The Ontario government has announced the start of construction on a permanent bridge across the Berens River that will provide year-round access to Pikangikum First Nation and eliminate the need for a winter road river crossing for other remote First Nations communities north of Red Lake.

The project is being carried out in partnership with the Whitefeather Forest Community Resource Management Authority, Pikangikum First Nation and the Government of Canada.

The province says construction of the bridge will improve access to essential goods and services, while enhancing safety and supporting economic development for seven First Nations communities in Northwestern Ontario.

M.D. Steele was selected as the primary bridge contractor and will lead construction of the engineered mass-timber bridge. Pre-construction work is underway, including securing sub-contractors, mobilization to the construction site and completion of shop drawings.

Aggregate blasting will start soon to produce materials required to prepare the bridge site.

Additional onsite work, including construction of a temporary bridge, will continue through spring 2026, with the final, permanent bridge expected to be completed in 2028.

Once complete, the bridge will be the first of its kind in Canada to integrate mass timber structural components into major transportation infrastructure, serving as a key connection point to Ontario’s remote northwest region. The project will create opportunities for harvesting wood in the Whitefeather Forest, enable year-round access to Pikangikum First Nation and improve winter road connections for six additional remote First Nation communities. It will also eliminate the lengthy ice crossing currently required to access Pikangikum First Nation and the broader winter roads network.

"Delivering a project of this scale and complexity in a remote environment takes creativity, partnership and commitment,” said Richard Wilson, President of M.D. Steele. “This bridge is a unique engineering achievement, but its true value lies in what it enables — connecting Pikangikum, Deer Lake, Keewaywin, McDowell Lake, North Spirit Lake, Poplar Hill and Sandy Lake First Nations to dependable ground access."

The federal and provincial governments, alongside Pikangikum First Nation and the Whitefeather Forest Community Resource Management Authority, announced their partnership to build the Berens River Bridge and an all-season road to Pikangikum First Nation in August 2024.

The six additional remote First Nations that will benefit from improved winter road connections include Poplar Hill First Nation, McDowell Lake First Nation, Deer Lake First Nation, North Spirit Lake First Nation, Sandy Lake First Nation and Keewaywin First Nation.