Public Notice

April 24, 2025 – Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada must determine whether the proposed project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this determination, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. All comments received will be considered public and may be posted online.

Written comments must be submitted by May 23, 2025 to contact identified on the project page.

The Proposed Project

Island Lake Tribal Council Inc. (ILTC) is proposing the construction of 11 telecommunication towers to provide high-speed internet access to Garden Hill First Nation, St. Theresa Point, Red Sucker Lake, and Wasagamack First Nation. The towers will be 25 meters tall. Antennas will be mounted at the top of the towers. These antennas will operate in the 5 and 60 GHz frequency bands. All of the equipment necessary to operate this facility will be housed in a small equipment cabinet located on site. These towers may undergo future modifications or the addition/replacement of antennas.

ILTC will install 0.082 and 0.156 meter antennas, in the 5 and 60 GHz frequency bands, on top of existing 25 meter towers located in St. Theresa Point, Red Sucker Lake and Wasagamack First Nation. The antennas will be installed to improve network access to high-speed internet. In the future, the existing towers, may have other antennas and other radiocommunication equipment added or replaced.

ILTC will also install underground fibre optic cabling to Garden Hill First Nation, St. Theresa Point, Red Sucker Lake, and Wasagamack First Nation to support the fixed wireless tower networks in each community. ILTC will install approximately 429 km of underground fibre optic cabling from the intersection of the road in front of Ken Albert Memorial Park and Provincial Rd 373 to Red Sucker Lake passing through the communities of St. Theresa Point, Wasagamack First Nation), and Kitchiokonim Place.

The cable is to be buried by directional drilling, trenching, or using existing conduits, or a combination of these methods in existing roadway alignments.