Berens River bridge commitment deemed a 'game changer'

THUNDER BAY – The federal budget’s commitment to getting a bridge built over Berens River is a “game changer” and great news for thousands of people in the North, according to Red Lake Mayor Fred Mota.

“It’s a fantastic announcement for Northwestern Ontario, not only Red Lake but also for our First Nations community,” he said in an interview during the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association’s annual conference.

Perhaps the most important benefit from a bridge east of Pikangikum First Nation would be a “significant change in access for over 14,000 people” who live in Pikangikum, Sandy Lake and other reserves that presently don’t have all-weather road access, he said.

“I had spoken to Chief (Shirley) Keeper in Pikangikum First Nation and they are ecstatic with the announcement in the federal budget,” Mota said.

“The chief would like all of us to get together when the bridge is finally erected and open, to fish from the middle of the bridge in the Berens River.

“So she is ecstatic for her community and Sandy Lake First Nation. It’s a big game changer for everybody.”

The project would also provide a road link for Frontier Lithium to transport product from mines in the area, he noted.

The federal budget, introduced April 16 in the House of Commons, proposes funding to support the Berens River bridge and road project and an “all-seasons road project” in northeast Saskatchewan, but it doesn’t say how much each project would get.

Ottawa has not clarified how much is being allocated to either project.

Mota said Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford, who is Ontario’s northern development minister, has long advocated for the Berens River project and assured him the province is committed to supporting it with funding, but federal funding has always been essential.

So the budget item is “a huge game changer for everybody,” he said.

Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source