East Side Road project paused by federal agency over flaws in plan

A federal regulatory agency has put the East Side Road project on hold, saying it needs more information before deciding whether work can go ahead on the all-season road along the east side of Lake Winnipeg.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency says it sent a letter on July 14 to the East Side Road Authority regarding the project, which involves building a road between Berens River and the Poplar River First Nation.

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"The agency and federal authorities have identified gaps in the information provided," the letter states in part.

"This information is necessary to determine whether the project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects and to inform the agency's preparation of the [environmental assessment] report under CEAA 2012 [the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012]."

A spokesperson for the federal agency told CBC News that work on the road cannot proceed until it has completed its environmental assessment and Environment Minister Catherine McKenna has issued her decision.

The East Side Road Authority, a provincial government organization, was established in 2009 with a mandate to build the 156-kilometre road, which would link numerous remote communities along the east side of Lake Winnipeg.

The new Progressive Conservative government has promised to dismantle the road authority and fold it into the Infrastructure Department.