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

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 Webequieprepare the federal impact statement.

On Tuesday, project co-ordinators held a media briefing at the Victoria Inn Hotel and Convention Centre in Thunder Bay, Ont., before inviting Indigenous community members to an open house to learn more about the Northern Road Link.

"It's a unique project because it is being led by First Nations as the lead proponents, and it's one of the first of its kind to be conducted this way," said Stephanie Ash, public relations officer for the Northern Road Link project.

The project hasn't come without controversy though, with some First Nations people criticizing development around the Ring of Fire as a threat to their traditional ways of life.

Consultations part of years-long process

The Northern Road Link is estimated to be between 117 to 164 kilometres long depending on the final chosen route and cross the Attawapiskat River. Experts from AtkinsRalis, formerly SNC Lavalin, and Dillon Consulting will be available at the open houses to answer questions and gather feedback.

"We want to make sure that we're always providing forums for engagement where people are not necessarily just in the First Nations themselves, but where people are actually living their lives and being active," said Ash. "So we do both; we are in the communities as well as in the cities."

The Northern Road Link is being touted as a critical lifeline. For prospectors, it would provide a pathway to minerals needed to build the electric vehicle batteries that are hoped to fuel Canada's green economy. For Webequie and Marten Falls, it's hoped to bring wide-scale economic development and better access to goods and services.

But it's complicated. There's been pushback surrounding mining in the Ring of Fire and how the government is handling consultations with Indigenous communities, with recent rallies led by members of the First Nations Land Defence Alliance at Queen's Park.

WATCH| First Nations land alliance lead thousands in march on Queen's Park:

Thousands protest mining exploration on Indigenous land in Ontario

8 months ago

Duration 2:01

Thousands of Indigenous people people gathered at the Ontario Legislature to demand a face-to-face meeting with Premier Doug Ford. They say the province has allowed thousands of mining applications without their knowledge or consent.

Qasim Saddique, co-lead of the Northern Road Link project on behalf of Marten Falls, said efforts are being made to connect with neighbouring First Nations on their terms.

"This is Marten Falls and Webequie's priority. It might not be a neighbouring community's priority, so we try to work with them on their schedule and wait for availability for them to participate in the process when it suits them. We are willing and able to show up at any community at a time of their choosing," said Saddique.

"If it's virtual that's preferred, we want to do that. If it's in person, we're absolutely going to be there depending on their invitation."

While that could impact the project's timeline, Saddique said it's worth it to make sure all voices are taken into account.

It could take a few years before the joint environmental and impact assessments are completed. The draft report is hoped to be finished in 2027, with final approval from the federal government by 2028.

"We're collecting a lot of the data for the first time ever. This data just hasn't been collected at this level before [and] that's a challenge which you don't typically encounter in other parts of the province," said Saddique.

Economic benefits for remote north

Chief Bruce Achneepineskum of Marten Falls First Nation attended Tuesday'sopen house in Thunder Bay. While community forums happen regularly in Marten Falls, he said events like these helpinform the general public of what's happening and why it's significant.

"It means a brighter future for all our members because of economic development in our area and a chance to actually control what's happening in that area," Achneepineskum said of the Northern Road Link project.

Part of the process has been an Indigenous knowledge program that's ongoing, which is gathering information directly from community members.

"Who knows the land that we're going to be building these roads [on] better than the First Nations [that] lived there for thousands of years?" he asked. "That's important for us to be involved at that level and that's only one level we're involved in."

Tuesday's open house, which ran from 2 to 4 p.m. and then from 6 to 8 p.m., was the first in a series, followed by:

• Wednesday, Oct. 18: 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. at the Victoria Inn Hotel and Convention Centre in Thunder Bay.
• Thursday, Oct. 19: 6 to 8 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #133 in Geraldton.
• Monday, Nov. 13: 6 to 8 p.m. at Best Western Northwood in Timmins.