A New Brunswick First Nation says it needs $500,000 to repair roads

A New Brunswick First Nation says it needs $500,000  to repair roads, but the province isn’t listening, saying the problem is a federal responsibility. Chief David Peter-Paul of the Pabineau First Nation says he has spoken with provincial officials many times and has shown them the conditions of the road, but the province isn’t offering up any money. “Anyone who has travelled through the Pabineau First Nation community can attest to the fact that the conditions of the roadways are horrific, to say the least,” said Peter-Paul. “We have worked very hard to effectively communicate to the government of New Brunswick our need for provincial support to undertake major road repairs in Pabineau. However, to date, these attempts seem to have fallen on deaf ears.” Peter-Paul said $1 million in federal funding will repair parts of the roadways, but repairs needed go beyond general road work. “The assessment on the road conditions for all First Nations in New Brunswick has been completed by the province and the proposal is now under review,” said Aboriginal Affairs spokesperson Michelle Perron. “We will continue to work with the province of New Brunswick to determine opportunities that may exist for partnering on road construction projects in First Nation communities, including exploring options to include various First Nation roads in future provincial public-private partnerships (P3) road construction projects.”C