The main road through the Simpcw First Nation in the North Thompson is in line for some major upgrades.

The band and the Ministry of Transportation have signed a memorandum of understanding that Dunn Lake Road will get significant upgrades.

Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Peter Milobar was at the MOU signing and says this agreement has been nearly 40 years in the making.

“This was an agreement around paving of Dunn Lake Road through the reserve lands, on Dunn Lake Road. So hopefully that will spur on other improvements on the non-reserve areas of that road as well. It’s a critical connection point between Clearwater and Barriere on the other side of the [North Thompson] River,” Milobar says.

“Especially in fire seasons, it becomes an essential other way out for people. A connection point for supplies. And it connects into Little Fort as well, which gets you to Highway 24 and into the Cariboo. So it’s a critical road, it desperately needs repair and maintenance. Everyone’s in agreement with that.”

He says he’s not aware of a timeline for the paving work nor what the cost is.

The Simpcw First Nation says with the MOU, it will also be acquiring land around Dunn Lake and further north around Tête Jeune Cache.

Milobar says this planning for this MOU goes back almost 40 years, nearly to the “Phil Gaglardi days,” a former Kamloops mayor and former MLA who was the first ever Minister of Highways in B.C.

“It was great to see it moving forward,” Milobar says. “It was disappointing the Minister chose not to attend something as significant as that. One would think the government that is pushing hard with reconciliation and other partnerships would recognize the significant of an agreement coming forward, after 40 years.”