Sigfusson Northern Ltd. has been awarded the construction manager contract for the Webequie Supply Road in the Ring of Fire.
The provincial government announced Sept. 29 that the Winnipeg-headquartered company will oversee construction of the proposed 107-kilometre permanent road. The gravel route will extend east from the Webequie airport to the area around McFaulds Lake, considered the heart of the mineral-rich area in the James Bay region.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford journeyed to the remote community to attend a construction groundbreaking ceremony in June.
Sigfusson Northern is considered a leading Canadian heavy civil construction and general contracting company. According to its website, the contractor promotes itself as “Canada’s remote construction experts.” It has an office in Sioux Lookout and a staging base in Pickle Lake.
The Webequie Supply Road is one of the northernmost stretches of the proposed 500-kilometre-long Ring of Fire road network. The sections of road will run mainly north to south, ending near the village of Nakina and Aroland First Nation in northwestern Ontario.
The province said the road will open to traffic in November 2030.
Other sections of the road are either under construction this summer or in the design stage.
The Ring of Fire road will serve as a combination industry haul road and community access road to bring materials, supplies and people into the future Far North mining camp as well as connect remote Indigenous communities to the Ontario highway network for the first time.
“The Webequie Supply Road is a vision led by our community, for our community, and the selection of a construction manager is a step forward in making that vision a reality,” said Chief Lorraine Whitehead.
“This road is more than year-round access; it is about creating opportunity, strengthening our community, and ensuring that Webequie leads and benefits from any development happening in our territory. We look forward to continuing our work with Ontario to ensure this project delivers lasting and meaningful benefits for our community and generations to come,” she said.
Webequie signed a Community Partnership Agreement with the provincial government last fall. The pact was designed to accelerate construction of the road and deliver up to $39.5 million to build a new community centre, rebuild the airport terminal and boost mental and community social service supports.
Provincial Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation Minister Greg Rickford said the road “represents an extraordinary opportunity to build the legacy infrastructure needed to responsibly develop the region while aligning with the leadership and the priorities of Webequie First Nation."
