempt, Bill 49 — which sought increased enforcement, improved winter maintenance, and daily-staffed truck inspection sites — was voted down earlier this month.
SEE: 'Failed the North': Highway safety bill defeated
He said residents consistently raise road safety as one of their top concerns.
“This is not a political matter. There’s no stripes associated with this bill. This is about saving lives,” he said. “We’re supposed to work together.”
Bourgouin added that he would support the government adopting or rewriting Chad’s Law if it meant the proposal could move forward to committee.
“When we hear a story like Chad’s Law, everybody should be for it, just because of the fact that Chad had to live through these horrendous events,” he said.
Higher risks in the North
Citing earlier work by Timiskaming-Cochrane MPP John Vanthof, Bourgouin noted that drivers in Northern Ontario are four times more likely to die in a crash than those in the south.
SEE: Bourgouin leading drive for Highway 11 safety improvements
He also raised concerns about economic development.
“When you want to build a house, first you lay the bricks that will be the foundation. It's the same when it comes to road safety and development of the economy,” he said.
“If you want to develop the Ring of Fire, we need roads … How are we supposed to develop the economy in the north if roads can close for up to a month after an accident?”
As a private member’s bill, Chad’s Law will require support from government MPPs to move beyond first reading. Bourgouin said he is hopeful northern conservative MPPs will recognize the urgency.
“They know exactly the danger their constituents face,” he said. “They cannot ignore the issue anymore.”