First Nation, Bird expand partnership for $22B Ring of Fire road project

Key Takeaways:

• Piinahzii LP, a majority Indigenous-owned partnership between Marten Falls First Nation and Bird Construction, has expanded its scope to build the 184-kilometre Marten Falls Community Access Road.
• The project represents the longest section of the planned 514-kilometre Ring of Fire all-season road network and will include 35 bridge and culvert structures connecting the remote community to the provincial highway system.
• Initial site clearing and camp construction have begun, with the access road scheduled to open by November 2031, four years ahead of its initial target.

The Whole Story:

Piinahzii Limited Partnership, a majority Indigenous-owned partnership formed earlier this year between Marten Falls First Nation and Bird Construction Inc. (TSX: BDT), has signed an amended agreement expanding its mandate to include the direct construction of the Marten Falls Community Access Road.

The contract expansion follows the official groundbreaking by the Province of Ontario for the 184-kilometre all-season road segment, marking a major milestone in the government’s accelerated delivery strategy for the Ring of Fire region. Moving beyond initial community infrastructure and site readiness works, Piinahzii LP will now build the longest single section of the proposed 514-kilometre road network. The corridor includes 35 bridges and culverts designed to connect the remote Anishinaabe community to Ontario’s provincial highway system for the first time.

Crews are commencing preliminary civil activities, including tree clearing, camp setup, and aggregate source establishment along the alignment. The access road is targeted to open by November 2031, four years ahead of its original timeline, and forms part of an overarching $31-billion provincial effort to build critical transportation infrastructure and unlock $22 billion in regional economic value from critical mineral deposits.

“This is an important step forward for Piinahzii and reflects the strength of the partnership we continue to build with Marten Falls First Nation,” said Teri McKibbon, President and CEO of Bird Construction. “The Community Access Road is a significant community-led project, and we are pleased to bring Bird’s infrastructure experience together with the leadership, knowledge and priorities of Marten Falls. Our focus is on delivering the work safely and responsibly while creating meaningful opportunities for community members and Indigenous businesses throughout the project.”

Marten Falls First Nation Chief Bruce Achneepineskum highlighted the long-term community impacts of ending seasonal isolation. “The approval of the Community Access Road reflects the vision, determination and leadership of generations of our people who worked toward creating a permanent, year-round connection to the provincial highway network,” Achneepineskum said. “This road is about more than transportation — it is about reducing the challenges of living in a remote community and creating new opportunities for our people. Reliable, year-round access will strengthen connections to health care, education, essential services, affordable goods and help accelerate community growth.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford, and Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria commended the collaborative model, noting that the project supports both local social needs and national supply chain security for critical minerals used in battery manufacturing and advanced technologies.