Marten Falls First Nation (MFFN) Community Access Road
June E-Blast 2024
Current and upcoming activities
Welcome to the Marten Falls First Nation (MFFN) Community Access Road June 2024 E-Blast with updates on current and upcoming activities.
This E-Blast features:
- National Indigenous History Month
- Three Road Projects Gathering & Expo
- Update on the Draft EA / IS
- Connect with the Team
June is National Indigenous History Month!
Canada / Turtle Island celebrates National History Indigenous Month in June. During this month, Indigenous people and groups across Canada are honoring their histories, traditions and cultures through a variety of events and activities.
June 21 was also National Indigenous Peoples Day. This day is symbolic for many Indigenous groups and communities because it aligns with the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.
Three Road Project Gathering & Expo
The Three Road Project Gathering & Expo was held from June 11 – 13, 2024, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and provided a space for Indigenous communities to come together and learn more about the three distinct proposed road Projects—Marten Falls First Nation Community Access Road, Webequie Supply Road and the Northern Road Link, to ask questions and share their feedback on topics, identified by Communities, that are important to them.
Day one was an Elders gathering, reserved for Elders from over 20 Communities, to engage with the Project Teams and share their perspectives on each project. The second day was open to members of each Community and consisted of an introduction to each of the three road projects and an expo that included: subject matter experts from all three Project Teams; the Government of Ontario (Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Ministry of Natural Resources; Ministry of Mines) and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. On the final day, a half-day workshop provided information on the proposed common approach for Communities to review the draft EA / IS that will be submitted for Marten Falls First Nation’s Community Access Road and the Webequie Supply Road later in 2024.
For questions or information regarding this event please contact the MFFN CAR Project Team info@martenfallsaccessroad.com.
Update on the Draft Environmental Assessment / Impact Statement (EA / IS)
Environmental assessments are planning and decision-making tools used to assess the potential positive and negative effects of proposed projects, and to identify how best to achieve the benefits and avoid or minimize impacts. Currently the Marten Falls First Nation (MFFN) Community Access Road is preparing a combined provincial (Ontario) Environmental Assessment (EA) and a federal Impact Statement (IS). The EA / IS will include how the preferred route was determined and identify how the proposed Community Access Road may affect the social, cultural, economic and natural environment.
Today, we have completed most of the studies to inform our recommendations for the proposed route and to understand how best to realize, avoid and / or minimize Project effects, including those related to the infrastructure necessary to build and maintain the road (e.g., aggregate locations).
MFFN—with support from technical experts—has engaged interested persons, including other Indigenous communities, so that input can be considered when making decisions related to the design and development of the Community’s new road.
We are now preparing the Draft EA / IS for Indigenous, regulator and public review. Your input on these important planning documents is invaluable. We know that the Indigenous communities we are engaging have a lot going on, and we’ve considered this when planning the release of the Draft EA / IS for review and comment. Indigenous communities will have access to the Draft EA / IS in November 2024; giving 120-days for review and comment. This access to the EA / IS for Indigenous communities is in advance of the public and regulators review period which starts in January 2025 and lasts for 60-days.
Follow us on social media!
We are now on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram! Follow us to stay up to date on the Community Access Road.
Please contact us at any time with questions or comments, or to schedule a meeting. Meetings can be arranged in-person in any community, in the Thunder Bay area, or online. We want to hear what you have to say!
Questions or comments? Contact us at 1-800-764-9114 or info@martenfallsaccessroad.ca.
