NAN – Winnipeg Free Press

Impassable winter roads are delaying vital shipments and threatening the safety of First Nations in northern Ontario, leaders warned as they called for support from the provincial and federal government.

Unseasonably warm winters, exacerbated by human-induced climate change, have cut off many remote First Nations from critical road networks built over frozen lands, lakes and rivers. The situation prompted recent emergency declarations by First Nations in Manitoba and Ontario, as well as repeated requests for support.

“It's getting more and more scary and difficult,” said Alvin Fiddler, Chief Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, a First Nations organization in northern Ontario.

“That means they won't be able to transport anything at all and then have to fly everything in.”

Leaders of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation declared a state of emergency this week due to conditions on winter roads, saying the remote communities depend on essentials, including firewood, food and building materials, usually from January to March. The move comes after four northern Manitoba First Nations also declared a state of emergency for the region's failing road network.

Canada has experienced record-breaking heat in recent weeks after forecasters predicted a strong El Nino climate pattern, with human-caused climate change leading to a warmer-than-average winter.

Earlier this month, 20 First Nations in northern Ontario were still inaccessible by winter road, according to an update on the Nishnawbe Aski Nation website. The remaining ten were accessible by car, and only one had open winter road connections for full loads such as semi-trucks.

Fidler said the conditions are the latest example of how climate change, which threatens to make winters shorter and more unpredictable, is disproportionately affecting First Nations.

“That's what we're seeing playing out in real time in our area right now,” he said.

Late last month, the First Nation lost its only school to a suspected arson attack while waiting for a fast-attack fire truck to arrive. In a statement, Eabametoong First Nation said the community “has no alternative but to try to fight the fire with the few firefighting resources available.”

With spring approaching, Deer Lake Chief Leonard Mawakisik said the remote community near the Manitoba border is in a race against time. He said the First Nation is waiting for a critical fuel supply and is hoping for supplies to build a seniors center and make upgrades to the local arena.

“Companies won't touch our infrastructure projects because they don't think it's safe to drive,” he said.

“It's getting shorter every year,” he said, referring to the winter road season, “and I only get funding for repairs until March 15, so that gives a month for the lake to grow, (the ice) to thicken.” .”

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation's emergency resolution this week called for provincial and federal government support in the form of subsidies for critical cargo airlift. But, Fiddler says, long-term solutions need to be developed.

NDP MPP Sol Mamakwa said the province could help build First Nations airports to accommodate larger aircraft and supplies, as well as increase funding for winter road maintenance.

“They have a role to play,” said Mamakwa, who represents Kivetinoong in northwestern Ontario, referring to the provincial government.

Greg Rickford, a spokesman for Ontario's Indigenous Affairs Minister, said Ontario is working with Indigenous communities and the federal government to respond “quickly and appropriately.”

“As the winter road season shortens, the importance of consistent, year-round access is clear,” Kurist Lindsay said in a statement.

Seasonal roads can be controversial, said Matthew Angis, executive director of the Shibogama First Nations Council, which is made up of five northern communities. While some are concerned about environmental degradation due to construction, he said other leaders are skeptical of the social changes the seasonal road could bring.

“What's going to happen down the road,” he said, “is that we're going to be at the mercy — not just our communities, but all isolated communities — at the mercy of the weather, of climate change.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on February 10, 2024.