ABOUT
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About the Project | Imaging Community Access |
Why is it needed
Boozhoo!
Marten Falls First Nation (MFFN) requires year-round road access to its community. MFFN has a winter access road, but its condition varies making transportation of goods and people to and from the community unreliable; ultimately affecting the community’s well-being. To address the problem of unreliable access, MFFN has started a provincial community-led Environmental Assessment (EA) and federal Impact Assessment (IA) for an all-season access road to the community. MFFN—as the Proponent of the Project—has formed a Project Team that includes MFFN community members and acts with guidance, direction and input from the Chief and Council, Community Member Advisors and membership.
- 190 km to 230 km of two-lane gravel road;
- Quarries, borrow areas and aggregate sources;
- Bridges for river and stream crossings; and
- Temporary construction access roads, work areas and camps.
The Community Access Road Project does not include a road to the Ring of Fire. It is a separate project to the Northern Road Link Project.
Read our general fact sheet for more information.
Why is a Community Access Road needed?
The proposed all-season road will connect the community to Ontario’s provincial highway network in the south, providing year-round access to this remote First Nations community and helping foster economic development and improved quality of life for community members.
Better access would allow increased opportunities for:
- Reduced reliance on winter roads, which have become increasingly unreliable due to climate change;
- Reduced transportation costs for goods and services; meaning more affordable food, fuel and other vital supplies and services;
- Social interaction with other communities;
- Access to emergency, health and social services;
- Increased opportunity for training and jobs for First Nation people and businesses during planning and construction;
- Increased opportunity for local economic development; and
- Increased ability for families to be together in the community.
Marten Falls First Nation has already signed a voluntary agreement with the Province of Ontario to complete the Individual EA for the proposed Community Access Road and is also subject to the federal IA process. Both the provincial EA and federal IA are being coordinated together. Learn about the provincial and federal processes. The EA process will determine the preferred route for the access road and identify benefits, potential effects and impact management measures to be considered throughout the Project.
The Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks approved the Terms of Reference on October 8, 2021 with amendments. MFFN issued the Notice of Commencement of Environmental Assessment on October 29, 2021.
