Governments must take the lead on roads, says report

A new report by the Conference Board of Canada says governments need to take the lead in building more all-season roads in the North.

In Northern Assets: Transportation Infrastructure in Remote Communities, the organisation's Centre for the North uses a proposed 1,200 kilometre route between northern Manitoba and Rankin Inlet, that would cost an estimated $1.2 billion, as an example.

Marta Bristow, who helped write the report, said creating more northern roads would improve things like health and social services and labour mobility in Nunavut, "because there are a number of communities that would also be connected to this road and then would also be given access to the national highway system."

Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq told the CBC in a statement that she will support the construction of the road, but is waiting for a formal proposal.

The Nunavut and Manitoba governments have analyzed the costs and benefits of building the highway but despite repeated requests and an access to information application by the CBC, the results of that study still haven't been released.

Six recommendations

The Conference Board of Canada report has a total of six recommendations, including that governments need to take measures to adapt transportation infrastructure to the effects of climate change.

Bristow said ice roads already last fewer weeks than they used to.

"This has really severe implications for the Northwest Territories’ mining industries," she said. "This increases the cost of operations and the cost of bringing goods in and out of remote locations."

People living in remote locations will also feel the effects. Many are fly-in only communities and rely on a winter road to get food and other necessities from larger centres.

Bristow said water levels are also decreasing.

"There are lower levels in rivers like the Mackenzie and other barge routes, which makes it much more difficult for the barges to navigate through them."

The report acknowledges building roads in the North is very expensive and suggests partnerships with the private sector such as with mines, who also need those roads.