A discrepancy has arisen over whether the former route, used in the 50s, was an official road or simply a cutline. The standards of environmental assessment rest primarily on the designation. The Department of Justice is to provide a legal opinion, "as quickly as possible," according to Mitchell.

"I understand the level of frustration of the folks up there. They've been working on this for some time," he said of Fort Smith businessmen and residents. During the public meeting about the road Saturday, Fort Smith mayor Peter Martselos and Wood Buffalo National Park superintendent Peter Lamb sparred over the necessity for an environmental impact study.

"If you're going to construct a road then the design has to look at what the implications would be in terms of maintaining ecological integrity," Lamb said afterwards.

Lamb insisted he is not opposing the road.

"I don't want to be reflected as being opposed to the road," he said. "I'm simply expressing the Department's position on it ... there's not an administrative need for it."

Martselos, a champion of the road, said he can't explain any hesitation on Lamb's part to allow the road. He contended that Parks Canada had held the same stance for 30 years and for that reason alone, they're unwilling to relent.

"They don't support the wishes of the majority of the people," he said. "I don't understand ... especially when we don't ask them to provide funds."

Although there were a large number of people on hand to lobby for the road, Mitchell said his primary obligation is to maintain the integrity of the park -- with or without the road.

The debate has been going on for more than 30 years and Mitchell said it's a matter of finding a "correct balance" between economic development and ecological ideals.

Martselos said he is pleased with the united front presented by the leaders in his town Saturday. "I'm very optimistic something good is going to come for Fort Smith," he said.