Kashechewan First Nation: Road to Site Five

Located approximately 150 kilometers northwest of Moosonee, Ontario, the Kashechewan First Nation (KFN) community is accessible year around by air, by barge from July to October, and by winter road from February to April. KFN has faced multiple flooding events and evacuations since the first recorded flood in 1976. In 2016, a study deemed the community unsafe during the flooding season.

Site Five is located along the north shore of the Albany River, 34 kilometers upstream. KFN elders identified the site as a possible new location for the community, which was further approved by the General Membership of Kashechewan. Following a series of investigations for suitability, Site Five was deemed able to permanently accommodate the community with a 50-year projected population.

KFN signed the Together We Work for Hope Agreement on May 9, 2019. The agreement identified the relocation as a priority project within the community, and to the Federal and Provincial governments.

Colliers Project Leaders is providing project management services for the project’s planning, design, construction and commissioning phases. The all-weather gravel road will connect the existing KFN community to its new Site Five location. Until the permanent road is completed, the community will construct a winter road to ensure reliable access between the two sites.

Currently in the conceptual design phase, our team is working with KFN to establish an agreement on the winter road construction. Originally set to follow a Design-Bid-Build approach, the project is moving to a Construction Management delivery model to ensure that contractors can be sourced locally. This change will provide employment in the community and also support COVID-19 visitor restrictions. To assist with the new delivery approach, our team is managing coordination with the design consultants, assisting with Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) funding applications, overseeing environmental testing procedures, and communicating regularly with KFN to ensure that the Chief and Council are updated.

Colliers Project Leaders first partnered with KFN in May 2014 to provide project management services for its Repatriation Investment Initiative, which created 102 new modular homes for returning flood evacuees. We also worked with KFN on the Phase II/III Environmental Site Assessment project to determine the degree and extent of contamination present in the community and evaluate options for remediation and risk management.