Ring of Fire needs support from province: Sudbury council

Sudbury's mayor wants the provincial government to clear some of the roadblocks to the Ring of Fire.

Marianne Matichuk tabled a motion at Monday night's council meeting calling on the province to make developing the mineral rich area a priority.

She focused on the recent delays with a planned access road to the remote spot in the Hudson's Bay lowlands.

Matichuk said the Ontario government seems more focused on the transit problems in the Greater Toronto Area.

"The north is not a second class citizen to the south, she said.

Tonight's motion calls on the province to play the same leadership role that it routinely plays in southern Ontario."

Council unanimously passed the motion.

Cliffs Natural Resources is planning a chromite mine in the area, with the ore to be processed at a smelter to be built in Greater Sudbury.

"We have to look at this as winning the lottery, City councillor Ron Dupuis said.

The only way we're going to get this going is to keep the pressure on the people in Toronto and make them understand how vital this is to us."