The Feds not only should see benefits but that they have the most to gain, yes They.
They are spending some heavy dough on the natives because everything up north is two to three times more expensive and at the same time many services are hard to provide or impossible because of lack of communication and transportation. The road would reduce the cost of materials and services while in some cases make possible what now is not.
The Feds stand to save some heavy expenses and gain a big political trump card by making possible better health, education and similar services.
IMHo the Feds should pay for a major cost of the road and leave it to the province to maintain the road. I say the province for maintenance because they are the traditional owners and maintainers of roads.
I still suspect that The N-S Road will be mainly a service road for the rail corridor. The East-West road also needs to be built and I presume it would serve a greater number of the locals.

How about the rail line?:

The rail line it appears will be private, owned by Cliffs and available to other users for a user fee. Perhaps part owners with the said new Ports Corp. The service road need not be much for heavy loads. I understand that rail lines can be built without a proper road running beside.

The rail line is builr progressively along and used to transport heavy equipment on it's tracks ( anyone correct me if I'm out to lunch, electronic engineer and not transportation ).

Either for the road or rail, I do not see the natives contributing any funding. They can not fund anything and need Fed money to sustain themselves.

What money is likely to come, other than Feds, Ontario and companies directly to benefit, is from financial institutions in for the interest gained on principle invested. I do not expect to see much from any individual investor ( such would buy stock first ) or even unions and their funds. Unions here would be more of political support instead of monetary.

The ontario premier has resigned because he has mismanaged and does not want to face public criticism. Parliament was closed to give time for the Ont. Liberals to choose a new leader, I see nothing else in that.

That is my 1 cent worth.