March 25, 2004

The closure of most of the province’s winter roads today brings to an end a season that saw benefits to the delivery of essential services to northern communities, Transportation and Government Services Minister Ron Lemieux said today.

"With the co-operation of First Nation communities and participating contractors, this has been one of our most successful seasons in recent years," said Lemieux. "This working relationship has helped build a school, supply nursing stations, and develop water and sewer projects in our northern communities."

This year, 2,000 shipments of fuel, construction materials and general freight were hauled by truck over the winter routes to aid in the expansion of education, health and essential services delivery in remote communities.

Highlights of the 2003-2004 season:

• early opening of the route to Pauingassi which allowed the shipping of 120 additional loads for a new school project;
• more than 60 loads of fuel and materials delivered to Red Sucker Lake, well above the seasonal average;
• transportation of additional loads of material to Shamattawa, Brochet and Tadoule Lake for local sewer and water projects; and
• delivery of additional materials to Tadoule Lake for a community nursing station.

This season also saw the opening of a bridge across Reindeer Lake to Brochet. Installation of a 240-foot prefabricated structure, called an Acrow panel bridge, eliminated the need to wait for the lake to freeze before winter road construction was started.

Under an agreement with the communities of Norway House, God’s River, God’s Lake Narrows and Oxford House, a new winter road from Sea Falls to Oxford House was started this season. This new route includes a new 210-foot panel bridge, which will be part of next year’s winter road system. Bridge design work and clearing for a new all-land-based winter road into God’s River was also started this year. The route will include installation of Manitoba’s third panel bridge across God’s River, eliminating 60 kilometres of ice road to the community.

Lemieux noted that, since 1999, spending on the seasonal road system has tripled, with the aim of using more overland routes, improving safety, allowing the roads to stay open longer each season, reducing construction difficulties and addressing environmental concerns. 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.

The initiative is a part of the government's broader access and Northern Development strategies, which require that government departments co-ordinate their efforts to meet the objectives of the strategies and make northern development a priority in their everyday decision-making.

"We understand the challenges facing our northern neighbours and we’re striving to make investments that pay off in improving the quality of their daily lives," Lemieux said.

While most of the winter road system will close, the route to Tadoule Lake will remain open. The extension will allow the transportation of materials needed to complete a major sewer and water project in the community.

With the closing of the winter road system, all inspection and maintenance services will end and the roads are considered unsafe for travel under any conditions. Use of the road into Tadoule Lake is dependent on weather conditions and it may be closed without notice.

The winter road system runs about 2,174 kilometres, linking approximately 38,000 Manitobans in 28 communities with no permanent road access.

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