Winter roads now open to the James Bay Coast, the latest ever opening
CBC
The communities of Ontario's James Bay Coast are now a bit less isolated, but this is the latest winter road opening ever.
The 170-kilometre Wetum Road that runs south from Moose Factory to Highway 11 opened to traffic Thursday night.
It's just in time for the annual Mushkegowuk Cup hockey tournament that starts Friday morning in Timmins, though many teams and fans had planned to take the Polar Bear Express train instead.
But Moose Cree First Nation, which builds the road every year at a cost of $1.2 million, is warning that there still some rough sections.
Chief Peter Wesley said it's been a bad winter for building a road out of ice and snow, with the cold weather coming a bit late and much heavier snows than usual.
He said there were further delays because someone drove a truck onto the Wetum Road without permission and caused "significant damage."
"Crew's out there. They're doing what they can. They're trying to repair the road best they can, but the snow acts like an insulator and you need cold for the road to freeze properly," said Wesley, who managed the road before he was elected chief.
"This would be the latest we've ever opened."
The 311-kilometre James Bay ice road that runs between Moose Factory and Attawapiskat opened to heavy traffic — meaning loads of 36,500 kg or more— earlier this week.
"It's getting harder and harder to build a road," said Guy Ginter, vice-president of the KLP corporation that builds the road ever year.
"The weather is unpredictable. Doesn't seem to get as cold as quickly. This year, the volume of snow is a problem."
He says with a shorter winter road season, it will be more challenging to bring in vital supplies to the coastal communities.
This year that includes housing units for Fort Albany, building materials for Attawapiskat and a crane for repairing the damaged school roof in Kashechewan.
Ginter said the budget for the James Bay road is $2.2 million, most of which is federal and provincial funding.
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