Ring of Fire ‘absolutely critical’ to his administration, premier says – by Jennifer Hamilton-McCharles (North Bay Nugget – September 18, 2019)

https://www.nugget.ca/

The development of the Ring of Fire remains a top priority for the Conservative government, said Premier Doug Ford. Ford was in Verner Tuesday attending the opening ceremonies at the International Plowing Match when he addressed questions from the media relating to everything from broadband service for rural Northern communities and education to autism and the Ring of Fire.

“The Ring of Fire is absolutely critical for our administration,” Ford said. “You will see me on that bulldozer, it’s one of our highest priorities for the government and the province.”

When asked if Ontario Northland will play an integral part in that development, Ford referred the question to Minister of Energy, Mines, Northern Development and Indigenous Affairs Greg Rickford.

Speaking to reporters earlier in the day at the Kinoomaadziwin Education Body office on Nipissing First Nation, Rickford said the province is working on bilateral agreements with Indigenous communities this fall and hopes to have the first of a series of environmental assessments completed by the end of the year.

He said while it may sound aspirational, the hope is to have shovels in the ground as early as late winter or early spring. “The previous government failed to get us to a place where shovels got into the ground. As the federal minister in my previous capacity we endeavoured to support corridor studies and options for communities to actually create access to this support region,” he said.

For the rest of this article: https://www.nugget.ca/news/local-news/ring-of-fire-absolutely-critical-to-his-administration-premier-says