A major road project that will connect a long-planned mine near Behchokǫ̀ to the highway system has been given a conditional funding boost of up to $50 million from the federal government. The money is earmarked for a 51-kilometre access road that will link the NICO cobalt-gold-bismuth-copper mine to the territorial highway network near Whatì, Northwest Territories. The announcement was made June 26, 2026, by Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson on the margins of the 2026 Energy and Mining Ministers Conference in Yellowknife.
The funding will come from Natural Resources Canada’s First and Last Mile Fund, covering 75 percent of eligible construction costs on Tłı̨chǫ private lands. The road is seen as a key piece of infrastructure needed to finally get the NICO project moving after about three decades of planning. The mine holds more than 102 million pounds of bismuth, or over 12 percent of world reserves, plus substantial amounts of cobalt, copper, and gold.
The project is a joint effort between Fortune Minerals and the Tłı̨chǫ Government, who partnered earlier this year to secure the federal money and build the road. “By working collaboratively with Fortune and seeking federal support, we are advancing infrastructure that has the potential to deliver lasting benefits for Tłı̨chǫ Citizens and the broader region,” said Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty. Fortune Minerals President and CEO Robin Goad said the support “helps level the playing field” for the northern mine.
The road is not only about mining. The federal package includes an extra $200,000 for the Tłı̨chǫ Government to carry out a Traditional Knowledge study and community engagement ahead of construction. The North Slave Métis Alliance will receive about $141,000 for similar work to ensure local voices are part of the planning. There is also a longer-term idea on the table: the partners are looking at whether the road could one day be extended all the way to Gamètì, about 65 kilometres northwest of the mine, to make it easier and cheaper to bring in goods for that community.
