To the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario and all relevant transportation and road safety authorities as well as Whitewater Region City Council,

We are asking for immediate action to improve safety on Highway 17 by installing warning signs with that clearly alert drivers to the possibility of vehicles making left-hand turns from the passing lane and including a left turning arrow in the passing lane. Directly outside of Cobden, heading Eastbound to Renfrew.  After Union Cemetery Rd (just past the “Roadhouse 17”) prior to Stoppa Rd. 

This request is not simply about a traffic sign and painted arrow. It is about preventing another family from experiencing the unimaginable pain that ours is living through.

On May 27, 2026, our beloved mother, Brenda Aubin, lost her life in a tragic collision on Highway 17. In a single moment, a husband lost his partner, children lost their mother, grandchildren lost their grandmother, and countless family members and friends lost someone who was deeply loved. The heartbreak left behind is impossible to put into words.

Every day, drivers travel this stretch of highway unaware that a vehicle ahead may be slowing or stopping to make a left-hand turn. As regular signs become mundane and actually on street warnings aren’t present. Without adequate warning, the risk of confusion, sudden braking, and devastating collisions increases. While nothing can bring our mother back, even one life saved in the future would honour her memory and spare another family from receiving the phone call that forever changes everything.

We believe that improving driver awareness through additional warning signs is a reasonable and necessary step toward making this highway safer for everyone who travels it.

We respectfully request that the Ministry of Transportation conduct an immediate safety review of this location and install additional appropriate warning signs advising motorists that left-turning vehicles may be present in the passing lane.

This petition is submitted not only in memory of Brenda Aubin, but for every family that deserves to have their loved ones arrive home safely.

Our mother’s life mattered. Her loss matters. And if sharing our pain can help prevent even one more tragedy, then her legacy may help save lives.

We ask you to stand with us in support of safer highways and stronger protections for all drivers.

In Loving Memory of Brenda Aubin

November 19, 1963 – May 27, 2026

“No family should have to endure the heartbreak of losing someone they love when a simple warning could make a difference.”

Please sign below to support this request for improved highway safety.

With kind regards,

Mallory Brinton