Cold weather creating better winter road access to First Nations in Ontario's north

Winter roads in northern Ontario continue to be hampered by changing climates, but this season has been better than the previous two, according to some of the people who work on them.

For several weeks each winter, tractor-trailers make their way into remote, fly-in First Nations via a series of crossings over frozen lakes and streams, delivering fuel, building supplies and other large loads that would be difficult and expensive to transport by air. 

Warm weather in recent years has led to shorter seasons and slushy conditions, and prompted calls for permanent infrastructure to make transport safer.

But this year, some officials say nature has provided a reprieve. 

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), a political organization representing 49 First Nation communities, released a winter road report on Feb. 4 listing 10 roads open to full loads, four to partial loads and four to light traffic. Twelve roads are still under construction and one has not yet been started.

Around the same time last year, a report from NAN showed just two roads were open to full traffic, three were open to partial loads, nine were open to light traffic and 17 were under construction.

A road report from Jan. 31, 2020, showed a similar pattern: One road open to full loads, 15 open to light traffic and three open to partial loads. 

"It's a little better than last year, but it was still a late start due to the warm weather in November and December too, I believe," said Lindsey Jupp, an environmental technologist with Matawa First Nations management. 

"So far since the beginning of the year, the temperatures have been cold, and they've been providing good ice building.  We haven't seen a lot of higher temperatures, so that's been helpful." 

Two years ago, NAN's then grand chief, Alvin Fiddler, called the impact of warm weather on winter roads a "developing crisis."  

At the time, Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, one of the many fly-in First Nations in the north that rely on the roads, was forced to bring in fuel by air, Chief Donny Morris told CBC at the time. 

This year, he said, the road opened around Feb. 7. The previous two years, it opened near the end of February.

"It's a lot better this year," Morris said. "We already have a few supplies — semis come in — and quite a few fuel and gas deliveries already done."

Nibinamik First Nation has already received nearly all the fuel it will need for the year, said band manager Walter Oskineegish, the point person for the winter road there.