Marten Falls First Nation (MFFN) Community Access Road
April E-Blast 2024
Current and upcoming activities
Welcome to the MFFN Community Access Road April 2024 E-Blast with updates on current and upcoming activities.
This E-Blast features:
Field Studies Update
- Atigwag / Caribou Collaring Program
Radio tracking collars have been collecting information about the seasonal migration of atigwag / caribou throughout the region over the past three years. This part of the program is now complete, and the collars have been programmed to fall off.Collar retrieval is now underway. Collars were retrieved between April 19 and April 24, 2024. A small field crew used a combination of ground and aerial searches (with a helicopter) to locate, and retrieve dropped collars. They encountered a variety of ground conditions from deep snow, partially frozen wetlands, pooling water, and dense vegetation.No other activities are expected this spring / summer. Manual collar retrieval work will continue in 2025.
More information on the Caribou Collaring program can be found in the Winter Field Notice here.Do you think you found a dropped collar? If possible, please take a photo, collect the collar and report to the Community Access Road Project Team at 1-800-764-9114, or email info@martenfallsaccessroad.ca. Please provide detailed information about where you found the collar (e.g., date, location, habitat type, and / or any animal signs in the area).
- Spring Groundwater and Geochemistry Field Program – Groundwater sampling (May / June 2024)
The Groundwater and Geochemistry Program is expected to continue in late May / early June 2024. Over 20 well sites are sampled seasonally to monitor groundwater conditions in the area. To support and inform the environmental assessment, the groundwater samples are sent for laboratory analysis and are tested for general water chemistry, metals, solids content, nutrients, hydrocarbons and others.The Spring Groundwater Monitoring Field Notice was distributed on April 17, 2024. To read the full notice, click HERE.
To learn more about the studies taking place to support planning of the Community Access Road, check out the early findings summaries and field program notices, valued component videos and past webinars.
*Timelines and programs are approximate and may shift; we will provide updates as required.
MFFN in the News
Photo by Stephanie Ash.
“A very Anishinaabe story”: The Toronto Premiere of “Bridges to the North” documentary at the Indigenous Led Projects Forum
The Indigenous Led Projects Forum (ILPF) was hosted in Toronto, Ontario from April 2 to 3, 2024. This forum brought together Indigenous and government leaders to discuss different development projects across Ontario and allowed for a unique space to engage in meaningful discussion surrounding challenges and opportunities within Indigenous communities. This included an opportunity to share the “Bridges to the North” documentary by Anishinaabe filmmaker Tony McGuire.
The documentary was filmed over the course of 15 years and outlines the combined efforts of Marten Falls First Nation and Webequie First Nation in building access roads to their communities. The documentary highlights the challenges community members face while living in or travelling outside of the community and explores matters particular to living on-reserve such as suicide, food security, and isolation.
The film has already won a People’s Choice Award at Thunder Bay’s Vox Popular Media Arts Festival in September 2023. Learn more about the ILPF and the documentary here: Bridges to the North building awareness about the "act of being Indigenous" (yahoo.com)
Photo of diesel generators in Bearskin Lake First Nation by James Murray
Northern Ontario First Nations Communities Access to Clean Electricity
The Ontario government is working in partnership with Webequie, Nibinamik, Neskantaga, Eabametoong and Marten Falls First Nations to expand clean and reliable electricity transmission and generation infrastructure to end these communities’ reliance on diesel powered generators and support greater economic self-determination and prosperity. This partnership will help communities create jobs, own and build infrastructure and housing, and support long-term economic growth.
For more information on this partnership read the full article here: Ontario Working in Partnership with Northern First Nations to End Reliance on Diesel Fuel | Ontario Newsroom
Follow us on social media!
We are now on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram! Follow us to stay up to date on the Community Access Road.
Please contact us at any time with questions or comments, or to schedule a meeting. Meetings can be arranged in-person in any community, 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.
