Ontario approves plan for road to Ring of Fire

Map courtesy Government of Ontario.

During this month’s Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) annual convention in Toronto, the Ontario government announced its approval of the Webequie and Marten Falls First Nations’ terms of reference for an all-season, multi-use road connecting to the proposed Ring of Fire mining development area.

The two First Nations’ communities designed and submitted the plan for the Northern Road Link, which would connect them and the Ring of Fire’s mineral deposits to the provincial highway network, thus helping secure a supply chain for electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing hubs in Southern Ontario.

“I thank Webequie First Nation and Marten Falls First Nation for leading the environmental assessment for this road corridor,” said the provincial minister of mines, George Pirie. “The Ring of Fire has the minerals we need to build our manufacturing supply chain, including nickel for EVs and chromite for clean steel.”

To date, the Ontario government has dedicated close to $1 billion to support infrastructure in the Ring of Fire area, including all-season roads, high-speed internet, road upgrades and community supports.

“These opportunities must be balanced against the environmental and socio-cultural risks associated with building a road,” said Chief Cornelius Wabasse of the Webequie First Nation. “Our approach has been to study the project’s potential impacts, effects, alternatives and mitigations and to allow First Nations people to make informed decisions about the future development of their traditional lands. This project has the potential to bring economic reconciliation and we are proud to be at the forefront of this planning process.”