Documenting highway tragedies
Filmmaker wants to tell stories of people affected by Hwy. 69 accidents

By Laura Stradiotto/The Sudbury Star
Local News - Wednesday, October 27, 2004 @ 11:00

A Laurentian University student is looking for the stories of families and friends who have lost a loved one on Highway 69.

Steve Nizzero, a second-year law and justice student, will direct a documentary about plans to four-lane the major highway linking Sudbury to Toronto.

The documentary, part of a film course he’s taking, will “present all the facts” and get into the debate for the need of a four-lane highway.

But Nizzero would also like to speak to those who lost family or were injured on the highway.

“I want to find out what happened, how it affects the families and friends,” he said Tuesday.

Filming, which is being shot using digital photography, began last week. The half-hour film will be completed by the spring.

It has been two years since the province announced it would move forward four-laning the highway, but in interviews with Sudburians, Nizzero realized how little they know about what’s going on with the project.

“People say they want Highway 69 four-laned, but they don’t know anything about it,” he said.

Nizzero can’t understand why the highway has claimed so many lives in Northern Ontario in comparison to Toronto highways with higher traffic volumes.

The Liberals have said they will have a plan in place to four-lane the highway by the end of the year. However, they have not made a commitment yet on when the work will actually be done.

Although the documentary is part of a school project, Nizzero hopes it goes further. He wants it to air on local television.

His experience as an auxiliary officer with Greater Sudbury Police Service has fuelled his interest in the highway. As a volunteer cop, he rides along with other officers on their shift.

“I go out and see all these accidents and speeders,” he said.

Nizzero hopes to become a full-fledged police officer after university, but “I’m always going to have a passion for film. I’m never going to stop making them.”

He has made a film every year since high school. Last year he won the Cinefest Videomakers Competition with his abstract film, A Moment in Time. During the summer, he was the production manager for Brandon Nutt’s film, Guy Stories.

If you know someone who died on Highway 69 or would like to send a photo of your loved one, contact Steve Nizzero at 522-9276 or e-mail him at www.stevenizzero@hotmail.com. You can check out his website at http://highway69themovie.tripod.com