Premier Doug Ford announcing plans for Ring of Fire in Thunder Bay - (CJ Goater/Acadia Broadcasting)
Ontario’s Premier wants to build roads to the Ring of Fire.
The ring is an area in northern Ontario rich with critical minerals.
Critical minerals are essential in products used for clean energy technologies such as electric vehicles, electrical transmission lines, and batteries.
Doug Ford was in Thunder Bay on Saturday morning and he highlighted the importance of the Ring of Fire.
“As we face down the threat of President Trump’s tariffs, we need to do more and we need to do it faster,” explained Ford. “In January I was proud to sign an agreement with Aroland First Nation, alongside our agreements with Webequie First Nation and Marten Falls First Nations for the first time in Ontario’s history, we’ve made agreements in place to build roads right along the entire route to the Ring of Fire.”
“We have the critical minerals the world needs, the Ring of Fire alone is the largest deposit of critical minerals in the entire world, no matter if it’s chromite, cobalt, high-grade nickel, copper, platinum, matter of fact, folks there are 33 critical minerals here in Ontario that the world wants them and our allies need them, but Ontario has them.”
Boosting mining activity in the region could significantly and positively impact the local, provincial, and federal economy by creating jobs and new businesses.
“We have to get our critical minerals out of the ground processed and shipped to the factory floors here in Northern Ontario and across the province,” added Ford.
The provincial conservatives are urging the Trudeau government to remove unnecessary federal barriers and red tape from major projects under provincial jurisdiction, which will also benefit the Ring of Fire.
If re-elected Ford’s government plans on designating regions where multiple critical mineral deposits are present or likely to be present, including the Ring of Fire, as regions of strategic importance for Ontario’s economy and security.
Within these regions, pre-approved projects that meet high operating, safety, and environmental standards will be granted automatic approval to proceed with early works once they’ve met the duty to consult obligations.
There are also plans in place to support First Nations in the province.
He also wants to invest $70 million to expand the Aboriginal Participation Fund which helps consultations with Indigenous communities to support projects like mining exploration.
The fund would also be adjusted to allow for the training of First Nation workers.
A boost to the Aboriginal Loan Guarantee Program was also highlighted which would triple the current funding available for the program.
Other goals included developing new scholarship opportunities for First Nation students interested in resource development and legislating a one-project one process approach for mining.
The conservatives want to see an approach that will improve efficiency, streamline permitting, provide greater certainty, and speed up approvals with service standards timeline guarantees for provincial regulatory approvals.
