The MLA for Cariboo North continues to try and get a road to the proposed NewGold mine.
Coralee Oakes says the Provincial Government, including the Premier,met with First Nations in Vancouver this past week.
Oakes says she believes in what the bands are proposing…
“they are calling it now the road to employment and a real opportunity from both connecting those first nations to NewGold. currently, many of their members work at NewGold. It is 22 kilometres from Kluskus and yet they are driving 8 hours.”
Oakes says it’s also important for these communities to have another way out in the event of a fire like what we saw in Fort McMurray.
She says she has heard the concerns from Vanderhoof about Quesnel moving in on the project but she says the road they are thinking about would be a forest service road and not a cariboo connector or Ministry of Transportation road.
Oakes says she will be meeting with the bands again later this month and that they are close to identifying a cost for a potential project.
Her goal is to have a road in place before the mine is up and running.