First Minister Melva William says she welcomes this week’s joint provincial/federal announcement to conduct a pre-feasibility study into a road connecting Labrador Inuit communities and the Innu community of Natuashish to the rest of Labrador.
“The Nunatsiavut Government has been lobbying for well over a decade to have this study completed, with the goal of determining potential environmental, cultural, economic and social impacts and benefits on and to our communities,” note Minister Williams. “We would expect a comprehensive consultation process to take place with the Nunatsiavut Government, as well as at the community level, before any firm decisions are made to move forward with connecting our region by road to the rest of Labrador.”
The $400,000 study is being cost-shared on a 50-50 basis between the federal and provincial governments under the National Trade Corridors Fund, which provides funding for projects, such as research, in the Arctic and the North to support northern transportation infrastructure like ports, airports, all-season roads, and bridges.