News Projects Roads & Bridges Roads & Paving
New all-season road for Northern Ontario will provide ‘better future for our children and generations to come’

PIKANGIKUM FIRST NATION – Seven First Nation communities in Northern Ontario Red will benefit from the construction of a permanent bridge across Berens River and an all-season road to Pikangikum First Nation.

The project was announced Aug. 21.  The Ontario government, Canadian government and Whitefeather Forest Community Resource Management Authority are partnering to build a permanent bridge across the Berens River and an all-season road to Pikangikum First Nation.

The Berens River bridge and all-season road project will increase opportunities for harvesting wood in the Whitefeather Forest, support year-round access to Pikangikum First Nation, and improve winter road connections for six additional remote First Nation communities. It will also eliminate the dangerous and lengthy ice crossing currently required to access Pikangikum First Nation and the broader winter roads network in the region, making it easier to secure essential goods and services.

“This bridge and road will benefit Pikangikum First Nation through increasing access to essential goods and services as well as providing future economic opportunities,” said Shirley Keeper, Chief of Pikangikum First Nation. “Earlier this year, we felt hopeless as we lost three children because they could not be flown out for emergency medical care. This project announcement brings us hope again. We envision the economic initiatives that our community planned coming to fruition through the bridge and road build, but we also need to plan for the challenges we anticipate from the unknown. Overall, we see a better future for our children and for the generations to come.”

Created by Pikangikum First Nation, the Whitefeather Forest Community Resource Management Authority was established as a non-profit corporation to enter into resource stewardship partnerships with the Ontario government and other potential partners.

The other six remote First Nations that will benefit from improved winter road connections include Poplar Hill First Nation, McDowell Lake First Nation, Deer Lake First Nation, North Spirit Lake First Nation, Sandy Lake First Nation, and Keewaywin First Nation.