en.Wedoany.com Reported - Construction has begun on a road connecting the Webequie First Nation in Ontario, Canada, to the Ring of Fire mining area.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford recently visited the Webequie First Nation to mark the start of this project. It was Ford's first visit to the region since taking office in 2018. Webequie is one of two remote fly-in First Nations that have signed cooperation agreements with the provincial government to connect their reserves to the proposed mining area and the provincial highway system. However, the proposed road and mines have also sparked opposition from some other First Nations in the region, who object to development in a largely untouched area of the province.
The Webequie community has already cleared a section of road within its reserve on an island about 500 kilometers north of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Community leadership stated that building the road aims to help lift the community out of poverty and connect it to the provincial highway system. Climate change has led to a continuous shortening of the winter road season, intensifying the community's need for an all-weather road. The road is seen as a lifeline for the reserve, used to transport diesel fuel for electricity and various construction materials, including for new housing.
The provincial government stated that the Webequie Supply Road under construction will extend 107 kilometers eastward, traversing varied terrain from serpentine rock to peatlands, and is expected to be completed by 2030. Ford called the Ring of Fire project a "once-in-a-generation opportunity." In a statement, he said: "We are delivering on our promise to protect Ontario and work with First Nations to support true economic reconciliation. We thank First Nations leaders and communities for their partnership, including Chief Lorraine Whitehead and the Webequie First Nation, as we continue working to create opportunities and prosperity across the North." The provincial government has signed agreements worth nearly C$40 million with Webequie for building a community center with an arena, rebuilding the recently burned airport terminal, and providing road-building equipment. Additionally, dedicated funding has been allocated to help Webequie provide mental health resources. Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford said: "Today is about the Webequie First Nation and its leadership, as well as the partner First Nations in the Ring of Fire area, who remain committed to protecting the traditions and way of life in the Far North while advancing the necessary modern legacy infrastructure to secure economic activity that will create lasting prosperity."
Australian mining giant Wyloo plans to build a large nickel mine in the region and is eyeing other potential mining sites in this mineral-rich area. Wyloo, together with Canadian junior mining company Juno Corp., owns the vast majority of the 40,000 mining claims staked in the Ring of Fire area. A series of proposed roads form a larger transportation network to the Ring of Fire. Hundreds of kilometers south of Webequie, a road for the Marten Falls First Nation is set to begin construction in August. Between Marten Falls and Webequie, the Northern Road Link will be built, which the provincial government says is expected to start construction in 2028.
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