Warm weather hampering winter road construction again this year, NAN says

The deputy grand chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation says winter roads to northern First Nations are going in late again this year and Derek Fox says he's worried some communities won't get all of the supplies they need before the season ends.

Just over a year ago, NAN Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler tweeted that the warm weather hampering winter road construction constituted a "developing crisis" for northern communities.

This year is no better, Fox said. 

"I've got a lot of good friends from Sandy Lake, and they're saying, 'Don't go on the lake. There's too much slush.' This is January — like end of January. So there's slush on the lakes. How can you start building an ice road?"

Roads opening later and later

A winter road update posted on NAN's website and linked from its Facebook page on Feb. 5, said just two roads were open to full traffic, while three were open to partial loads, nine were open to light loads and 17 were still under construction.

By way of comparison, an update issued on Jan. 31 of last year reported that one winter road was fully operational, 15 roads were open to light traffic and three to partial traffic. Six communities' roads were still under construction, and six communities had roads that were closed due to weather. 

The recent cold snap has allowed the completion of additional roads since the last NAN update Fox said, including the one to his home community of Bearskin Lake.  

But usually all the roads are open at this time, he added. 

"If you think back to 20 years ago, they were opening the roads before Christmas, early December," he said. "It seems to be a pattern that the roads are opening later and later and later each year … and I don't think we can ignore the fact that, you know, climate change is a real issue."

Pandemic restrictions

Warm weather isn't the only thing to hamper construction of the winter road network this year.

Construction of the road to Neskantaga was disrupted by the evacuation of the community due to the appearance of an oily sheen on its water supply, Chief Chris Moonias told CBC via Facebook Messenger. The community's pandemic protocols also slowed things down. 

"We were not able to build enough ice for larger loads," Moonias said.

The road is only open to light traffic, he said, and only that which is approved by the community's pandemic team on a case by case basis. 

The entire 808 winter road network is also following pandemic restrictions, according to a post on the network's Facebook page. 

Commercial and inter-community travelers must present a proof-of-entry form from the authorizing First Nation and proof of a negative COVID-19 test from within the preceding two weeks.