https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/
It is possible, after all, to see the Ring of Fire as the only option for a new future for many communities.
During the provincial election, then candidate (now Premier) Doug Ford famously promised to come to the Ring of Fire and drive a bulldozer if that was what was needed to get the development moving. With the abandonment of the Framework Agreement and the return to individual nation-to-nation arrangements, he has done just that.
It is clear that the province has determined, after years of effort by at least three different governments, that the way forward is in working with willing partners. In this way, key pieces of infrastructure can be put in place while negotiations continue in other parts of the region. In the end, the hope would be that the pieces fit together into a cohesive whole.
It is equally clear that at least some of the First Nations in the region share this view. This may be because of their relative need for new investment. It is possible, after all, to see the Ring of Fire as the only option for a new future for many communities.
In other cases, it could simply be that the community itself has collectively come to a firm decision to move forward. They have done years of their own work assessing the opportunities and risks associated with attracting these investments.
The shift has born early fruit. Marten Falls and Aroland First Nations are now equity shareholders in Noront Resources, the leading player in the Ring of Fire. Road projects headed by Marten Falls and Webequie have new energy and may soon see environmental approvals and, finally, “shovels in the ground.”
For the rest of this column: https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/columns/opinion-the-ring-of-fire-bulldozer-is-here-will-it-work-1723114