Ontario to Begin Building Road to Ring of Fire Mining Region

A stream runs along the outskirts of Neskantaga First Nation, part of northern Ontario’s mineral-rich Ring of Fire region, on Aug. 20, 2023. The Canadian Press/Chris Young

Ontario is set to begin building a road to the mineral-rich region known as the Ring of Fire, which lies roughly 500 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay.

The province says it will spend $61.8 million to rebuild several portions of existing road in the town of Geraldton, Ont., which will serve as the start of the eventual road to the Ring of Fire. The region is said to be rich in critical and base minerals, such as chromite, cobalt, nickel, copper, and platinum.

“The Ring of Fire is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in a Sept. 10 post on X. “By working together with First Nations and northern communities, we’re building the roads that will unleash its enormous economic potential, unlock our critical minerals and protect Ontario’s future.”

The project is set to connect Highway 11 at the south end to Highway 584 at the north, and will be the first segment on the road network to the Ring of Fire, the province said in a Sept. 10 news release. The road will be able to handle sustained truck traffic from mining activities in the region.

“This is more than a roadworks project — it’s a signal that Geraldton is a gateway to one of Ontario’s greatest assets in the face of economic threats from the United States, and that our government is serious about supporting the communities that anchor the North,” said Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford in the release.

The project would also connect three other proposed roads to the Ring of Fire, which have been undergoing environmental assessments over the last several years. The roads would connect Webequie First Nation and Marten Falls First Nation to the provincial highway system and to the mining activities. The First Nations are currently only accessible by air or winter road.

Ford and Prime Minister Mark Carney both want to develop the region as a part of Canada’s “nation-building” projects in response to ongoing trade disputes with the United States.

First Nations in the area have expressed opposition to the plan, citing concerns over a lack of consultation and environmental impacts. The province says it’s consulting with First Nation communities that will be “potentially impacted” by the project.

Ontario will soon accept bids for the Geraldton road contract and will aim to begin construction next spring.

Project Acceleration

Ford’s government introduced Bill 5, also known as the Protecting Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, this past spring. It became law on June 5 after receiving royal assent.

The legislation came as the federal government was campaigning to build the domestic economy in the face of U.S. tariffs and declining economic indicators, and provinces were looking to the federal government to expedite major projects.

The Liberal government’s Bill C-5, also known as the One Canadian Economy Act, was passed by Parliament before the summer break. Carney also launched the federal Major Projects Office on Aug. 29, which aims to get major projects built faster by streamlining regulatory approval processes and coordinating financing.

Carney is set to announce the first set of major projects the government will prioritize, such as ports, railways, energy corridors, and critical mineral mining projects, on Sept. 11. An internal government draft list of the first major projects, which was obtained by the Globe and Mail, included the Ring of Fire project.

Ontario’s Bill 5 also aims to accelerate projects that will benefit the economy through changes to various regulations related to development and procurement, and by designating “special economic zones.” The zones will allow projects to be fast-tracked through simpler rules, faster approvals, and “one-window access” to services.

At a June 5 press conference, Ford said he wanted the province’s first special economic zone to be established in the Ring of Fire as soon as possible, but emphasized that consultations with First Nations would need to take place first. Some First Nations have expressed disapproval towards the legislation and the projects Ford’s government is proposing.

In August, the Marten Falls First Nation filed a statement of claim asking the courts to prevent the provincial and federal governments from funding or participating in mining-related activities in the Ring of Fire, citing concerns of water diversion damaging fish populations and drying up canoe routes. Several other First Nations have launched legal challenges against Bill C-5 and Bill 5.

Ford attended the annual assembly of the Chiefs of Ontario in June to discuss Bill 5, which Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict said threatens First Nations’ rights and was introduced without consulting them. Since then, the province has said it will not move forward without extensive consultations with First Nations.

Jennifer Cowan, Matthew Horwood, and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.