MEADOW LAKE, Sask. — Saskatchewan Highways and Infrastructure Minister Wayne Elhard recently completed a three-day tour of northern Saskatchewan as part of an infrastructure assessment to determine future planning needs.

Elhard said the 2,600-km tour also took into consideration the social factors related to the economic development of the north.

"There are plentiful resources in the North related to oil, uranium, rare earth minerals, gold and other commodities," Elhard said. "We recognize the importance that improved road networks play in developing and expanding our province’s resource-based industries."

The minister arrived in Meadow Lake by plane and toured local industries before driving to La Loche along Highways 903, 905 and 155. While in the region, he had an opportunity to view recent upgrades to the Garson Lake Road, where discussions continue with Alberta to create an all-weather northern access route connecting the two provinces.

"Monday, the tour continued 200 km south by truck over a bladed trail from Stony Rapids to Points North," Elhard said. "Discussions are underway to turn this rugged route into an all-season gravel road to support extensive mineral exploration in the region."

From Points North, Minister Elhard flew over the proposed location for the new Wollaston Lake Road, a 102 km all-weather road between Highway 905 and the communities of Wollaston Lake and the Hatchet Lake First Nation. These communities are currently served by a summer barge and a winter ice road.

The tour continued along Highways 102 and 2 to compare construction methods used to build the 1970s access road into Stanley Mission, and the recently-completed access road into Montreal Lake.

"We are currently investing $37 million in northern infrastructure this fiscal year, from resurfacing projects on Highways 106 and 155, to other grading, repair and maintenance projects, to ongoing operations of our northern airports and barges,” said Elhard. “This trip has given me the kind of background necessary to plan for additional strategic investments in the north."