THUNDER BAY — The provincial government needs to respond if a potential project in the Ring of Fire will see any work this winter.
Nortont’s vice-president of Aboriginal Affairs Glenn Nolan said if the company doesn’t get its permits soon, a whole season of work to get its Eagle’s Nest project off the ground will be lost. New exploration, laying the groundwork for the project’s East West road from Pickle Lake and other work can only begin if the company gets permits so it can put together a plan and start purchasing equipment and use the short winter road season to start moving it.
Timelines and the whole project itself will be ambiguous if the province doesn’t respond soon Nolan said during a Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce lunch Friday afternoon where Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle laid out his government’s vision for the North.
“You’re looking at a whole generation of lost opportunity,” Nolan said. Nolan said the company and province have different timelines. But Noront needs some guarantees to assure investors that the Eagle’s Nest will be developed.
“We need the government to really look at the applications that we put forward so these permits are granted,” Nolan said.
Gravelle said he’s working closely with Noront and the province is committed to seeing the project move ahead but only if requirements around environmental protection and community consultation is met. He’s confident that the province and Noront will make it work but it has to be the right way.
“The pressure is always on. I understand that,” he said.
Gravelle told the room people are critical of what they see as delays in the Ring of Fire. But he highlighted how much work has been done since chromite was discovered there less than ten years ago. He highlighted the province’s $1 billion infrastructure commitment, the regional framework agreement with Matawa Tribal Council and the Ring of Fire development corporation.
“The fact is things are happening,” he said.
Gravelle said now that the Liberal government has a majority, his focus will be implementing the Northern Ontario Growth Plan. Part of that is getting various ministries to focus on its priorities when making strategic investments in the North.