All but a few of Manitoba’s winter ice roads were open as of Feb. 7.
Twenty-two Manitoba communities, mostly in the north, do not have year-round road access and can only be reached by vehicle for a brief period every winter, usually from about mid-January to mid-March. These communities are home to about 30,000 people altogether and the 2,375-kilometre ice road system provides a means for them to transport goods into their communities at a lower cost than by air. About 2,500 shipments of fuel, construction materials, heavy equipment and store supplies travel over the roads in a typical winter.
First established in 1971, the roads, which go over land as well as muskeg, lakes and rivers, cost about $18 million to construct this year, with the provincial and federal governments splitting the cost equally. The province said in a news release that building and maintaining the roads provides employment and training opportunities for about 250 residents of winter road communities each year.
All winter roads in the northern area, which includes those to Brochet, Lac Brochet, Pikwitonei, Thicket Portage, York Landing, Ilford, Shamattawa, Pukatawagan and Tadoule Lake, were open and in good condition as of Feb. 7, according to the provincial winter road report.
Moat southern region winter roads were also open as of Feb. 7, with the exception of the ones from Little Grand Rapids to Pauingassi, from Wasagamack to the Northern Store, from Red Sucker Lake Junction to Red Sucker Lake and from Berens River to St. Theresa Point. These roads are all expected to be open by Feb. 10 at the latest.
