The Ontario premier, Doug Ford, says he will fast-track mining in the Ring of Fire, a mineral deposit in the far north rich with “critical minerals.” What does this mean for the economy, Indigenous peoples, and the environment?
Who owns the Ring of Fire mining projects?
The proposed Eagle’s Nest mine, one of the key projects of contention in the Ring of Fire, is owned by the privately-held Australian company, Wyloo. Under settler law, this means they own the right to extract minerals from this “Crown” land.
In Bill 5, the Ford government took the unprecedented step of completely exempting this one specific mine from environmental assessment.
This is a massive public subsidy to the company. How is this ‘elbow’s up’ nationalism going to protect or benefit Ontarians?
It’s not. We are not creating domestic supply chains for critical minerals, as promised. There are plenty of other critical minerals deposits that are more accessible than the Ring of Fire. They are closer to existing infrastructure, workers, and do not require digging up the peatlands.
Environment and Indigenous Rights
The lands and waters of Treaty No. 9 sprawl over the largest intact boreal forest, peatland, and wetland complexes in the world. By removing trigger points for consultation through deregulation, Canada is attempting to avoid its obligation to respect the free, prior, and informed consent of affected First Nations whose ways of life are on the line.
