Road reconstruction project on the horizon for Biigtigong Nishnaabeg

By Rick Garrick

BIIGTIGONG NISHNAABEG — Biigtigong Nishnaabeg is investing $148,559 towards an about $2.2 million road reconstruction project for the community.

“We’re going to resurface sections of our road, some of the sections that have been heavily deteriorated over the last 35 years,” says Daniel Michano, capital housing director at Biigtigong Nishnaabeg. “And we’re going to include things like bike paths and some new signage. We’ve got certain sections of our road that have high usage so speeds tend to come up, so we’re looking at trying to mitigate that to make it a little safer for everybody.”

Michano says the project includes a new area for the school buses to pull over because it gets busy at pickup and drop-off times.

“We’re looking to improve the safety of the traffic,” Michano says. “It is a little hectic there at times, and you’re dealing with Kindergarten to Grade 8 students.”

Michano says there will be an economic opportunity for the community during the construction phase, which is scheduled for next year.

“We have our own civil construction company here on the First Nation, so they’re looking to get a piece of the pie,” Michano says, noting the work will be awarded through a competitive process. “We’re looking at the design phase this fiscal year and hopefully come early March, April next spring, we can get shovels in the ground. There’s just over five kilometres of road that we are looking to patch or repave.”

The federal government is investing $1,670,449 towards the project while the provincial government is investing $408,258.

“This is to rehabilitate and widen a major road that will include repaving and upgraded drainage, improved pathways and a new area for the school buses to pull over,” says Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Patty Hajdu. “The roads are always a challenge, so this is really good news because they can move forward on making the community safer for everyone.”

The funding was part of more than $12.7 million from the federal government’s Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, more than $5.5 million from the provincial government, more than $1.7 million from four municipalities, and $443,979 from five First Nation communities announced on July 15 for a range of road and airport projects across northwestern Ontario.

“Transportation is really tough in rural communities,” Hajdu says. “If we really want the Indigenous communities to be a part of the economy, to have the full safety in terms of transportation that every other community does, then we have to make sure they have the funds necessary and that they can move forward with these plans. So this is pretty exciting for the communities affected.”

The funding includes about $3 million for the reconstruction of a portion of roads in Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek as well as improvements to the main highway entrance and about $1 million for upgrades to the access road between Highway 71 and Naotkamegwanning, Animakee Wa Zhing #37 and Northwest Angle #33 in Treaty #3 territory.

“I am honoured to be here today on behalf of Minister [Greg] Rickford to announce seven shovel-ready projects for northern Ontario,” says Dave Smith, parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines and Indigenous Affairs and Peterborough–Kawartha MPP. “This funding will help support economic recovery and job creation. We are excited to invest in these critical infrastructure projects for our northern communities.”

The funding also includes investments for work at the Manitouwadge Airport and road reconstruction at Terrace Bay, Pickle Lake and Red Lake.