NORTHERN ONTARIO — The Ontario government is increasing its annual funding for the Winter Roads Program to $13 million, which will help to build and maintain nearly 3,200 kilometres of winter roads in the province’s north.
The province is investing $8 million this year to help 32 remote First Nation communities and the Town of Moosonee.
These seasonal routes provide connections to all-season roads and make it easier for communities to bring in essential goods and services such as food, medical supplies and construction materials, states a release.
The government is also investing $5 million through the Bridges and Culverts Stream of the Winter Roads Program to help remote First Nation communities purchase and install pre-engineered bridges and culverts and to repair existing water-crossing structures along the winter roads network.
The province notes, Ontario’s winter roads network is the longest in Canada, serving a population of approximately 24,000 across 32 remote Indigenous communities and the Town of Moosonee. Typically, these roads are open for six to 11 weeks per year, from late January until the end of March.
