THUNDER BAY – Ottawa is committed to working together with provinces on resource development, though there remains no concrete pledge to match the Ontario government’s $1 billion Ring of Fire infrastructure investment.
During his Friday afternoon stop in Thunder Bay, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked about the absence of the proposed and potentially lucrative Northern Ontario mining development in last month’s federal budget and what he views his government’s role as being in making the project a reality.
“I think it’s normal and expected that the federal government should be a partner in developing large-scale projects like (the Ring of Fire),” Trudeau said.
“The federal government wants to be a strong and active partner to provinces on resource development and that’s exactly why we sit down regularly with provincial partners to talk about opportunities to grow the economy, opportunities to create jobs and also opportunities to make sure we’re being as aware of the challenges of the future in terms of environmental responsibility and sustainability that Canadians expect us to.”
Trudeau said his federal Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr recently met with Ontario Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle where they discussed the development.
“It continues to be something we’re working on with the province. Obviously the province has the lead on it but we’ve expressed very clearly a number of times we’re willing to be a partner and that’s what we’re engaging with the provincial government on a regular basis,” he said.
Trudeau began his media availability session by expressing condolences to the victims of last week’s fatal house fire in Pikangikum First Nation, where nine people, including three children, died.
He cited his government’s $8.4 billion budget pledge for First Nations infrastructure, education and other services and said some of that funding will be rolled out in the near future.
“We are actually flowing money this year. We are working very closely with them on urgent needs and are investing in a significant way in respectful partnership to make sure that money helps people in the maximal way,” Trudeau said.
Following his media event at Thunder Bay Transit headquarters, Trudeau met with a number of First Nations leaders, including Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler and Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day.
He said it’s important to work with leaders to determine where the money is needed most.
“We have to recognize the relationship has been broken over the past years and indeed decades and it’s time to rebuild in the spirit and intent of the original treaty relationship, in partnership and respect and walking together and not imposing solutions from Ottawa but genuinely engaging in substantial and substantive investments together to make sure the future we’re building for indigenous peoples in this country is just as bright as for anyone else,” Trudeau said.
