Upper Ottawa Valley lobbies the feds

The expansion of Highway 17 from Arnprior to Scheel Drive in McNab-Braeside will continue this summer, but officials in the Upper Ottawa Valley are looking for a commitment from the federal government to four-lane the highway all the to Mattawa.

With the Province unable to fund the full expansion, Petawawa Mayor Bob Sweet is lobbying the Feds to commit up to $200-million needed to move forward with the highway twinning. He said that since it is the ‘Trans-Canada’ Highway, the federal government should be committed to funding.

As part of the effort, the Petawawa Police Services Board have launched a new Facebook page called “Safe on 17” for people to gather and share information about the highway and add their name to a petition that will eventually be brought before Parliament.