Public Notice

Northern Road Link Project
Public Comments Invited on the Summary of the Initial Project Description

What is happening?

February 21, 2023 — Marten Falls First Nation and Webequie First Nation are proposing the Northern Road Link Project, an all-season highway located in northern Ontario. The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (the Agency) invites the public and Indigenous groups to review the summary of the Initial Project Description and provide comments on the proposed project. This feedback will help the Agency prepare a summary of issues and decide whether the project should undergo an impact assessment.

How can I participate?

Comments should be submitted online by visiting the project homepage on the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry (reference number 84331). The summary of the Initial Project Description is also available on the Registry. Participants who wish to provide their input in a different format can contact the Agency by writing to NorthernRoad-RouteDuNord@iaac-aeic.gc.ca

Submit your comments online in either official language by 11:59 p.m. on March 23, 2023. Any information submitted to the Agency to inform this project assessment will be posted to the Registry and made publicly available as part of the project file.

Participant funding will be available to eligible participants during this comment period and details will be announced shortly on the Registry. The Agency will retroactively reimburse eligible participants for their participation in this first comment period.

Virtual Information Sessions

The Agency invites the public and Indigenous groups to attend a virtual information session via Zoom to learn more about the project, the impact assessment process, and how to submit comments on the summary of the Initial Project Description.

English Session

• Tuesday, March 14, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET
• Wednesday, March 15, 2023, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET

French Session

• Thursday, March 16, 2023, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET

For information on how to attend a session, please visit the project homepage on the Registry. If you have any questions, please contact the Agency using the project email above.

Will there be more opportunities to participate?

This is the first federal comment period for the project. If the Agency determines a federal impact assessment is required, the public and Indigenous groups will have additional opportunities to comment over the course of the impact assessment process.

Stay updated on this project by following the Agency on Twitter: @IAAC_AEIC #NorthernRoadLink

What is the proposed project?

Marten Falls First Nation and Webequie First Nation are proposing the construction and operation, including maintenance, of an all-season multi-use public highway located in northern Ontario. As proposed, the Northern Road Link Project would be about 117 to 164 kilometres long and cross the Attawapiskat River. It would connect the proposed Marten Falls Community Access Road and the proposed Webequie Supply Road. The highway would become part of a future all-season road network connecting mineral development activities in the Ring of Fire area to the provincial highway system at Nakina, Ontario.

For media inquiries, contact the Agency's media relations team by writing to media@iaac-aeic.gc.ca, or by calling 343-549-3870.