Ring of Fire moving forward, Premier suggests

THUNDER BAY – Premier Kathleen Wynne is defending her government’s record on the Ring of Fire.

During last June’s provincial election campaign, the Liberal leader said she would not consider her time guiding Ontario to have been successful without progress in the potentially lucrative but challenging mining development

That was a stance she echoed one year later during a media availability session while in Thunder Bay on Monday.

“At the end of my term I won’t consider us to have been successful unless there has been movement forward but I would suggest there already has been,” Wynne said.

“Are there shovels in the ground yet? No, but there’s training happening among First Nations, there’s work that’s been done in terms of agreement among First Nations about how we’ll do resource revenue sharing. That hasn’t all been finalized but we’re a lot farther along than we were a year ago.”

She also pointed to the establishment of a development corporation, which was set up within 60 days of the formation of government last year as a step forward.

However, the formation of the development corporation has been previously slammed by First Nations leaders and the federal government has been reluctant to participate.

The Premier was joined at the question and answer session with Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle, who explained the importance of deliberate and inclusive development.

“The work we’re doing with the First Nations is absolutely crucial,” Gravelle said.

“In order to reach the full potential of the Ring of Fire there is no question it is not just about building a transportation corridor to a mine site. It is about opening up access to communities in the North which has the potential to change the scale of the world, not just from an economic point of view but from a social point of view.”

Wynne was also asked about news that mercury levels in the Wabigoon River on the traditional lands of Grassy Narrows First Nation remain at alarmingly high levels, primarily as a result of nine tonnes of mercury being dumped in the river in the 1960s by a paper mill.

The report, which was completed in December 2014, found mercury levels in sediment on the river are 20 times higher than natural levels while the amount of toxins in fish is as much as 15 times higher than consumption guideline levels.

She said the government wants to ensure the Ring of Fire does not leave behind a similar wake of contamination and environmental damage.

“If we can move forward in a way that brings all partners to the table, maybe in 30 years a young reporter won’t be asking about contamination that happened in one of the First Nations,” she said.

“Had this kind of process been in place 40 or 50 years ago, maybe the conversation around some of the situations in Northern Ontario would be different than they are. We’re going to get it right but that will only happen if we work with all of our partners.”