Thunder Bay

Ontario First Nation says no to Trans-Canada Highway plan

Plans to expand the Trans-Canada Highway near Kenora, Ont. could be stalled by Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, which is seeking a road of its own.

Shoal Lake 40 First Nation says it cannot support expanded highway when it has no road of its own

Shoal Lake First Nation Chief Erwin Redsky says a 23-kilometre road to his community would cost $30 million. (Shoal Lake First Nation/sl40.ca)
The four-laning of the Trans-Canada highway in Northwestern Ontario has been a significant committment from both the provincial and federal goverments for a number of years, including the segment of Highway 17 between the Manitoba-Ontario boundary and Ken
Plans to expand the Trans-Canada Highway near Kenora, Ont. could be stalled by Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, which is seeking a road of its own.

Chief Erwin Redsky said Shoal Lake 40 cannot support the expansion of the highway until the First Nation has funding commitments for a 23-kilometre road to the isolated community 

The Trans-Canada Highway runs across Shoal Lake 40 First Nation's traditional territory, which means the proposed twinning of the route, eastward into Ontario from the Manitoba boundary, requires consultations with the community.

"I don't think my community can support a four-lane highway when we're continuously being bypassed," Redsky said. "It's very frustrating."

Ontario Aboriginal Affairs Minister David Zimmer says the province is pressing the federal government to help fund a road to Shoal Lake 40 First Nation. (Twitter)
Ontario's Minister of Aboriginal Affairs met with Redsky and other members of Shoal Lake 40 in mid-February and said the province's support of the highway expansion is contingent on consultations with the First Nation.

"Subject to provincial and federal environmental approvals and consultation with First Nation people, including Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, Ontario is committed to the twinning project," David Zimmer said.

New road 'a matter of survival'

Redsky called a new road a "matter of survival" for the First Nation which has been physically cut off from the mainland since an aqueduct was built 100 years ago to supply the City of Winnipeg with water from Shoal Lake.

The First Nation itself has been under a boil water advisory for more than a decade and Redsky said the lack of road access makes governments balk at the cost of fixing the problem.

"I think it's time all governments commit to and contribute to our road as well," said Redsky. "They're proposing four lanes through our territory and all we're asking for is one lane."

Redsky said a feasibility study was done for the so-called Freedom Road in 2010. It set the price tag at $30 million, which the chief would like to see split in thirds among the City of Winnipeg, the Province of Manitoba and the federal government.

Those three levels of government are currently splitting the cost of a $3 million design project for the road.

Zimmer said Ontario is now pressing the federal government to commit money to the construction of the road.