NAN Chiefs declare winter roads state of emergency

Tim Brody - Editor

Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Chiefs have declared a State of Emergency as unseasonably warm temperatures threaten the viability of the seasonal winter road network, which is a vital transportation link for the majority of NAN’s 49 member First Nations.
“The winter road season should be well underway, but temperatures remain unseasonably warm, making them extremely dangerous and unsafe to use. This poses severe safety risks to community members and commercial drivers who are risking their lives for necessary travel,” said NAN Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler in a Feb. 9 NAN news release. “Our communities rely on these roads for delivering essential goods and our leaders are understandably concerned. We will begin discussions with our federal and provincial Treaty partners immediately to ensure that sufficient freight and road repair subsidies are provided to NAN communities so air transport can be arranged as quickly as possible.”
The declaration, endorsed by Chiefs-in-Assembly meeting in Thunder Bay last week, calls on Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development (MND), Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO), and Indigenous Affairs Ontario (IAO) “to immediately facilitate the required subsidies to the affected NAN First Nations for fuel and essential non-perishable goods.”
NAN shared, “30 remote NAN communities depend on the winter road season to receive essential goods such as fuel, equipment, non-perishable goods, and construction materials for upcoming community housing and infrastructure projects. NAN also represents road access communities that maintain roads in need of critical and urgent repairs.”
NAN informed that, “In Ontario, winter road funding is a 50/50 funding partnership between Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development (MND).”
NAN further stated, “First Nations people are feeling the impacts of climate change disproportionately. In urban centres, it means less snow and a warmer winter. In NAN First Nations, it threatens our very way of life.
“Ice thickness has been a major issue all season. The winter road network requires more ice capping to thicken the water crossings to be able to handle heavy fuel loads and large shipments. Nightly temperatures must drop significantly for ice capping to be effective. A lack of snow has made it more difficult to pack down smaller creeks where there is no permanent water crossing or culvert.”