Ontario must resolve a longstanding land claim with Magnetawan First Nation to proceed with expanding Highway 69, according to Chief William Lloyd Noganosh.
Highway 69 stretches from Sudbury to near Nobel, Ontario, where it connects to Highway 400. Approximately 68 kilometres of this route remain a undivided two-lane highway, passing through reserve lands of three First Nations: Magnetawan First Nation, Henvey Inlet First Nation, and Shawanaga First Nation.
Push for a Fair Agreement
Magnetawan First Nation supports twinning the highway but insists on addressing its land claim, filed in 2021. “We need to resolve that land claim in cooperation or side by side with the expansion of Highway 69,” Chief Noganosh stated. “We’re waiting to hear from the province, and it’s up to them to acknowledge that.”
Negotiations with the province over widening this section of Highway 69 have continued since at least 2008.
Details of the Land Claim
The claim concerns the boundaries of Magnetawan First Nation’s territory under the 1850 Robinson Huron Treaty. The nation asserts that the surveyed reserve boundaries differ from what it was promised, stemming from the treaty’s use of “miles” instead of “leagues.”
Stephen O’Neill, a lawyer and retired Ontario Superior Court judge assisting Magnetawan, noted, “This is a problem that’s been known to the Crown since August of 1851.” He added that while some issues resolved on the ground in certain communities, challenges persist. “We have to get certainty and finality [of the lands] in order to construct a highway,” O’Neill emphasized. “When we can’t sit with Ontario and have the discussion … it puts a question mark on the certainty and finality and legal status of these lands.”
Ontario promised to assess the claim within three years, but Magnetawan views the government as overdue regardless of the exact filing date—2021 per the nation or 2022 per provincial records.
Safety Concerns Drive Support
Chief Noganosh stressed the community’s full commitment to the project, citing frequent accidents. “We are very concerned and we want to get this done,” he said. “You hear all the time that sometimes it’s not the highway to blame, sometimes the driver is going too fast. But nevertheless, if we had a four-lane [highway] going through all the way… then of course the highway is going to be much safer.”
O’Neill highlighted public frustration in areas like Sudbury and Parry Sound over delays, clarifying that Magnetawan First Nation is not obstructing progress. “Magnetawan wanted to make it very clear … that they’re all in,” he said. “We’ve met with the Ministry of Transportation and we’ll continue to meet with them. … It can be done and it will be done, but … we need [Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation] really to come to the table.”
Provincial Response and Other Nations
The Ministry of Transportation states that expansion work continues. Construction on remaining sections south of the French River will start once property acquisition, environmental, regulatory, and Indigenous consultation requirements are fulfilled.
Shawanaga First Nation reached a tentative agreement with Ontario in November 2024. Henvey Inlet First Nation anticipates a deal by June 2025.
