Christian Gammon-Roy
Tribune
It’s slow progress, but progress nonetheless for Verner residents hoping for a safer experience when crossing the busy intersection at Highways 17 and 575 in the community’s core. Back in 2025, a petition was submitted to West Nipissing municipal council asking for a traffic light to be installed at the intersection. In January 2026, council passed a resolution to bring the subject up to the Ministry of Transportation, which has the final say on changes to provincial highways. More recently, the issue has come up again at council, with the mayor suggesting the town ask for a delegation at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference this coming August, to make the case again to the province.
It’s Ward 7 councillor Fern Pellerin who brought up the petition back in October 2025. As he explains, heavy traffic on the road has been making the intersection increasingly dangerous and causing more hardship and fear for residents who have to cross it. While the speed limit in Verner is reduced, Pellerin points out that many drivers don’t slow down enough for people to cross safely, and that sometimes a lineup of traffic makes it impossible for people to cross in a timely manner. It isn’t only pedestrian traffic that is concerned, as people in cars have also cited difficulty crossing when fast-moving commercial vehicles are coming down the highway, for example.
A large part of the problem is the high traffic location. Highway 575 is home to several important spots, which Verner residents need to cross the often-busy Highway 17 to get to, if they happen to be on the south side of town, where most residents’ homes are located. Notable places on the north side of Highway 17 are the Co-op gas bar and Chez Julie Restaurant, the only ones in the town, and the Verner golf course. On the south side are RL Equipment as well as a chip stand and store, which has people crossing from the north side as well, all while through traffic on Highway 17 is often coming fast from both directions.
It’s partly the restaurant that caused Pellerin to finally get involved in lobbying for a traffic light. He heard the story of a 92-year-old resident of Verner who had been warned by police that the intersection was unsafe to cross with his mobility scooter. The man used to gather with friends for coffee at the local restaurant, an outing that kept him active and socializing. According to Pellerin, the police asked him to stop crossing for his own safety. On one hand, the councillor understands the police’s warning, but finds it abhorrent that residents of Verner aren’t able to safely go out for a morning coffee and socialize whenever they want.
