New federal funding guarantees completion of Wollaston Lake road project
A final capital injection of $49 million from the federal government will secure the completion of an all-season road for Wollaston Lake and Hatchet Lake Denesuline Nation by the end of next fall.
That’s according to Athabasca Vice-Chief Joseph Tsannie of the Prince Albert Grand Council, who explained the final commitment for funding came in the latest federal budget. In total, more than $72 million has been provided by Indigenous Services Canada towards the road project within the last four years.
“The road was stalled back in 2012,” Tsannie noted.
“The province started the road (in 2008) and finished 14 kilometers of the road. The province withdrew their commitment to the road back in 2012, so they said it wasn’t a priority for the province to complete this road, so they stepped back with no success in terms of them putting in their funding and finishing this project, unfortunately.”