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Initially, when Donald Meeseetawageesic attempted to reach out for help using a satellite phone, there was silence on the other end. However, on his third call, he finally connected with his sister, informing her, “We need somebody to come and tow us out.”
It was an unusually warm night for early March, and Meeseetawageesic, who serves as the elected band councillor of the Eabametoong First Nation, found himself stuck in a 4×4 truck on a dimly lit winter road that leads to his community. The truck’s wheels were buried in deep snow, while the temperature was well below freezing. Help was located approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) away.
The winter road, constructed entirely of snow and ice, serves as a crucial connection for Eabametoong, linking it to southern cities. This route is characterized by 24 snow bridges that span creeks and a challenging 5.5-kilometer stretch over a frozen lake. However, the effects of warmer winters have rendered this essential path increasingly unreliable, with snow bridges deteriorating and the ice covering the lake becoming thinner.
Historically, March was a month when cold temperatures ensured a solid road surface. Yet, the recent mild winter has led to a softened roadway, resulting in Meeseetawageesic and his brother getting their vehicle stuck as they traveled.
Around 50 Indigenous communities, home to 56,000 residents, rely on approximately 6,000 kilometers of winter roads.
Without all-season roads, these remote communities primarily depend on small aircraft for transportation. In the winter months, as lakes and rivers freeze, a vast network of ice roads becomes available for transporting goods. These routes are vital for importing large supplies like lumber, fuel, bulk food, and potable water—items that are prohibitively expensive or impractical to transport by air.
For Eabametoong, securing construction materials is particularly crucial in light of an ongoing housing crisis, where overcrowding is rampant, with some households accommodating up to 14 residents.
Last year was recorded as the hottest since monitoring began, resulting in devastating wildfires, severe heatwaves, and flooding. In northern Canada, rising temperatures pose a significant threat to traditional ways of living, as the duration of the winter road season decreases annually. In fact, last year, local leaders declared a state of emergency after road conditions failed to stabilize in time for the transportation season. In a further setback, rain recently closed the winter road for Eabametoong and four other communities.
Meeseetawageesic remarked, “We’re definitely facing a reduced window for operations.” Previously, trucks would begin hauling materials in January, but warming conditions have pushed this timeline to March, with the winter roads typically melting by April.
While stranded, the brothers kept warm by chopping wood for a fire. Hours went by until a friendly truck driver appeared and offered them a ride toward Eabametoong. This driver escorted them through challenging stretches of road to join Meeseetawageesic’s sister and her friends, who had come to help, arriving home around 4 AM.
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Meanwhile, inside Isabel Boyce’s home in Eabametoong, despite a blizzard raging outside, the warmth provided by a wood stove created a cozy refuge. Boyce settled on the couch while her children busily moved around. The two-bedroom house harbors seven family members, underscoring the increasing strain of the housing crisis.
“It’s my own family, so I don’t think of it as overcrowded,” Boyce stated, adding that other homes often host multiple families. Housing availability is critically low, and pervasive mold issues have plagued existing structures, prompting Boyce to relocate from a previous home that had deteriorated due to neglect.
Statistics reveal that individuals living in First Nations communities face significantly higher risks of inadequate housing compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. According to the 2021 Canadian census, First Nations residents are four times more likely to live in crowded conditions and six times more likely to dwell in homes requiring serious repairs. An Assembly of First Nations report estimates that over 55,000 new housing units are essential to bridge this significant gap.
Historical policies have drastically diminished the land available to Indigenous groups to a mere 0.2% of their original territories, severely limiting opportunities for economic development. Consequently, these communities are heavily reliant on federal funding for vital infrastructure such as housing, water treatment systems, and schools.
In light of ongoing challenges, there is an urgent need for enhanced funding—not only for housing construction but also for the reliable transportation of materials into Eabametoong. “They should build an all-season road,” Boyce emphasized. “That would greatly benefit the community moving forward.”
During a visit to his mother’s home, Meeseetawageesic conversed with her in Ojibwe about the observable changes in the winter roads. She expressed concern that the ice isn’t freezing as it once did, a fact that has become evident over the years. Although he plays a significant role in community housing decisions impacting around 1,600 people, Meeseetawageesic himself has nowhere else to live as the housing committee grapples with 180 pending applications.
The challenges surrounding winter roads have far-reaching implications for Eabametoong. In January 2024, the community faced another setback when their sole school was lost to a fire. With no available fire truck to respond, and transport of new trucks hampered by unfavorable conditions, the community resorted to constructing a temporary school to ensure that children could resume their education.
When winter roads are unavailable, essential supplies must be flown in at significantly increased costs. Over the past four to five years, Eabametoong has been reliant on air transportation for diesel fuel, previously delivered via the winter road.
The rising costs associated with airlifting fuel into remote First Nations are unsustainable. Collectively, Ontario’s Indigenous communities transport around 20 million liters of fuel annually through winter roads, as noted in documents obtained from Indigenous Services Canada. A drastic price increase—estimated at approximately $0.69 per liter more for air deliveries—could impose an additional financial burden of $13.8 million annually if these roads were to remain impassable.
The pressing need for all-season roads has been echoed by many First Nations, yet the financial means to construct such infrastructure are lacking. Patty Hajdu, the ISC minister, remarked, “The urgency of the situation is hard to overstate. It is critical we collaborate to address the realities of climate change, particularly for remote communities.”
Hajdu further noted that climate adaptation measures would vary among communities, with some advocating for permanent roads while others are exploring alternative methods such as airships for transporting large loads. The financial aspect of building all-season roads could involve shared costs among multiple government levels, and Hajdu indicated a theoretical readiness on the federal level to commit resources.
Eabametoong has recently completed a feasibility study on an all-season road. Chief Atlookan expressed concern over the ramifications such infrastructure could have on the community, particularly in terms of tourism and maintaining traditional lifestyles. Nonetheless, given the adversity presented by climate change and rising costs, he firmly believes action must be taken promptly: “We need to begin working on it now.”
Eabametoong is not alone in facing uncertainties regarding winter road viability. The northern Ontario community of Pickle Lake, which serves as the most accessible town with an all-season road, has become a critical hub for truckers refueling before undertaking journeys to Indigenous communities.
After charging his radio for the trip, truck driver Andy Rae prepared to deliver essential goods to Wunnumin First Nation while recalling a precarious moment from the previous year, when his truck slid off the winter road and broke through thin ice. “We didn’t even know the creek was there. It was an unexpected surprise,” he remarked with humor.
Rae recalled another occasion where he navigated dangerously thinning ice across a frozen lake. “I learned from seasoned drivers that as long as you hear cracking, you’re fine. But if it goes completely silent, you’re in trouble,” he said.
Site supervisor Brent Beever at Morgan Fuels explained the increasing challenges posed by climate changes impacting the reliability of winter roads: “Rising temperatures have been our greatest obstacle. The substantial warming means we’re encountering rougher road conditions, collapsing snow bridges, and placing additional strain on our vehicles and equipment.”
“I guess that’s why there’s an escalating push for all-season roads. I can only speculate on how long it might take, but it won’t be immediate,” he concluded.
This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center
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