The chief of an isolated reserve under one of Canada’s longest boil-water advisories says construction on a road linking his community to the outside world must begin now.
Shoal Lake 40 First Nation straddles the Ontario-Manitoba boundary and was cut off from the mainland a century ago to build an aqueduct which supplies fresh water to Winnipeg.
The reserve has no all-weather road and has been under a boil-water advisory for 18 years.
Chief Erwin Redsky says the reserve’s aging ferry broke down three weeks ago — cutting off the community entirely — and just started operating again Wednesday.
Although Ottawa, Manitoba and the city of Winnipeg said they would fund construction of an all-weather road, the new Conservative provincial government has said it is reviewing the increased cost of the project.
Redsky says he’s in talks with the federal government to move ahead with construction of the road on reserve land this winter while it waits for the province to follow through on its commitment.