Letter of Support for the Webequie Supply Road

Good morning. I would like to extend my opinion of support for the Martin Falls Community Access Road. This road will allow the residents of the community benefits that many people in urban areas take for granted. It is a holistic solution to the region and will facilitate positive changes. With climate change being a real thing, a winter road is not sustainable, nor is air freight. Now for the urban people, look at a mattress for your home. You are at the store with your family looking at furniture for your home, (possible 2 people or more). To get to a town or city, you took a seasonal road or airplane. That costs alone several hundreds if not thousands of dollars itself. This is for shopping or appointments, not a vacation to a warm place for a week.  Now look at the good that you have purchased, you now have limited space on the plane or vehicle to bring these things back to the community. Look at the cost to ship that mattress, several hundred dollars more on top of the other expenses just to go to an urban area.

I spoke of a holistic solution to the region… A road will allow the residence of Martin Falls First Nation to go as they please being connected to the Hwy system. It will allow for building materials and goods to flow more environmentally and economically sustainable to facilitate housing, infrastructure, and economic projects. It will remove the sense of isolation that residents may feel that can’t afford to travel buy airplane for their families.

Now on the economics of the road project. It will create economic and spin off opportunities for the region. It will build the case for expanded infrastructure, support services and spin offs in the region. The surrounding communities will also be able to participate in the construction opportunities of the road. The apprenticeship and career opportunities that come with the constructions will be a positive for the region as well. With a skilled trades shortage in Canada growing, we need projects that will give the residents verified apprenticeship hours towards their careers. These skills are transferable into other employment opportunities that the road will create.

Chi Miigwetch

Shane Fugere

LiUNA Indigenous relations.

Generational change is more than just about jobs; it’s about building careers and giving our youth hope for the future. It’s by giving the parents a chance at a career and changing the past socio-economic status to a modern one.

It will be our children and grandchildren who will truly see the benefits of the work we have started together in this path for Generational Change.

#GenerationalChange is changing the past socio-economic realities of the past to a modern one, while inspiring our future generations to have #Careers and financial stability.