The Pehdzéh Kı̨́ First Nation and NWT government say they have agreed on a new “corridor” through which the Mackenzie Valley Highway could be routed.
Previously, the path of the proposed all-season road through Wrigley and into the Sahtu was a source of contention.
In a joint news release on Monday, the GNWT and First Nation said they had “reached consensus” on a new corridor about five kilometres east of the one previously put forward.
“We have always been clear that any decisions on the Mackenzie Valley Highway must respect our rights, our knowledge, and our responsibility to the land,” Chief Jamie Moses was quoted as saying.
“The new corridor shows that collaborative planning, grounded in free, prior, and informed consent, can move this work forward with predictability, efficiently, and in a way that reflects our priorities.”
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The term “corridor” reflects that the precise route still hasn’t been finalized.
According to Monday’s news release, work to “further refine a potential route within the agreed upon corridor” will continue.
“The refined alignment will be developed with Pehdzéh Kı̨́ First Nation before being formally submitted into the environmental assessment process, where it will undergo detailed review, including potential environmental, cultural, and community impacts,” the news release stated.
The Mackenzie Valley Highway, a project considered a GNWT priority for decades, has been advanced to the federal Major Projects Office for further work before construction begins.
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The funding needed to build the entire highway hasn’t been committed, but the project appears closer to becoming a reality than ever before. Communities in the Sahtu say it will reduce costs and uncertainty associated with the barge or air resupply on which they currently rely.
For Wrigley, which already has a highway link, the Mackenzie Valley Highway would turn the Dehcho community into a stopping-off point rather than a terminus.
Residents had previously expressed concern about the potential for increased crime and the need for “economic reconciliation” through the project if the road goes ahead.
At a community consultation in late 2024, the GNWT was urged to push the route east of its proposal at the time.
“According to participants, this higher route would avoid the soft clay soils, slumping, and eroding riverbanks of the Mackenzie River,” a report from a community consultation stated.
“The soil along the proposed route is mainly comprised of clay, which can be described as a ‘soup’ in the warmer months. In the winter, the clay deep freezes and becomes like chunks of concrete.”
More meetings were held over the past half a year to address those concerns.
“Both the Pehdzéh Kı̨́ First Nation and the GNWT are encouraged by the progress to date and remain committed to maintaining a respectful and cooperative approach as the project moves forward,” Monday’s news release concluded.
