By Jon Thompson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter\u00a0 Ginoogaming First Nation has been forced to close a failing bridge owned by a logging company, cutting off the community\u2019s access to the neighbouring town of Longlac. A new engineering report commissioned by the First Nation shows the private bridge built for industry to access timber around the reserve in the 1940s has decayed beyond the capacity to safely support vehicle traffic. \u201cWe\u2019re asserting ourselves in our jurisdiction and our sovereignty to the land,\u201d Ginoogaming Chief Sheri Taylor told a virtual press conference on Wednesday afternoon, held at roughly the same time as her community members were closing the road leading to the Making Ground River Bridge. \u201cWe will do what we need to do to make sure we have a safe bridge…. <\/p>\n
By Jon Thompson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter\u00a0 Ginoogaming First Nation has been forced to close a failing bridge owned by a logging company, cutting off the community\u2019s access to the neighbouring town of Longlac. A new engineering report commissioned by the First Nation shows the private bridge built for industry to access timber around the reserve in the 1940s has decayed beyond the capacity to safely support vehicle traffic. \u201cWe\u2019re asserting ourselves in our jurisdiction and our sovereignty to the land,\u201d Ginoogaming Chief Sheri Taylor told a virtual press conference on Wednesday afternoon, held at roughly the same time as her community members were closing the road leading to the Making Ground River Bridge. \u201cWe will do what we need to do to make sure we have a safe bridge.... <\/p>\n