New road maintenance contract awarded to First-Nation-owned company in Britt area

Ontario's Ministry of Transportation awarded a road maintenance contract to a group of three First Nations near Parry Sound. The province held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today at Magnetawan First Nation, launching a 7-year road maintenance contract awarded to First Nations-owned company Shwe Miikaan Miller.

The company will maintain paved roads in the Britt area, bringing in an annual revenue stream of $7 million.

Shwee Miikan Miller is jointly-owned by Magnetawan, Shawanaga and Henvey Inlet First Nations, along with Miller Paving. The First Nations own 51 per cent of the company.

Magnetawan Chief William Lloyd Noganosh celebrated the "historic day" that represents a new partnership between the jointly First-Nations-owned company and the province.

"It's great to see us working in cooperation with the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) and all the other departments and agencies that help put this together," said Noganosh.

Noganosh said the MTO contract will create 15 jobs in the project's first year and the community plans on training more young people in the near future.

He said that his community will offer heavy equipment operator training, with a training partner out of Sudbury. "It's just going to grow, you know, and we're glad that some of the staff are staying on to help our young ones."

He said he's happy to see First Nations like his "running on our [their] own."

The Magnetawan Chief said he welcomes all types of jobs related to this contract, from machine operator positions to flaggers, an important but often overlooked position on work-sites.

Ryan Essex, president of the Miller Group/Miller Paving, said he is glad to have partnered with Shwe Miikan, he said in an interview with Radio-Canada. "It was a decade-long journey to get here, but it was worth the work," said Essex.

The multi-year contract is a first for the Shwe Miikan Miller. Essex said previous capital contracts awarded to the company helped forge their partnership, but this is "breaking new ground" for the company.

He also celebrated the positive impact that he anticipates Magnetawan residents will feel. "It's a real success and seven years is a long enough start of a commitment that allows us to create careers and invest in people," he said.

While Magnetawan First Nation plans on contributing to workforce training, Miller Paving is also planning on investing in local trainees. "Those skills that will be learned on this contract will be transferable to additional contracts," Essex said. He added that he is excited to offer people in the community work that is close to home.

Essex also hopes that capital investments from the province, like improvements to Highway 69, will be awarded to First Nation companies like Shwe Miikan Miller. He said that long-term projects like the highway redevelopment could offer hundreds of new jobs to people living in Magnetawan, Shawanaga and Henvey Inlet First Nations.

• Magnetawan says Ontario must address land claim if it wants to expand Highway 69

Minister of Northern Economic Development, George Pirie, also spoke at the ribbon-cutting. He said the funds coming from the province will bolster the local economy in the Britt area.

He said he hopes the $1.3 million Northern Trail Heritage Fund — which will allow Shwe Miikan Miller to build or buy equipment — will "build capacity and grow jobs with the partnership of First Nations communities."

Pirie added that the partnership is "one of the first steps" in transforming the remaining section of Highway 69 into a four-lane highway. "The transformation is happening as we speak," he said.

The minister described the negotiations between Ontario and First Nations around Highway 69 as "complicated" and "at different stages" across different communities.

"All of the parties are committed to ensure that this highway gets finished," Pirie said, adding that the province is also looking into securing emergency services such as first responders.

Shwe Miikan Miller will begin road maintenance in two weeks.