First Nation concerned about shrinking window for winter road [Video]

With the winter months nearing, many First Nations communities across the country are worried that shorter and shorter seasons for ice roads are increasingly threatening the livelihood of their people.

“We rely on winter roads to bring in fuel, heavy structures for construction, groceries, housing supplies, everything,” said Athabasca Chipewyan Chief Allan Adam in an interview. “Everything for the community … It’s how we survive.”

Many Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation members live in the town of Fort Chipewyan on the southwest edge of Lake Athabasca in northern Alberta, approximately 224 kilometres north of Fort McMurray.

Access to the town of nearly 800 is limited to boat and aircraft in the summer months, and winter roads when it is cold enough for ice to form over the many bodies of water in the surrounding area, including the Athabasca River and Galoot Lake.

But there have been growing concerns about the feasibility …