Officials say construction is set to begin on the second phase of the Shoal Lake Band 40 all-weather road in Manitoba.

Shoal Lake Band 40 will be getting an all-weather road for the first time in more than 100 years when the community was cut off in order to bring drinking water to Winnipeg.

"What (phase two) really means is that it's really going ahead," said Winnipeg singer-songwriter and Freedom Road advocate Steve Bell.

Bell has been fighting for the rights of that community and the road, named Freedom Road by many, for a number of years. He is relieved to see that things are moving forward and that the governments have truly stepped in. The $12-million contract will provide 15 kilometres of new road embankment, with the cost being shared between the governments of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Canada.

"It's important for all of us," said Bell. "Winnipeg has flourished for over a century at the expense of Shoal Lake 40."

For Shoal Lake 40, Bell said it also means educational possibilities and economic viability. It also means the possibility of a water purification plant.

"There is something lovely about how they have conducted themselves," Bell said, referring to Shoal Lake 40's resistance to violence, instead offering grace and building relationships as they tried to get the road completed. He says that they are a perfect example of practical reconciliation.

Shoal Lake 40 is near the Ontario and Manitoba border and has a population just under 300 people.