Not only will these communities supply the
materials for the project but they will also help
with strategic improvements to the roads in or-
der to generate “pay cheques in people’s pock-
ets.” In addition, when the ESRA goes out to
tenders, the bidders agree to hire a significant
number of people locally and sign agreements
to purchase goods and products from these lo-
cal establishments as well as providing training
opportunities. “Once these roads are built, it is
our intention to hire the local community to
maintain them, not simply for jobs in the short-
term, but sustainable economic development,”
says Gilroy. “Building relationships are very
important for us.”
PROTECTING THE
ENVIRONMENT
Aligning the East Side Road with the winter
roads will work to preserve and protect the land
these communities hold sacred. For example,
every effort is being made to follow the exist-
ing winter road alignment for the new all-sea-
son road, thereby limiting the amount of forest
land that has to be impacted. Further to this,
the Government of Manitoba is supporting the
application for a UN Heritage Designation, an
application to declare the Boreal Forest Area
on the east side as a historic designation to be
preserved. “The communities want this road to
be built in a manner that is consistent with the
JUNE 2014
H
business elite canada
11
