An environmental assessment has been approved for a road the Ontario government says is vital in accessing critical minerals in the Ring of Fire.
The Webequie Supply Road will connect Webequie First Nation to the Ring of Fire mineral deposit in the James Bay lowlands. The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada approved the impact assessment for the project Thursday.
“Ontario’s Ring of Fire is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create 70,000 good-paying jobs, access the critical minerals the world wants to buy, add $22 billion to our provincial economy and help northern Ontario reach its full economic potential,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in a news release Thursday.
“We’re delivering on our promise to protect Ontario, and we are doing so in partnership with First Nations to support true economic reconciliation.”
The province says the 107-kilometre Webequie Supply Road is scheduled to open by November 2030. It will eventually connect to other proposed roads in the area:
The Ontario government signed $39.5 million agreements with both Webequie First Nation and Marten Falls First Nation in the fall to support the road construction. It also signed a shared prosperity agreement with Aroland First Nation in January.
Meanwhile, construction has begun on the Geraldton Main Street Rehabilitation Project in Greenstone, which Ford said will “be the gateway to the Ring of Fire” further north. The province announced $61.8 million for the project in September.
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“Our community has been clear from the outset that any development in our territory must proceed thoughtfully, responsibly, and with our people at the table,” Webequie’s Chief Lorraine Whitehead wrote in a statement Thursday.
“We have worked hard to ensure this project is informed by our knowledge, guided by our values, and aligned with our vision for a healthier, stronger, and self-determined future.”
The province’s plans to accelerate development in the Ring of Fire have drawn criticism from many First Nation leaders and environmental advocates that have voiced concerns about the ecologically sensitive areas on First Nation lands.
As such, Neskantaga First Nation has established a land defence encampment on the Attawapiskat River “because we will not accept a road crossing imposed on our territory without our free, prior, and informed consent.”
“Neskantaga calls on Ontario to stop treating the Ring of Fire mining region as a foregone conclusion when they do not have the consent of the affected communities. They must continue to engage in meaningful nation-to-nation dialogue with all affected First Nations before construction proceeds,” the First Nation said in a statement Thursday.
Neskantaga remains under the country’s longest-lasting boil water advisory, which has been in place for 31 years. Marten Falls has been under a boil water advisory for nearly 21 years.
As First Nations continue to face compounding social challenges, “it is unacceptable for Ontario to move quickly when industry requires roads while treating life-sustaining community infrastructure as optional, delayed, or conditional,” Neskantaga said.
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Despite the tension, Neskantaga says it is not opposed to the development decisions made by Webequie or Marten Falls.
“Every First Nation has the right to determine its own priorities and pursue the infrastructure and economic opportunities it considers necessary,” Neskantaga said.
“But Ontario and project proponents cannot treat the involvement of some First Nations as consent on behalf of all Nations whose lands, waters, rights, and futures will be affected.”
