Proposed year-round bridge could ease isolation for Norway House Cree Nation: councillor

One of the largest Indigenous communities in Manitoba's north remains inaccessible for months out of the year.

But that could all change, as Norway House Cree Nation officials say they are working on securing funding for a year-round bridge at Sea Falls to replace the current ferry, while a feasibility study for the bridge is underway.

"It would just be wonderful, you know, for Norway House to have a bridge," band Coun. Orville Apetagon told CBC.

"It avoids the hardships of being isolated for those two months of the year during freeze-up and breakup in the spring."

Norway House is roughly 500 kilometres north of Winnipeg, and nearly 200 kilometres from Thompson, the largest northern city in the province. It has a membership of over 9,000, including around 7,000 living on reserve, according to federal government statistics.

Currently, a cable ferry operates during the spring, summer and fall at Sea Falls, near the community, which provides a connection to Provincial Road 373. During the months with freezing temperatures, a winter road is built on the river.

But during the river freeze-up and breakup seasons, the highway is inaccessible, with a range of impacts for the community.

Residents end up missing medical appointments, suppliers are not able to stock shelves, and purchase limits are put on gasoline and diesel, Apetagon said.

"During those times, you'll notice it in the stores," he said.

"We'll be running out of groceries, fresh fruits and vegetables.… It's not a good thing, you know, gas stations running out of gas and then they put limits on you. Those are rough times."

Last year, Indigenous Services Canada and the province of Manitoba split the cost for a $5-million feasibility study, which includes the engineering and architectural design for the bridge.

A tender is currently accepting applications for the bridge's preliminary design and the design of the bridge approaches from the highway, a provincial spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement.

"The preliminary and functional design work will follow shortly after the assignment has been awarded," the spokesperson said.

The province is also in the final stages of developing an agreement with Norway House Cree Nation to share costs for the preliminary, functional and detailed design components of the project, along with stakeholder engagement.