Marten Falls First Nation (MFFN) Community Access Road

October 2022 update
Current and upcoming activities

Welcome to the Marten Falls First Nation (MFFN) Community Access Road October E-Blast with updates on current and upcoming activities.

This E-Blast features:

 

cover image for october 2022 e-blast

Meet the MFFN Community Coordinator

Last month Susanna Baxter, a MFFN community member, was hired as the Community Coordinator for the MFFN Community Access Road Project! Susanna brings valuable experience working in the community and with MFFN community members and will help share Project updates and activities, collect data and help coordinate a wide range of engagement activities.

Susanna shared some background information on herself and some insights into how she sees her role having a positive impact on the community:

portrait of Susanna Baxter

About Me

A little about me, my name is Susanna Baxter, I am 34 years old and live in Marten Falls with my three children, it is my home. I currently also work at the Health Centre as an Assistant to the Health Director. I completed high school and college in my 30’s so my kids could see education as a very reachable achievement, and I always strive to do as much as I can with my life while I can.

What are you most excited about for the Community Access Road and being part of the Project?

Regarding the Community Access Road Project, I am most excited about the positive changes that it will provide. The road will provide access to a better quality of life in terms of accessing healthcare, emergency care and other travel for healthcare needs for our Community Members. It will help provide access to fresh food and give our community opportunities to build and bring materials for new homes, home improvements and upgrades to important buildings. A road can help students access family and give MFFN high school students the chance to see family members regularly. One day we can build our very own high school, so they don’t have to leave their parents at 13-14 years old for months at a time. The Community Access Road Project plays a pivotal role in the Marten Falls First Nations’ social and economic development.

Upcoming Engagement Opportunities

  • Public Information Centre #4: Join us at our upcoming Public Information Centre (PIC #4) for updates and information on our upcoming Effects Assessment Methods Milestone. This will be an opportunity to meet the team in Thunder Bay and Geraldton, learn more about the planning process and share your feedback, ideas and values related to the proposed all season access road. Dates will be confirmed soon!
  • Community Access Road Webinar Series: Mark your calendars for a weekly Webinar Series beginning in November! The webinars will focus on valued components including, Animals and Wildlife, Water and Fish, and Aboriginal and Treaty Rights and Interests. Save the date for our first Webinar on November 15 at 4 p.m. EST!

Timeline Extension Request for the Impact Statement

The Community Access Road Project is subject to a federal Impact Assessment, which requires an Impact Statement within three years of the Notice of Commencement of the Impact Assessment. The Project is requesting a 3.5-year extension, which would shift the dates from February 24, 2023 to July 24, 2026. The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada will be notifying Indigenous communities and the public about this extension request and will provide an opportunity to review the request and provide comments.

Field Studies Updates

Our field crews have completed most of the 2022 field studies. The Groundwater and Geochemistry Monitoring Testing and Sampling Program has been extended until December 2022 and is our last scheduled field study in 2022.

We have three field study updates:

  • Furbearer Aerial / Ground Track Surveys will take approximately four (4) field days and will occur between January and February 2023. This field program is weather dependent and requires a fresh snowfall.
  • The Wolverine Hair Snag Surveys consist of an approximately nine (9) day trip to setup hair snag stations before February 15, 2023, and then another six (6) day trip every month to re-bait the stations until the end of May 2023.
  • Ungulate Aerial Winter Surveys will occur in January or February 2023 for approximately two (2) weeks. Helicopter surveys will occur at the same time as the airplane surveys for an approximately one (1) week period.

Check out the related field program notices, watch videos and fill out Discussion Guides.

*Timelines and programs are approximate and may shift; we will provide updates as required.

If you have any questions, comments or feedback on the planned studies, we would like to hear from you (contact information below).

New Valued Components Video

We are continuing to develop videos to showcase the valued components we are studying as part of the Environmental Assessment and Impact Assessment. Our latest video on Cumulative Effects is now live, click the link to check it out!

Stay Connected!

Please contact us at any time with questions or comments, or to schedule a meeting. Meetings can be arranged in-person in any community (adhering to health and safety protocols as required), in the Thunder Bay area, or online. We want to hear what you have to say!

Questions or comments? Contact us at 1-800-764-9114 or info@martenfallsaccessroad.ca.

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MFFNCommunityAccessRoadProject/

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