A mining company looking to set up shop in the Ring of Fire has made inroads, physically and metaphorically, into a First Nation community.
Cliffs Natural Resources began upgrading the winter road from Aroland First Nation to Marten Falls in 2011. Completed in January, the upgraded 90,000 pound-capacity road gives the community the ability to ship goods, like fuel, to Marten Falls.
Members of the community can also travel the road with vehicles.
That means less reliance on expensive air travel in the winter months. Cliffs will also be able to use the road, which is expected to be open for up to four months depending on weather, to ship goods.
“We saw it as an excellent opportunity for us to be involved with the community,” Cliffs’ development director Andrew Mitchell said.
“(The road) will benefit us in the future as well.”
The winter road route will not be part of the all-weather road that Cliffs is proposing.
The company also made a promotional video for the road:
