Road Upgrade Plans Upset Canoe Lake Chief

Road Upgrade Plans Upset Canoe Lake Chief

Friday, June 01, 2007 at 15:59

 

 

The provincial government has announced it is sprucing up a section of road between Canoe Lake and Waterhen Lake.

 

A dollar figure hasn’t been released, but work will begin later this year.

 

Crews will use large aggregate to stabilize the road from the point the pavement ends to 34 kms north at the Keeley Lake Access.

 

In addition, a 10 km section will be further strengthened from the start of the gravel surface north.

 

However, the news disappoints Canoe Lake Chief Guy Lariviere, who wishes the government would pave the road.

 

The chief says he worries about ambulance response times and drivers’ safety on the road.

 

Highways Minister Buckley Belanger says he understands the chief’s concern, but insists the improvements should help.

 

Belanger also says the cost of paving that road would be between $25 million and $35 million.

 

Belanger adds his department has three priorities in the North right now — the all-weather road network in the Far North, the road link to Fort McMurray and some road projects in the northeast.