Fort William First Nation chief says Mission Road repaving should finish in August

The arrival of the dog days of summer also means the end of construction on Mission Road on Fort William First Nation.

Chief Peter Collins on Friday said he expects the $2.4-million repaving project, which began last summer, to wind up sometime in August.

It’ll be a relief to residents of the busy street, which residents and visitors to the reserve use to access Fort William First Nation Arena and the community centre, as well as the Mount McKay Lookout.

“I live on the main road and I understand the construction side of stuff,” said Collins, who also owns a contracting company.

“It’s been frustrating, but it’s been pretty good and they’ve been pretty good about being blocked out of their homes blocked out of their driveways. We have a couple of elders who live on the road and it’s been a little tougher for them because they have a hard time walking. But as soon as it gets done they’ll be happy and everybody will be happy.”

The project was a partnership with the City of Thunder Bay, which contributed about $1 million toward the construction costs.

Collins said the project is slightly over budget, but expected to finish on time.

“I just have to thank the city and their contribution to getting the road to the capacity where it is today,” Collins said.

“If you look at the number of people who come into our community for the rink and the bingo halls and go up to our lookout, this is long overdue.”