Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said if he becomes prime minister he will quickly issue permits to develop a Northern Ontario region rich in critical minerals known as the “Ring of Fire.”
“It would boost our economy with billions of dollars, allowing us to become less dependent on the Americans after we start selling those resources overseas, and it would turn dollars for dictators into paycheques for our people,” Poilievre said during a March 19 press conference in Sudbury, Ont.
Poilievre said he would approve permits within six months and his government would commit $1 billion over three years to build the road to link the region to the Ontario highway network. He also said some of the federal tax dollars collected from businesses working on developing the Ring of Fire would be transferred to local First Nations.
The Ring of Fire is located 540 kilometres north of Thunder Bay and holds minerals such as cobalt, nickel, chromite, copper, and platinum.
Poilievre said its development would be “life-changing” for towns of Northern Ontario and make First Nations richer.
The development of the region has been under assessment by Ottawa for years. The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada said in January it had finalized the terms of reference with First Nation partners to conduct a regional assessment, which had first been announced in 2020.
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The Conservative leader also said he would repeal Bill C-69, which established the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and created the process currently in place to determine whether to approve designated projects. The process examines the environmental, health, social, and economic impacts of designated projects with aims of preventing “certain adverse effects” and “fostering sustainability.”
Poilievre’s announcement came a few days after he said he would repeal the carbon tax entirely, for both consumers and industry, saying it would reduce the tax burden on Canadians and boost the economy. Prime Minister Mark Carney on March 14 suspended the fuel charge, which adds more than 17 cents to a litre of gasoline in some provinces, but has said he intends to strengthen the carbon pricing regime applied to industries.
The development of the Ring of Fire has also been pushed by Ontario Premier Doug Ford. In his message to congratulate Carney for winning the Liberal leadership race, he said Ottawa should “get out of the way and get behind these nation-building projects.”
Ontario announced the signing of an agreement with Aroland First Nation in January to upgrade roads connecting to the Ring of Fire, which builds on other agreements in place with other First Nations along the proposed route to reach the prospective mining region.
The Nishnawbe Aski Nation, which represents 49 First Nations in Ontario, had pushed back against Ford’s promise to “unlock” the Ring of Fire during the electoral campaign. It said fast-tracking development is a “direct attack on the Inherent, Treaty, and Aboriginal rights of First Nations who have governed and stewarded these lands since time immemorial.”
Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler told The Epoch Times in an interview he thinks Poilievre’s announcement is “very irresponsible, and reckless, and unacceptable.” Fiddler said the communities he represents have been involved in a necessary long process to take into consideration the project’s impact on the land and its residents. He also said the current U.S. economic pressures won’t change his stance, citing the long-term impacts of the project.
Poilievre said during his press conference that “many” local First Nations are strong supporters of the project, including Chief Cornelius Wabasse of Webequie First Nation and Chief Bruce Achneepineskum of Marten Falls First Nation.
“They have actually met with me and asked for this project to go ahead as soon as possible, because they know it will make them richer and better off for the future,” Poilievre said.
The Liberal government has shown limited enthusiasm for the Ring of Fire project due to environmental concerns and issues related to First Nations.
Ottawa has, however, pushed in recent years to develop Canada’s critical mineral sector, in part to help transition away from hydrocarbons and to build a supply chain bypassing authoritarian countries like China.
“The investments and initiatives announced today will create good jobs for Canadian workers and businesses, support economic opportunities, bolster its energy security, reduce our reliance on authoritarian governments and contribute to a resilient and secure future,” Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said in early March while announcing new federal investments in the sector.
Ottawa says it has spent more than $700 million in the past two years as part of its Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy.
