Over the summer and fall, roadwork and infrastructure projects have progressed across Nipissing First Nation. This includes progress on long-awaited traffic signal installations along Highway 17, led by the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO), as well as additional road patching.
See the status of our roadwork and infrastructure projects below:
Highway 17 Traffic Signal Installations (MTO Projects)
- Highway 17 and Couchie Industrial Road: The MTO awarded the contract to Fidelity Engineering & Construction Inc. Work begins October 14, 2025. Two poles will be installed on NFN land north and two south of Highway 17 due to space constraints. Estimated to be complete November 30, 2025.
- Highway 17 and Nova Beaucage Road / Osprey Miikan: The MTO awarded the contract to Miller Paving, with work starting October 14, 2025. One pole will be placed on NFN land north of Highway 17 and two south to accommodate installation. Estimated to be complete November 30, 2025.
- Highway 17 and Jocko Point Road: The MTO continues safety assessments with NFN and Ottawa Valley Rail before design work proceeds. The project remains on track for tendering in 2026. In design stage.
Calcium Treatment on Gravel Roads
The yearly calcium application (a treatment that helps keep dust down and binds gravel together) has been completed on all our gravel roads that needed it. Some smaller, low-traffic roads still had enough calcium from last year and didn’t need new treatment. The total cost this year was $64,372.50, covering: Ted Commanda Drive, Sweetgrass, Sage, Public Works Yard, Meadowside, Jocko Point Road, Beaucage Park Road, Margaret Drive, Yellek, and Landfill. Completed.
Culvert Repairs
- Duchesnay: Replacement at Goulais Crescent/Couchie Memorial Drive to reduce flooding. Completed.
- Yellek: Replacement on Yellek Trail (500 area) to improve water flow where there was an issue of water back-up on the north side. Completed.
- Garden Village: Culvert repairs at Semo/Ted Commanda (liner install) and Sweetgrass/Cockburn (replacement due to lack of flow). In progress – estimated to be complete by November 14, 2025.
Paving Projects
- Duchesnay (Goulais Crescent): Some asphalt patch work along Goulais Crescent. This will be scheduled for mid to late August. Completed.
- Duchesnay (Couchie Memorial Dr.): West end of Couchie Memorial Drive, scheduled for mid to late August. Completed.
- The Yellek-Duchesnay turnoff at the Duchesnay end of Wiigwaas Miikan will be paved from Goulais Crescent to the Rail Crossing. Completed.
- Garden Village: The beginning of Sweetgrass and Cockburn to pave an apron off the intersection. The intersection of Semo and Ted Commanda will be repaved due to deteriorating asphalt and a patch past the Right Path Building. The bigger project for Garden Village will be Juniper Crescent, which will be getting half of the street reconstructed and repaved due to deteriorating asphalt. To improve the base of the road, it will be excavated 1.5 ft to remove subbase material. A geotextile will be added to the road base and all with Granular B Type II (12”) along with Granular A (6”) compacted before the resurfacing. In progress – Patchwork completed.
- Serenity Lane: Plans are in progress to investigate adding a turning lane for traffic approaching the entrance from the east. In progress – MTO is investigating cost and budget for this work.
- All areas: Patchwork paving as required. Completed.
Streetlighting
Old streetlights across NFN will be replaced with LED lights for brighter, safer, and more energy-efficient lighting. In progress – Replacement lights are ordered.
