Marten Falls First Nation (MFFN) Community Access Road
January E-Blast 2025
Current and upcoming activities
Welcome to the MFFN Community Access Road January 2025 E-Blast with updates on current and upcoming activities.
This E-Blast features:
- Draft Environmental Assessment / Impact Statement
- 2025 Three Road Projects Gathering and Expo
- New Video: Understanding Project Effects and Mitigation
- Winter 2025 Field Notice: Caribou Collar Update
- Indigenous Knowledge Program
- Connect with the Team!
Draft Environmental Assessment / Impact Statement
The Draft Environmental Assessment / Impact Statement is a large document that presents the potential environmental impacts of the proposed MFFN Community Access Road. The Draft Environmental Assessment / Impact Statement documents include:
- The evaluation of alternative routes considered for this Community Access Road and presents the proposed Final Route;
- The environmental impacts, including potential cumulative effects, proposed mitigation measures, engagement and consultation undertaken and environmental commitments made by Marten Fall First Nation, the proponent; and,
- The engagement and consultation that has taken place so far as part of the Environmental Assessment / Impact Assessment process.
The Draft Environmental Assessment / Impact Statement will be shared for review and feedback with Indigenous communities first, followed by members of the public. Indigenous communities will have 60 days to review in advance of the public release, followed by an additional 60 days during the public review period. Your input on the Draft Environmental Assessment / Impact Statement will help us prepare the Final Environmental Assessment / Impact Statement by allowing us to consider concerns and incorporate your feedback on the proposed Community Access Road.
Stay tuned for updates on the release of the Draft Environmental Assessment / Impact Statement!
2025 Three Road Projects Gathering and Expo
This February, Marten Falls First Nation Community Access Road will be participating in the Three Road Projects Gathering and Expo led by with support from the Province of Ontario. The Three Roads Projects Gathering and Expo will be a dedicated space for Indigenous community representatives to meaningfully engage and consult with the Marten Falls First Nation Community Access Road, Webequie Supply Road and the Northern Road Link project teams.
The event will run in Thunder Bay from February 19 - 20 and in Timmins from February 25 - 26, 2025. Event highlights include: Project overviews, opportunities for individual community breakout sessions, panel discussions regarding the consultation process and Aboriginal and / or Treaty Rights and Interests, and a project expo including information to assist with review of the Draft Environmental Assessment / Impact Statement for the Marten Falls First Nation Community Access Road and Webequie Supply Road.
New Video: Understanding Project
Effects and Mitigation
Part of the Environmental Assessment / Impact Assessment process involves investigating valued components that fall into three categories: water, land and people. With Indigenous Knowledge and western science, the assessment process considers the potential effects of the Community Access Road on people and the existing environment and identifies ways to prevent or mitigate these effects.
Click on the link below to watch our new video regarding Project Effects and Mitigation Measures!
Winter 2025 Field Notice: Caribou Collar Update
Field programs will be continuing into the 2025 winter season to support the provincial Environmental Assessment and federal Impact Assessment for the MFFN Community Access Road.
Field work has been scheduled to manually remove atigwag / caribou GPS radio tracking collars between February 10 and February 28, 2025. A specially trained caribou capture team will be deployed to manually remove collars without harming the animal.
Field crews will be accessing sites across the study area by helicopter—you may see helicopters in the area. An update will be provided if the above schedule changes due to weather or other conditions.
Please note that the completion of this field work marks the end of the field work related to the Environmental Assessment / Impact Assessment process. Any future field work will not be included in the Draft or Final Environmental Assessment / Impact Statement.
To view the full Winter 2025 Field Notice, click here.
Indigenous Knowledge Program
Indigenous Knowledge is a vital tool for informing the Environmental Assessment / Impact Assessment process for the Community Access Road. By including Indigenous Knowledge received, the field studies team will be able to provide a more complete, robust and accurate picture of the study area.
As such, we welcome community members to share Indigenous Knowledge with the Community Access Road Project Team throughout the review of the Draft Environmental Assessment / Impact Statement.
If your community has knowledge or information on Indigenous Land and Resource Use related to the Community Access Road that you would like to share, or if you would like to learn more about the Indigenous Knowledge Program visit https://www.martenfallsaccessroad.ca/indigenous-knowledge-program/ or reach out to the Project Team for more information at 1-800-764-9114 or info@martenfallsaccessroad.ca.
Connect with the team!
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.
