Ontario invests $4.3 million to keep highways clean

Mississauga, Ontario – The Ontario government has announced it is investing $4.3 million to improve the appearance of the province’s busiest highways. Over the next several weeks, maintenance contractors will cut grass and pick up litter along highways, including the 401, 417 and Queen Elizabeth Way.

“Highways are the gateways to Ontario and their appearance is important,” says Donna Cansfield, Transportation Minister. “The McGuinty government wants tourists to see the best of Ontario, and we want the people who live here to have pride in their home.”

The investment comes in addition to programs already in place, including the Adopt-A-Highway program, with 583 volunteer groups caring for 2,565 km of highway, including litter pick-up, tree and wildflower planting; Operation Springboard, with low-risk offenders picking up litter on provincial highways; and Stash Your Trash, a pilot program between Wawa and Sault Ste. Marie that provides safe locations for drivers to pull off the road and dispose of their in-vehicle trash.