Regional mayors to push for better road access to diamond mines
Though the roads are not quite made of diamonds yet, the Mayors of Melfort, Nipawin and Tisdale are hoping for a bit of improved road access to the Fort a La Corne diamond mining sites.
By Melanie Dolton of The Journal
Tuesday December 28, 2004
Melfort Journal — Though the roads are not quite made of diamonds yet, the Mayors of Melfort, Nipawin and Tisdale are hoping for a bit of improved road access to the Fort a La Corne diamond mining sites.
The idea centres on providing better access for contractors from the different communities to the site and was discussed at the November 17 Regional Mayors' meeting.
According to Melfort Mayor Darrell Collins, the mayoral trio will attempt to meet with Eric Cline, Minister of Industry and Resources on the issue at the upcoming Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) Convention in January.
"There are a number of communities on the east side of the exploration site that feel they need better access for business purposes to get in and out and to provide services and supplies to the contractors at the exploration site," said Collins, who has also been in discussion with the Mayor of Choiceland on the matter.
"We are looking for an upgrade to what is called Division Road and there are parts of Division Road that are not an all-weather road. It is not as accessible as it should be. There are some issues at Poplar Creek and English Creek, but Poplar Creek is the most concern because it is not passable."
Calling the current access road a 'forest trail' Collins said that by contacting Minister Cline on the issue it would allow businesses from south of the mine to benefit - including those in Melfort.
"In order for contractors and business people to get in there on a regular basis we need better accessibility," he said of welding, automotive and mining supply services provided by businesses of the three communities.
"Because the mining is only at the exploration stage a gravel road would be the expectation out of this."
Improving the road is in the best interest of all the centres involved in this issue, according to Collins.
"It would maybe allow for expanded services here and I think this needs to be a multi-community approach," said Collins.
"All the communities on the east side of the mine have similar interests in providing services. I think we have to show the cooperation between the communities even though there will be competition in providing the services. In order to make ourselves known at the provincial level we need to approach this cooperatively."
