Public Notice

April 24, 2025 – Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada must determine whether the proposed project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this determination, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. All comments received will be considered public and may be posted online.

Written comments must be submitted by May 23, 2025 to contact identified on the project page.

The Proposed Project

New (Multiple) Tower Construction

Saskatchewan Telecommunications is proposing the construction of one telecommunication tower to provide high-speed Internet access to the Thunderchild First Nation. The tower will be 30 meters tall. Antennas will be mounted at the top of this tower. These antennas will operate in the 5 GHz frequency bands. All of the equipment necessary to operate this facility will be housed in a small equipment cabinet located on site. This tower may undergo future modifications or the addition/replacement of antennas.

Upgrade (Single) Tower

Saskatchewan Telecommunications is proposing the addition of eight (8) antennas of 0.487 meter, in the 5 GHz frequency band, mounted at the top of an existing 61 meters tower which is located on Big Island Lake Cree Nation. The antennas will be installed to improve network access to high-speed Internet. In the future, the existing tower may have other antennas and other radiocommunication equipment added or replaced.

New Fibre Installation

Saskatchewan Telecommunications plans to install underground fiber optic cabling, for Internet purposes, to all residential homes of Sweetgrass,Big Island Lake Cree Nation, Stanley No. 157 (Lac La Ronge), Thunderchild First Nation, Southend Indian Reserve No. 200 (Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation), Kinistin Saulteaux Nation, and Grandmother's Bay No.219 (Lac La Ronge).

The project involves the installation of approximately 85 km of underground and aerial fiber optic cable along the roads of Sweetgrass,Big Island Lake Cree Nation, Stanley No. 157 (Lac La Ronge), Thunderchild First Nation, Southend Indian Reserve No. 200 (Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation), Kinistin Saulteaux Nation, and Grandmother's Bay No.219 (Lac La Ronge).

The cable will be buried by directional drilling, trenching, or using existing conduits, or a combination of these methods in existing roadway alignments, but will be suspended on support structures to connect to residential homes and businesses.