After taking heat for Ring of Fire struggles, Ontario’s Mines minister is looking for federal level assistance.
Thunder Bay--Superior North MPP Michael Gravelle penned a letter to Kenora MP Greg Rickford that was also sent to various media outlets on Sunday afternoon.
Gravelle and the Ontario Liberals have been under fire for much of the week, following the announcement by Cliffs Natural Resources that the company was indefinitely suspending their Ring of Fire operations.
In the letter, Gravelle asks the minister responsible for FedNor to get involved and take a prominent role in the newly created development corporation.
Gravelle claimed the provincial government has attempted assistance from the federal government as early as 2012 to establish a development corporation to spur along the Ring of Fire.
He said the calls from the provincial level have been ignored by the federal Conservatives, and expressed disappointment in what he believes to be the federal government turning their back on the project by declaring it a primarily provincial issue.
“You have stated that development in the Ring of Fire must be a collaborative process,” Gravelle wrote in the letter.
“We have put forward a collaborative model and I am asking you to take part in determining the scope and governance of this mode over the coming weeks.”
Gravelle also advocated for the federal government to step up to their responsibility of looking after the well-being of First Nations communities.
Gravelle closed the letter by requesting a meeting with Rickford as soon as possible.
