Petition for Rockwood traffic lights presented in Ontario Legislature

NEWS RELEASE
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington-Halton Hills
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 24, 2017

Petition for Rockwood traffic lights presented in Ontario
Legislature

(Queen’s Park) – Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott has presented a petition to the Ontario
Legislature calling on the Ministry of Transportation to fund and install new traffic signals at the
intersection of Highway 7 and MacLennan/Dunbar Streets in Rockwood.

The petition, which was launched by Township of Guelph/Eramosa Mayor Chris White and Mr.
Arnott last November, was presented at Queen’s Park on February 22.

“This traffic light is a major safety concern for our residents, as demonstrated by the petition,”
Mayor White said. “While we appreciate all the hard work that the MTO staff and Ministry have
dedicated to this light, it is time for the province to make it happen.”

Mr. Arnott agreed with the Mayor’s comments.

“We had a great response to our petition. More than 400 people have signed it so far,” Mr.
Arnott said. “This is clearly an important issue in our community and we need the Government
to act.”

Mayor White and Mr. Arnott believe that traffic signals are urgently needed at the intersection of
Highway 7 and MacLennan/Dunbar Streets in order to protect children who have to cross
Highway 7 to reach École Harris Mill Public School. They have been working together to raise
the problem with the Ministry of Transportation since the school opened in September 2014.

Mr. Arnott thanked the many people who helped with the petition.

“I want to recognize the leadership of Chris White who has been working effectively to call
attention to this problem,” Mr. Arnott said. I also want to thank local residents such as Jen
MacLeod for their work collecting signatures and passing around our petition,” Mr. Arnott said.

(Attached: Hansard record of Mr. Arnott presenting the petition in the Legislature, February 22,
2017)

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Ted Arnott, MPP
Phone: 416-325-3880
Email: ted.arnott@pc.ola.org

Ontario Hansard – 22-February2017

Mr. Ted Arnott: I have a petition that’s signed by more than 400 people from the community of
Rockwood, and it reads as follows:
“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:
“Whereas ever since École Harris Mill Public School opened in Rockwood in September 2014, a
significant number of students must cross Highway 7, a busy provincial highway, at MacLennan
Street/Dunbar Street in order to walk to and from school each day;
“Whereas township of Guelph/Eramosa Mayor Chris White, council and staff are concerned about student
safety and have proactively implemented a guarded school crossing at the intersection of Highway 7 and
MacLennan Street/Dunbar Street in September 2014 for the safety of children crossing Highway 7, and
have had an ongoing dialogue with the Ministry of Transportation about the safety of the school crossing
and the need for traffic signals at the intersection;
1550
“Whereas our local residents, including seniors, need to cross this intersection safely as well;
“Whereas the Ministry of Transportation has carried out traffic studies at the intersection of Highway 7
and MacLennan Street/Dunbar Street and advised the township of Guelph/Eramosa in 2015 that the
intersection meets the provincial warrants for traffic signals;
“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:
“To fund and install traffic signals at the intersection of Highway 7 and MacLennan Street/Dunbar Street
in Rockwood as soon as possible.”
I completely agree with this petition and have affixed my signature to it as well.