James Bay winter road benefits from long, cold season

This year’s prolonged winter has made for smooth sailing on the winter road that connects communities the James Bay Coast.

The remote First Nations of Attawapiskat, Kasechewan and Fort Albany rely on the winter road to transport goods such as fuel.

The operations manager for the road said it's been the best season in years.

“The season has been excellent, right from day one to now,” Wally Turner said.

“There are no signs of melting whatsoever. The road is intact, it's been great, a lot of traffic on there, a lot of cargo going up north.”

Turner says crews will monitor the road as temperatures warm up over the weekend but, so far, there is no closure date in sight.

When it does warm up, Turner said people can extend the life of the road by travelling at cooler times of day.

“You know, for people to get all their supplies for hunting, a lot of events went on this year without any hiccups,” he said.

“There [were] gatherings, there was hockey tournaments that people travelled to and from every day. It's a lifeline.”

Last year, the Moose Cree First Nation also opened a winter road from Moose Factory to Smooth Rock Falls.

Thanks to the cold weather, the closing date for that road has been extended to March 31.