Welcome / Boozhoo

The Berens River Bridge and Roads Project (“The Project”) has been developed by a group of seven First Nations (Pikangikum First Nation, Deer Lake First Nation, Keewaywin First Nation, McDowell Lake First Nation, North Spirit First Nation, Poplar Hill First Nation, and Sandy Lake First Nation) to improve road access to these First Nations north of Red Lake, Ontario. The Project includes road improvements up to the Berens River, a bridge across the Berens River, an all-season road to Pikangikum First Nation, and winter road realignments which connect the other six First Nations to the new all-season road near the bridge. The Project has been developed in line with the substantial planning work and vision of Pikangikum’s “Keeping the Land” land use strategy and in cooperation Whitefeather Forest Community Resource Management Authority (WFCRMA).

More than 10,000 people living north of the Berens River will benefit from the improved access. Currently the winter road lasts only 2-6 weeks a year and is a critical point for transportation of people, goods, and materials to these communities. The Berens River Bridge will increase the period of winter road access. The all-season road to Pikangikum will provide better access to essential services, employment and contracting opportunities. The Seven First Nations will benefit from a lower cost of living and more opportunities for community development projects.

Community involvement has been key to the success of this Project. During the design phase of the project, several opportunities for community members to provide ideas and feedback as the Project evolves. The public engagement approach included open house events, questionnaires, newsletters and this website to keep you up to date on the Project. 

During the pre-design phase of the Project, routing and construction for the roads and bridge were evaluated and selected. The Berens River Bridge will be constructed at the approved Dog Rib Falls crossing location. The bridge to be designed is an engineered two-lane wood bridge with a sidewalk and spans approximately 194 m across the Berens River.

The design of the bridge has been completed and the Project is awaiting funding to proceed to construction of the bridge.

MECP Public Notice - Permitting Requirements for WFCRMA Bridge Area

The design of the Engineered Timber Bridge at Dogrib is complete and out to review for approval and permit by the Seven First Nations and the government entities.

The Project is currently in the detailed design phase of the project for the Berens River bridge, all-season roads, and winter road realignments.

Routes for the all-season and winter roads were evaluated and selected in consultation with the seven First Nations, the Whitefeather Forest Community Resource Management Authority (WFCRMA) and in compliance with the regional land use planning, “Keeping the Land”. All selected road locations have been provided on the website.

During the detailed design phase, the design engineer, Stantec Consulting, will be completing all designs and developing specifications which forms the basis of the construction phase of the project. During this phase, any environmental, permitting, archaeological, and consultation requirements will be completed by Stantec and the project team.

Local community members are encouraged to contact their community project representatives for additional information regarding the project.

Individuals interested in staying up to date on the project are encouraged to submit their email address under the “How to Stay Involved” tab. 

The Project has completed the detailed designs for the alignments and roads which will connect the First Nation to the Berens River Bridge crossing.

The above map shows the alignments selected for the Project. Currently, the designed routes were selected within approved corridors within the Whitefeather Forest. During the design process, all options and constraints were considered based on many factors including constructability, environmental impacts, traditional land use/values, permitting and cost.

June 2023

Required permitting will be in place for the construction of the Berens River Bridge. Permits have been secured through the WFCRMA Sustainable Forestry Licence. This will allow for construction activities to commence when funding is allocated to the project.

January 2023

All roads design have been completed and approved by the First Nations. The construction of the road is expected to be completed after the construction of the Berens River Bridge.

Routes for the all-season and winter roads were evaluated and selected in consultation with the seven First Nations, the Whitefeather Forest Community Resource Management Authority (WFCRMA) and in compliance with the regional land use planning, “Keeping the Land”. All selected road locations have been provided on the website.

During the detailed design phase, the design engineer, Stantec Consulting, completed all designs and developed specifications which forms the basis of the construction phase of the project. During this phase, any environmental, permitting, archaeological, and consultation requirements will be completed by Stantec and the project team.

Local community members are encouraged to contact their community project representatives for additional information regarding the project.

Individuals interested in staying up to date on the project are encouraged to submit their email address under the “How to Stay Involved” tab. 

All project designs have been completed. The Project is completing remaining archaeology investigation works for the Berens River Bridge location to meet Ministry requirements.

The Project is currently awaiting funding to proceed to the construction phase of the Project.

The construction phase of the project is anticipated to start in 2023. Construction of the Project will take approximately 3 years to complete.

Want to stay involved? Provide your contact information in the link below to receive notification of future engagement sessions, newsletters, and questionnaires. 

If you have questions or to provide comments, contact: 

The Project is currently in the planning stage but if you are interested in employment opportunities please email  BerensRiver@stantec.com .