Consultations continue as 2 First Nations work toward road to Ring of Fire in northern Ontario – CBC

Oct 18, 2023

Series of open houses planned for next few weeks across the region

A project that would create a direct route between the provincial highway network and the lucrative Ring of Fire mineral deposit in northern Ontario is making headway.

Led by Marten Falls First Nation and Webequie First Nation, the Northern Road Link project would connect two other proposed roads: the 200 kilometre Marten Falls First Nation Community Access Road at the south end, and the 110 kilometre Webequie Supply Road to the Ring of Fire at the north end.

A series of public consultations are happening in the next few weeks as part of a co-ordinated provincial environmental assessment and federal impact assessment process.

The project reached a few key milestones this year:

• In March, the terms of reference were approved by Ontario’s Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks.
• In May, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) decided the project requires a federal impact assessment.
• In August, the IAAC issued Tailored Impact Statement Guidelines to help Marten Falls and Webequie prepare the federal impact statement.

Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/northern-road-link-consultations-1.6999256