Alaska Highway contract awarded to Indigenous-owned business partnership
May 13, 2026 – Fort Nelson, British Columbia
The Government of Canada is taking action to rehabilitate the Alaska Highway and protect it from climate-related damage.
Today, the Honourable Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, announced that the Government of Canada has awarded a $14.6-million design-build contract to Top Notch and Enviro-Ex (joint venture), to relocate 2.3 kilometres of the Alaska Highway, at the 780-kilometre mark, beyond an area of the Liard River shoreline that’s expected to erode over the next century.
Work will also include land and river studies, environmental reviews and detailed design, with construction scheduled this summer.
Through a Limited Indigenous Offering procurement process, this competitive process was only open to Indigenous businesses led by members of the eight First Nations whose traditional territories are located along the parts of the highway maintained by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC).
This procurement creates direct economic opportunities for these communities and contributes to the government’s Indigenous procurement targets. This approach supports PSPC’s commitment to reconciliation and inclusive growth by enabling significant Indigenous participation in the design and construction phases of the project.
The joint venture is between Top Notch Oilfield Contracting Limited, a company owned by a member of Blueberry First Nation, and Enviro-Ex Contracting Limited. The contract supports Indigenous economic leadership and strengthens local capacity through federal procurement.