Long-awaited link to First Nation

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This article was published 12/12/2017 (3084 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The once-isolated Berens River First Nation celebrated the completion of a $200-million all-weather road Tuesday and the hope it will spur ecotourism and other economic opportunities.

The 2,000-member community greeted provincial Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler with soup, bannock with butter and jam, and tea after his four-hour trek from Winnipeg.

“It’s supposed to be very beautiful in the summer, but driving up in winter was just magnificent,” Schuler said upon his arrival.

Berens River Mayor Allan Atlookan said community elders have spoken about a year-round road link for decades. Some have died before they could witness the realization of that dream.

“It’s over 40 to 50 years in the making,” he told reporters in a telephone conference call.“It is an opening to the world out there for not just the local… people, but for tourism. The doors are starting to open up for us.”

However, it’s unknown when other communities along the east side of Lake Winnipeg — to the north and to the east of Berens River — will have the opportunity to host their own celebrations.

Schuler could not provide a timeline for construction of any new sections of the proposed multibillion-dollar road project.

“This is a celebration of what we’ve completed today, and certainly we want to continue to work with our federal partners on continuing with the road and with our First Nations partners,” he said.

Schuler was asked if planning had been carried out on any future section of the east-side road.

“Not at this time,” the minister replied.

The provincial government would consult with First Nation partners first and then talk to the federal government, he said.

“We feel both of those (conversations) are very important before we get ahead of ourselves and start talking about what will be the next step.”

The long-term plan to build a 1,000-kilometre, $3-billion all-season road connecting communities east of Manitoba’s biggest lake has been on the drawing board for decades. Upon completion of the project, more than 36,000 people on the east side of the lake will be served by an all-season road. The newly completed section to Berens River is about 70 kilometres in length, extending south to Bloodvein First Nation.

One logical extension would involve construction of a 94-kilometre stretch from Berens River north to Poplar River.

Berens River First Nation Chief Hartley Everett said the community won’t fully grasp the impact of the new road until next summer.

Berens River has been served by winter roads until now. It is in the summertime that transportation options have been limited to air or boat.

“A lot of people in the community are looking forward to the road,” he said.

The new road, which is gravel, will slash freight costs and create new economic opportunities, Everett said, adding it’s possible Berens River could serve as a hub for transporting goods by plane to Island Lake.

If new sections of the road were built, there would be more jobs for the community and training that could lead to permanent employment, he said.

The last section of the road to Berens River was completed less than three weeks ago. First Nations communities were contracted to clear the land and produce gravel.

Last year, the provincial government shuttered the East Side Road Authority, the Crown agency tasked with overseeing the construction of the all-season road along Lake Winnipeg, as well as Freedom Road connecting Shoal Lake 40 First Nation to the mainland. Its operations were folded into the Infrastructure Department. The fact there are no firm plans for future expansion of the east-side road network is a concern for the affected communities, NDP Leader Wab Kinew said.

“There’s definitely a need to connect these communities with all-weather roads, and the government should be pursuing a tangible timeline,” he said.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca