Contrary to popular belief, the federal government is funding a road out of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, the community that has found its isolation propelled onto the national stage in this federal election.
The road will be used exclusively to remove the First Nation's garbage.
On Feb. 9, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development committed $2 million to funding an all-weather access road from Shoal Lake 40 to the City of Winnipeg rail line.
Its path would curve around rocks that planners say would be blasted through on the proposed $30-million Freedom Road, which would connect the community to the TransCanada highway over the aqueduct that divides Shoal Lake 40's peninsula from the mainland.
"They're just being stupid in not committing to Freedom Road and it's going to wind up being a complete waste of taxpayer dollars," said Cuyler Cotton, one of Shoal Lake 40's representatives on the Freedom Road Detailed Project Team.
"As soon as we start building off the reserve, this service road will wind its way through hills where Freedom Road will make a straight cut through it. So all that money will be pretty much wasted."
Cotton said if the $2-million were instead committed to Freedom Road, it would automatically unlock equal values from both Winnipeg and Manitoba, who have both committed to funding a third of that project.
Freedom Road gained national prominence in the federal election's early days as both Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and NDP Leader Tom Mulcair promised to commit the federal third share, where the Conservatives have only committed funding "in principle" once the $1-million study is complete.
The issue has particularly caught traction in Winnipeg, whose citizens have been century-long benefactors of the 150-kilometre drinking water pipeline whose aqueduct is cutting off access to a First Nation that has been under a boil-water advisory for 18 years.
Cotton said without a federal commitment beyond principle, Freedom Road will likely be delayed a construction year. He called the service road funding a "knee-jerk reaction" to waste buildup in the community.
"Are there advantages? Well, the leachate will no longer be making its way to the unprotected water supply of the First nation so they won't be drinking their own (urine)."
Aboriginal Affairs declined to comment and Kenora Conservative MP Greg Rickford did not respond to media requests.
