April 26, 2002

Transportation and Government Services Minister Steve Ashton announced today that the Manitoba government is investing $5.4 million in new funding for northern transportation infrastructure including approximately $2.7 million to improve winter road access to northern and remote communities.

Ashton also announced a long-term plan to establish winter road routes that can act as the future routes of all-weather roads.

"Renewing, repairing and redesigning Manitoba's northern infrastructure is a key component of our Northern Development Strategy," said Ashton. "Since coming to government, we have steadily increased our financial commitment to northern transportation infrastructure, bringing it to a level almost double to what it was three years ago. Today, we are continuing to build upon our previous commitments by announcing a major change that will promote the relocation of winter roads to align them with all-weather road routes."

Yesterday, Ashton announced a major five-year, $600 million commitment to the province’s transportation infrastructure including $33.7 million in new funding for the highway construction program. Of this new funding, $5.4 million has been committed to a variety of road projects in Northern Manitoba including approximately $2.7 million for winter road projects.

These projects are:

• $300,000 to conduct engineering studies on winter road relocations for York Landing, Ilford, Thicket Portage and Pikwitonei;
• $400,000 to relocate the existing winter road proceeding from Sea Falls near Norway House to 100 kilometres west of Oxford House;
• an additional $480,000 will be spent to install a bridge across the Hayes River on the new winter road route from Sea Falls;
• $430,000 for relocation of the existing winter road connecting Garden Hill to Red Sucker Lake;
• an additional $440,000 for a bridge across the Gods River on the new winter road route;
• $240,000 to relocate the existing winter road that begins at Gods River First Nation and proceeds 65 kilometres southwest;
• an additional $100,000 to spent to complete a bridge across the Cochrane River on the winter road to Brochet; and
• $300,000 to install eight bridges in various locations along the winter road system.

Ashton said that the relocation of existing winter roads and the construction of bridges and other permanent structures is being undertaken in response to a number of recent consultations and studies on remote access and all weather road issues in Northern Manitoba and along the east side of Lake Winnipeg.

Some of the priority areas identified include using more overland routes, reducing construction difficulties, improving safety, addressing environmental concerns and allowing the roads to stay open longer each season. To achieve these objectives the province has identified a number of strategies including the relocation of existing winter roads, the construction of new roads as well as upgrading existing winter and forestry roads and exploring enhanced rail and ferry services.

"These projects reflect our remote access and northern development strategies for meeting the transportation needs of each community," said Ashton. "We are committed to changing our approach to winter roads. By establishing the same route for future all-weather roads, we can make significant improvements to the roads now that will be part of the future of all-weather roads."

Minister of Aboriginal and Northern Affair Eric Robinson noted that Manitoba has also proposed a joint federal-provincial road system planning and corridor study for the east side of Lake Winnipeg. "Our government is moving ahead with transportation investment in the North and will continue to look for partnership opportunities with the federal government on the future of the east side of Lake Winnipeg."

In Manitoba, 37 communities with more than 34,000 residents lack all-weather road access. These communities rely on various combinations of air, marine, rail and winter road services. Preliminary studies show the lack of all-weather highways result in significantly higher transportation costs. This leads to a lower quality of life and health, and higher living costs for communities not connected to the provincial highway system.

"Many of the social and economic challenges facing northern and remote communities are the result of inadequate and unreliable transportation access," said Minister of Conservation Oscar Lathlin. "Being able to dedicate these funds to the relocation of seasonal roads is an important step in our long-term goal of establishing an all-weather road system for these communities."

Construction on some of these projects is expected to begin later this year, once all the necessary engineering, land and environmental issues have been resolved.

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