What Visitors Need from Northern Ontario’s Transportation Network
by Sara Currier | January 9, 2026
Northern Ontario is big—REALLY big—which can be a challenge for anyone trying to get from one city to another or to escape into our great wilderness. Roads, air, and rail networks are critical to the success of our tourism industry (and economy at large) and that’s why Destination Northern Ontario is making it a priority.
Ian Wood is a director on our board of directors and the chair of its ad hoc committee on transportation issues. In this episode of Destination: Northern Ontario, he lays out the current state of our transportation network, what should be done to improve them for visitors, and what YOU can do to help.
Listen now, or read on for a few highlights.
Challenges
Northern Ontario's transportation network faces several significant challenges that impact both residents and visitors. The vast distances between cities and attractions mean that efficient and reliable transportation is crucial. Yet, the highways need repair, to be expanded, and better visitor services (including cell phone service); there’s limited inter-city rail; and airports have been losing routes.
Opportunities
Despite these challenges, there are many opportunities and potential solutions that can enhance the transportation infrastructure in Northern Ontario. For air, the federal and provincial governments could support medium-sized airports by contributing to pools of money that defray empty seats and reduce risk for airlines. For rail, finding a way to make space for passenger rail (ideally twinning the lines) would create opportunities for travel between cities and for high value rail tours. For roads, the top priority is four-laning the highways (or accelerating the 2+1 “Scandinavian Solution”) to make travel safer and more efficient for the 94% of visitors that arrive by road.
What Tourism Operators Can Do to Help
Tourism operators in Northern Ontario can play a part in advancing these opportunities. Ian suggests reaching out to your MP and MPP and sharing stories about how transportation impacts your business, both positively and negatively. This can lead to more informed decisions by policymakers.
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Next time on the podcast, we’ll tackle another topic important to tourism business operators in Northern Ontario. Follow us on your favourite podcast platform to be notified when the episode drops.