WOODSTOCK FIRST NATION, N.B. – Residents of the Woodstock First Nation say if their roads continue to deteriorate, they’ll be sending government officials bills for their vehicle repairs.
“I myself, come out here and patch it with gravel using my own truck,” said resident Dave Polchies. “My daughter, my brothers and sisters, they all use it and we can’t afford to continue replacing parts on our cars.”
The Canadian Press obtained a copy of a briefing note under the Access to Information Act. The summarized findings by provincial officials who visited First Nations across New Brunswick to collect video footage and data about road conditions.
The note was sent to Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt.
The province found 59 per cent of its on-reserve paved roads are in poor condition. Another 27 per cent are in fair condition and only 14 per cent are in good condition.
READ MORE: New Brunswick First Nation roads in bad shape
“If you use it everyday you’ve got to look after it everyday,” said Polchies. “They do it out on the Trans Canada highway and in the Town of Woodstock. I don’t understand why we can’t have it done here.”
The Woodstock band council said they’ve estimated the cost of repairing their roads, including drainage, would be about $1.5-million.
“They’ve never done a section, as far as fixing a road,” said band manager, Mark Polchies. “They just patch, and then they’ll just patch over a patch.”
The Province of New Brunswick said in a statement that infrastructure maintenance in First Nations communities is “entirely a Federal responsibility.”
“It would be inappropriate for the province to comment on any briefing materials that may pertain to roadwork assessment and or long term maintenance and upgrade plans that the government of Canada may wish to perform in the future,” the statement read.
Meanwhile Michelle Perron of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada says the Government of Canada has made many investments in First Nations infrastructure.
She cited $139-million over five years from the Gas Tax Funds for projects like roads and bridges, internet connectivity and solid waste management.
But as for money spent specifically in New Brunswick, Perron said the province’s proposal is now “under review.”
“We will continue to work with the Province of New Brunswick to determine opportunities that may exist for partnering on road construction projects in First Nation communities, including exploring options to include various First Nation roads in future provincial Public-private partnerships (P3) road construction projects,” Perron wrote in an email.
In 2011, the Province of New Brunswick said less than $1-million was transferred from the federal government to improve N.B. First Nation roads.
In the briefing note, New Brunswick said it would cost $68-million over the next 12 years to bring the roads up to provincial standards and keep them that way.
In the email, Perron wrote that 11 of the 15 New Brunswick First Nations are served through a road maintenance contract between the Province of New Brunswick and AANDC.
“A similar agreement with a municipality is in place for Oromocto. The remaining three First Nations receive a yearly allocation for maintenance of their road systems that allows them to prioritize the road work to be carried out,” the email said.
With files from The Canadian Press.
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