Legislation tabled in the Manitoba legislature this week would put greater emphasis on building an all-season road network on the east side of Lake Winnipeg by working in partnership with First Nations, says Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Minister Eric Robinson.
The proposed Manitoba Floodway and East Side Road Authority amendment act would enable the province to resume responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the Red River Floodway, and rename the authority to the Manitoba East Side Road Authority, which would reflect its new more focused mandate.
“With the floodway as its example, the Manitoba Floodway and East Side Road Authority demonstrated how this innovative model incorporating best practices in Aboriginal procurement can complete major infrastructure projects on time and on budget,” said Robinson. “The authority will now focus solely on the East Side road project. All-season road access will greatly reduce the cost of goods and services, provide increased access to health and social services, and provide new economic opportunities for east side residents.”
Robinson said the Bloodvein River Bridge, completed in 2014, is already providing all-season road access for residents of the Bloodvein First Nation.
To date, the East Side Road project has created more than 600 jobs for east side residents and invested $80 million into east side communities, Robinson said.
