A concrete overpass embossed with images of moose, wolves, and bears marks the gateway to northern Ontario for motorists on Hwy. 69, between Parry Sound and Sudbury. The 80-metre-long, 30-metre-wide structure allows animals to safely traverse the divided highway. And it works: in the six years after its construction in 2012, there was a 74 per cent reduction in wildlife-vehicle collisions. The overpass, combined with six kilometres of fencing to funnel wildlife into the structure, cost $3.9 million to build as part of long-term highway expansions. Yet it remains Ontario’s only wildlife overpass, much to the consternation of Tim Gray, the executive director of Environmental Defence, a nonprofit that’s lobbied hard against Ontario’s plans to build new highways. Building more overpasses and underpasses should be “a no-brainer,” says Gray. “They do so much for habitat connectivity, and they also stop people from dying in collisions with wildlife.”
OPP report an increase in wildlife collisions on Ontario roads over the past three years
Parks Canada is a pioneer in the science of road ecology, having launched efforts to allow wildlife to coexist with highways in Western Canada in the early 1980s. Six wildlife overpasses, 38 underpasses, and 82 kilometres of fencing were built along the Trans-Canada Highway in Banff National Park in a series of improvements. Similar features in Yoho and Kootenay national parks brought the total number of crossings to 49 by 2014. Since then, data shows the structures have reduced overall wildlife-vehicle collisions by 80 per cent, with a 96 per cent reduction in accidents involving elk and deer.
Gray says Ontario lags far behind provinces such as B.C. and Alberta, and he is among the conservationists demanding more wildlife infrastructure where highways fragment biodiversity hotspots. “The obvious spot is Highway 401 at the Frontenac Arch near Kingston,” says Gray. The Arch is a swath of forest stretching from Algonquin Provincial Park through eastern Ontario, across the St. Lawrence River at the Thousand Islands and into New York state’s Adirondack Mountains. It provides habitat for many endangered species, but it’s bisected by one of Canada’s busiest highways. Fast-moving traffic creates a deadly barrier for many species. A study done in 2008 along a 37-kilometre stretch of the nearby Thousand Islands Parkway reported more than 24,000 road-killed reptiles and amphibians in a five-month span.
Connecting fragmented habitat is essential for wolverine conservation
Ontario Ministry of Transportation spokesperson Tanya Blazina says multiple underpasses have been incorporated in the expansion of Hwy. 69 north of Parry Sound, and new bridges on Hwy. 11/17 at rivers east of Thunder Bay include “benches” to allow animals to move along shoreline areas. A section of Hwy. 24 between Brantford and Paris, Ont., with high turtle mortality now includes a “turtle crossing”—consisting of a culvert and fencing—which has “virtually eliminated turtle strikes by vehicles,” according to Blazina.
However, there are no plans for new overpasses. “There’s been a backslide in environmental oversight and a focus on saving money,” contends Gray. “This outlook not only endangers wildlife, it makes roads more dangerous for motorists too.” In the meantime, all drivers can do to improve safety on the roads is slow down and stay alert, especially when driving at night.
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