Close to 100 people attended the Community Townhall Meeting on June 21 to discuss with municipal and provincial officials the issues surrounding safety on Highway 138. Thompson Goddard Photo
MOOSE CREEK – Close to 100 people gathered at the recreation centre in Moose Creek to discuss safety concerns of Highway 138 with municipal and provincial officials on Sat., June 21.
Highway 138 stretches from Cornwall Centre Road in the south to the entrance of Hwy 417 in the north. This well-travelled road has a long history of speeding, near accidents as well as accidents which have injured or killed people. Recently North Stormont resident Amanda Maloney was killed in an accident on Highway 138 which led to increased calls to address safety issues on this road.
Panelists included SDSG MPP Nolan Quinn, SDSDG Warden Martin Lang, North Stormont Mayor François Landry, South Stormont Mayor Bryan McGillis, North Glengarry Mayor Jamie MacDonald, SDG CAO Maureen Adams, Cornwall Councillor Sarah Good and virtually Cory Mazzeo a Senior Project Manager with the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO).
OPP Staff Sergeant Normand Lamontagne and Stephen Neufield, Acting Superintendent OPP Regional Headquarters were available to answer questions if needed. MP Eric Duncan, Senator Bernadette Clement along with several various municipal councillors and staff were in attendance.
The meeting was organized by Cara Sabourin and Amanda Brownrigg, with Alan Kruszel serving as moderator for the event. A presentation by SDSG MPP Nolan Quinn was made and each panel member delivered short comment on the subject, followed by a question-and-answer period.
He described a long history of safety concerns on this highway, commenting the road was not designed for the amount of traffic which now travels on it and has long advocated for work to be done to increase travelling safety on it. After Quinn was elected in 2022, a committee was created with county and local representatives as well as the OPP seeking to investigate issues. He noted that since the Stantec report to the MTO in 2017, there has been a significant increase in traffic on the highway.
Quinn was pleased to announce that recommendations contained in the 2017 Stantec report will be moving forward with plans for work to begin in 2028. He noted utility relocations and land expropriation will be part of the project moving forward, and will include the installation of passing lanes, turning lanes, intersection improvements and permanent snow fences in the north end of Highway 138.
Landry mentioned issues surrounding safety on the highway has long been a “source of frustration and worry” for commuters and it was time to implement the Stantec recommendations. McGillis commented how there is a need to follow the law when driving and mentioned there has been a lot of work being done behind the scenes. MacDonald also raised the issue of drivers not following provincial law when travelling on Highway 138 and Lang stressing the need to work together to resolve the issues. Mazzeo from the MTO mentioned construction is expected to begin in 2028, with a request for proposals for a project manager for the construction of Highway 138 improvement expected to be released soon.
Issues raised during the question period included the police presence following the March 29 accident, timelines for the construction beginning in 2028, passing lanes being created past the County Road 43 intersection, the need to update the Stantec study and the movement of farm vehicles.
Concerns were raised by residents regarding increased traffic on County Road 15 (the Avonmore Road) as people avoid Highway 138, the availability of statistics on the people causing accidents and the suggestion that using marked police vehicles as opposed to unmarked police vehicles on the roadway.
The question of using flashing amber lights or traffic lights was raised with Mazzeo mentioning Ministry data suggests that traffic signals are not warranted at this time, but traffic studies will continue. The suggestion of implementing photo radar, emotional signage and concerns about farm equipment using or crossing Highway 138 were raised, with Mazzeo agreeing to send the questions to the appropriate section in the MTO.
As the meeting drew to a close, Sabourin thanked the volunteers who helped organize it, the panelists for their input, the Catholic Women’s League (CWL) of Moose Creek for providing lunch and those in attendance. She noted a commemorative garden in remembrance of Amanda is being created on the Moose Creek Community Centre grounds and mentioned the importance of signing the petition which will be presented to the Ontario Legislative Assembly in the fall.

Carolyn Thompson Goddard, grew up in Chesterville and attended North Dundas District High School. After completing her BA in Political Science at Carleton University she has worked as a medical secretary and library technician. In 2020 she graduated from Algonquin College with a diploma in Journalism and has been a reporter and column writer for The Chesterville Record for over 10 years.