New investment into Mackenzie Valley Highway to employ all who are ‘willing, ready and able’

The federal government announced a $405-million investment Tuesday into the Mackenzie Valley Highway that it says will be “transformational” for people living in the region. 

The Mackenzie Valley Highway — an all-season road that would connect the last stretch of Highway 1 at Wrigley to the Dempster Highway in Inuvik — has been deemed a project of national interest. The road would reduce reliance on seasonal transportation of barges and winter roads and has been poised as a project that supports national defence. 

At a news conference Tuesday in Yellowknife, federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said the road would unlock economic opportunity through mineral development. 

“But perhaps most importantly, for the people who live in the territory it will change life for the better,” he said.

The funding will help to build a bridge across Great Bear River near Tulı́t’a, the second phase of the Prohibition Creek Access Road and preliminary engineering and design for two additional bridges over the Liard and Mackenzie rivers. The money will also help finalize the environmental assessment and design for the stretch of road between Wrigley and Norman Wells. 

Caroline Wawzonek, the N.W.T. minister responsible for strategic infrastructure, energy and supply chains, said building the Great Bear River bridge will create mass employment. 

“All residents who are ready, willing and able to be employed during the construction phases are needed,” she said.

Wawzonek said ground work, quarry preparation and gravel work will happen over the winter while the government procures a contractor for the bridge. She said she expects construction to start in early July 2027. 

She said the territory is working with communities to plan for a possible rise in drugs and alcohol and emergency services that may come with highway access.

The money comes from a $1-billion Arctic Infrastructure Fund announced last year. MacKinnon recognized the $405 million would not be enough for the full project but said they want to fund the next phase of the highway as soon as possible. 

A more reliable Mackenzie Valley corridor will strengthen the resilience of Canada’s northern transportation network and contribute to Canada’s long-term presence, security and sovereignty in the Arctic, according to a news release Tuesday.

It also says the investment will help strengthen regional supply chains, support year-round community resupply, improve access to health and emergency services, and provide safer and more dependable transportation for residents and Indigenous communities.