The
Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (
MTO) is the provincial
ministryA ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...
of the
government of OntarioThe Government of Ontario refers to the provincial government of the province of Ontario, Canada. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....
which is responsible for
transportTransport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
infrastructureInfrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
and related
lawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
in
OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The ministry traces its roots back over a century to the 1890s, when the province began training Provincial Road Building Instructors. In 1916, the
Department of Highways (DOH) was formed and tasked with establishing a network of provincial highways. The first was designated on 1918, and by the summer of 1925, sixteen highways were numbered. In the mid-1920s, a new
Department of Northern Development (DND) was created to manage infrastructure improvements in
northern OntarioNorthern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
; it merged with the DOH on April 1, 1937. In 1972, the Department of Highways was reorganized as the
Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MTC), which then became the Ministry of Transportation in 1987.
The
Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (
MTO) is the provincial
ministryA ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...
of the
government of OntarioThe Government of Ontario refers to the provincial government of the province of Ontario, Canada. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....
which is responsible for
transportTransport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
infrastructureInfrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
and related
lawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
in
OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The ministry traces its roots back over a century to the 1890s, when the province began training Provincial Road Building Instructors. In 1916, the
Department of Highways (DOH) was formed and tasked with establishing a network of provincial highways. The first was designated on 1918, and by the summer of 1925, sixteen highways were numbered. In the mid-1920s, a new
Department of Northern Development (DND) was created to manage infrastructure improvements in
northern OntarioNorthern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
; it merged with the DOH on April 1, 1937. In 1972, the Department of Highways was reorganized as the
Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MTC), which then became the Ministry of Transportation in 1987.
The ministry is in charge of various aspects of transportation in Ontario, including the establishment and maintenance of the provincial highway system, the licencing and training of vehicles and drivers, and the policing of provincial roads, enforced by the
Ontario Provincial PoliceThe Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
.
History
The province began training Provincial Road Building Instructors in 1896. These instructors worked to establish specifications for the almost 90000 kilometres (55,923.5 mi) of county- and
townshipIn Upper and Lower Canada, concession roads were laid out by the colonial government through undeveloped land to define lots to be developed; the name comes from a Lower Canadian French term for a row of lots. Concession roads are straight, and follow an approximately square grid, usually oriented...
- maintained roads. That same year, the Ontario Good Roads Association (now the
Canadian Automobile AssociationThe Canadian Automobile Association , commonly known as CAA, is a non-profit federation, founded in 1913, of nine clubs across Canada, providing roadside assistance service, a complete range of auto touring and leisure travel services, insurance services, and member discounts with preferred...
) was formed. Under considerable pressure from the Roads Association and the ever increasing number of drivers, which the province itself licensed at that time, the Department of Highways was formed in 1916 with the goal of creating a provincial highway network. The DOH assumed its first highway, the
Provincial HighwayKing's Highway 2, usually referred to simply as Highway 2 is a provincially maintained highway in Ontario. Once the primary east–west route across the southern end of the province, Highway 2 became mostly redundant in the 1960s following the completion of Highway 401, which more or less...
on August 21, 1917,. On February 20, 1920, the DOH assumed several hundred kilometres of new highways, formally establishing the Provincial Highway System.
Role and responsibilities
The MTO is responsible for:
- 10.4 million registered vehicles
- 8.5 million drivers
- 55 driver examination centres & 37 travel points (both operated by Serco DES Inc, as DriveTest Centres)
- 281 privately owned Driver and Vehicle Licence Issuing Offices across the province
- GO Transit
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
kilometres of provincial highway
- ServiceOntario kiosks
Road maintenance
Maintenance work is performed in two different ways:
- In Maintenance Outsource areas, where MTO staff monitor the road conditions and hire contractors on an as-need basis.
- In Area Maintenance Contract areas, where one contractor is awarded a contract area and performs all maintenance work except for rehabilitation and new construction.
A list of Area Maintenance contractors currently under contract with the MTO include:
- TWD Roads Management
- Transfield Services
- IMOS(Maintenance performed by Miller Maintenance
Miller Group is a diverse transportation construction company based in Markham, Ontario where its Corporate Head Office is located. Its U.S. headquarters is located in Morrow, Georgia....
)
- Belanger Contracting
- Pioneer Construction
- Steed and Evans
- Cruickshank Construction Limited
- The 407 ETR Concession Company owns, operates and maintains the entire stretch of highway 407 in the GTA while leasing the highway from the Government of Ontario until the year 2098
Area term contracts (ATCs) are the latest maintenance and construction alternative being reviewed by the MTO. ATCs, if they are approved for tender, will cover all maintenance operations now performed by AMC contractors, but will also include annual pavement maintenance and replacement work, bridge rehabilitation, minor capital construction programs and corridor management.
Highway Carrier Safety and Enforcement
While policing on most MTO-managed roads is provided by the
Ontario Provincial PoliceThe Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
, certain law enforcement functions are provided by MTO Transportation Enforcement Officers and Ministry of Environment Emissions Enforcement Officers.
Ministry of Transportation Enforcement Officers (TEOs) enforce a variety of provincial highway safety legislation specific to operators of commercial vehicles. Driver hours of service, cargo securement, dangerous goods transportation, weights and dimensions, and vehicle maintenance and roadworthiness are the predominant focus of TEO inspection activities. Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act, it’s regulations, the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act, and the Dangerous Goods Transportation Act are core pieces of legislation from which TEOs derive their enforcement authorities. TEOs conduct commercial vehicle inspections using a standardized procedure established by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA).
Transportation Enforcement Officers inspect commercial vehicles, their loads, and driver’s qualifications and documentation. They collect evidence, issue provincial offence notices or summons to court for violations, and testify in court.
Transportation Enforcement Officer deployment ranges from highway patrol and Truck Inspection Station (TIS) duties, audits of commercial vehicle operators, inspection and monitoring of bus and motor-coach operators, and the licensing and monitoring of Motor Vehicle Inspection Stations. Blitz-style joint force operations are periodically conducted in concert with provincial and municipal police.
Although many Transportation Enforcement Officers are licensed vehicle mechanics, most are not. TEOs hail from various backgrounds including driver licensing examination, automobile repair, commercial truck driving and other law enforcement agencies.
Offices
MTO's headquarters are located on three campuses:
- Garden City Tower, St. Catharines, Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- 301 St. Paul Street
- Wilson Complex, Downsview, Ontario - 1201 Wilson Avenue
- Ferguson Block, Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- 77 Wellesley Street West
There are five regional offices:
- Eastern - Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
- Central (Downsview) - Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- Northwesten - Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- Southwestern - London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
- Northeastern - North Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
Area offices are located in:
- Bancroft, Ontario
Bancroft is a town located on the York River in Hastings County in the Canadian province of Ontario.- History :In 1853 the first pioneer family settled in the area, and over the next 15 years the settlement grew quickly, as another 88 families followed...
- North Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
- Chatham, Ontario
Chatham is the largest community in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Formerly serving as the seat of Kent County, the governments of the former city of Chatham, the county of Kent, and its townships were merged into one entity known as the Municipality of Chatham-Kent in 1998.Located on...
- Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- Owen Sound, Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- Cochrane, Ontario
Cochrane is a town in northern Ontario, Canada. It is located east of Kapuskasing, northeast of Timmins, south of Moosonee, and north of Iroquois Falls. It is about a one-hour drive from Timmins, the major city of the region. It is the seat of Cochrane District...
- Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, about east of Toronto and about west of Kingston. It is located at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County...
- Huntsville, Ontario
Huntsville is a town in the Muskoka Region of Ontario, Canada. It is located north of Toronto and south of North Bay....
- Kenora, Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
- Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
- London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
- Sudbury, Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- New Liskeard, Ontario
Minister of Public Works and Highways
- Frank Campbell Biggs
Frank Campbell Biggs was a United Farmers member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario who represented Wentworth North from 1919 to 1926...
1919-1923
- George Stewart Henry
George Stewart Henry was a farmer, businessman and politician in Ontario, Canada.Born in Township of King, York County, Ontario, the son of William and Louisa Henry, Henry was educated at the public schools of Toronto, Upper Canada College and the University of Toronto where he received a B.A. and...
1923-1930
Minister of Highways
- George Stewart Henry
George Stewart Henry was a farmer, businessman and politician in Ontario, Canada.Born in Township of King, York County, Ontario, the son of William and Louisa Henry, Henry was educated at the public schools of Toronto, Upper Canada College and the University of Toronto where he received a B.A. and...
1930-1931
- Leopold Macaulay
Leopold Macaulay was a Canadian politician and lawyer. Born in Peterborough, Ontario, MacaulayMacaulay was a Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. He was first elected as Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Toronto area riding of York South in 1926...
1931-1934
- Thomas McQuesten
Thomas Baker McQuesten was a Canadian athlete, militiaman, lawyer, politician and government appointee who lived in Hamilton, Ontario....
1934-1937
- vacant 1938-1941
- Thomas McQuesten
Thomas Baker McQuesten was a Canadian athlete, militiaman, lawyer, politician and government appointee who lived in Hamilton, Ontario....
1942-1943
- George H. Doucett 1943-1955
- James N. Allan 1955–1958
- Fred Cass 1959-1961
- William A. Goodfellow 1961-1962
- Charles MacNaughton
Charles McNaughton was a Canadian politician, who served as a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for the electoral district of Huron from 1958 to 1975.He was treasurer from 1968 to 1971 and also served as:...
1962-1966
- George E. Gomme 1966-1971
Minister of Transportation and Communications
- Charles MacNaughton
Charles McNaughton was a Canadian politician, who served as a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for the electoral district of Huron from 1958 to 1975.He was treasurer from 1968 to 1971 and also served as:...
1971-1972
- Gordon Carton 1972-1974
- John Reginald Rhodes
John Reginald Rhodes was a broadcaster and politician from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.He was born in Sault Ste. Marie, the son of John Francis Rhodes, and educated there. In 1955, he married Vivian Louise Shook. Rhodes was a popular radio and television personality on CJIC in the 1960s. Rhodes...
1974-1975
- James W. Snow
James Wilfred Snow was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1967 to 1985, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of William Davis and Frank Miller. Snow was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.He was born in Esquesing Township,...
1975–1984
- Ed Fulton
Edward A. Fulton is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal from 1985 to 1990, and was a cabinet minister in the government of David Peterson....
1985–1987
Minister of Transportation
- Ed Fulton
Edward A. Fulton is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal from 1985 to 1990, and was a cabinet minister in the government of David Peterson....
1987-1989
- Ed Philip
Edward Thomas Philip is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1995, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Bob Rae....
(1990–1991)
- Gilles Pouliot
Gilles Pouliot is a retired politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as a member of the Ontario legislature from 1985 to 1999, representing the Northern Ontario riding of Lake Nipigon for the New Democratic Party....
(1991–1994)
- Al Palladini
Al Palladini was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 until his death, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Mike Harris.Before entering political life, Palladini was the owner of the Pine Tree Ford...
(1995–1997)
- Tony Clement
Tony Peter Clement, PC, MP is a Canadian federal politician, President of the Treasury Board, Minister for the Federal Economic Initiative for Northern Ontario and member of the Conservative Party of Canada....
(1997–1999)
- David Turnbull
David Turnbull is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 2003, and was a candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada in the federal election of 2004.Turnbull was educated at the Edinburgh College of Domestic...
(1999–2001)
- Norm Sterling
Norman William Sterling is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is one of the longest-serving members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, having been first elected in 1977....
(2001–2003)
- Frank Klees
Frank Klees is a Canadian politician and the Progressive Conservative member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of Newmarket—Aurora north of Toronto. He was a candidate in the 2009 Progressive Conservative leadership election placing second behind victor Tim Hudak.-Early life:Klees was born...
(2003)
- Harinder Takhar
Harinder Jeet Singh Takhar is a politician in Ontario, Canada. Takhar was born to a Sikh family in the Indian state of Punjab, with a background in farming and civil service work. He moved to Canada in 1974, and arrived in Mississauga, Ontario in 1977...
(2003–2006)
- Donna Cansfield
Donna H. Cansfield, is a politician in Ontario, Canada, who has represented the riding of Etobicoke Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 2003...
(2006–2007)
- Jim Bradley (2006–2010)
- Kathleen Wynne
Kathleen O. Wynne is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Don Valley West for the Liberal Party.-Background:...
(2010–2011)
- Bob Chiarelli
Robert "Bob" Chiarelli is a Canadian politician. He served in the Ontario Legislative Assembly from 1987 to 1997, and was subsequently re-elected to the legislature in 2010 after serving as regional chair and mayor of Ottawa from 1997 to 2006...
(present)
See also
- Vehicle registration plates of Ontario
The province of Ontario first required its residents to register their vehicles and display licence plates in 1903. Along with regular series plates, the province also offers graphic plates and vanity plates with a maximum of 8 digits...
- Ontario's Drive Clean
Ontario's Drive Clean is an automobile emissions control program in Ontario, Canada. It applies only to vehicles in the program coverage areas, which are largely the lower half of Ontario, from Windsor in Southwestern Ontario to Ottawa in Eastern Ontario. It is unlikely it will be expanded to...
- Driver's license in Canada#Ontario.5B18.5D
- Partial cloverleaf interchange
- Ontario tall-wall
External links