https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/
Webequie’s engineering consultants open virtual open houses to take the temperature of the James Bay region
It’s unclear if construction on a Ring of Fire supply road can proceed without consensus by First Nation communities across the James Bay region.
Don Parkinson, a consultation lead working for Webequie First Nation, didn’t directly answer that question posed to him in an Oct. 6 virtual community meeting over whether road development will be allowed to begin without approval by nearby and outlying communities, like Neskantaga First Nation, with publicly expressed opposition to the project.
“My response to that is: let’s talk openly about the project and get these issues on the table and then we can look at solutions,” he said, in invited those communities to come forward to share their issues and concerns.
Twenty-one First Nations and one Metis community are being engaged on the road project as part of the environmental assessment process.
Parkinson is a consultant with SNC-Lavalin, the firm hired to provide Webequie with environmental and engineering support as part of the combined provincial and federal environmental assessment (EA) process.
SNC’s engagement team held a virtual meeting to go over the terms of reference, or the upcoming work plan, for how the assessment process for the supply road will be conducted.
For the rest of this article: https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/regional-news/far-north-ring-of-fire/ring-of-fire-supply-road-ownership-financing-remain-unclear-as-environmental-assessment-begins-2772595