Ontario to Designate Ring of Fire as Strategic Zone to Expedite Mining
Ontario’s government plans to introduce legislation allowing it to designate regions containing critical mineral deposits, including the Ring of Fire, as areas of strategic importance, according to Tuesday’s Throne Speech.
The Ford government said the legislation will provide “significantly streamlined permitting and approvals” to developers meeting operational, safety, and environmental standards, aiming to accelerate the development of mineral resources.
The Ring of Fire, a 5,000-square-kilometer zone containing chromite, copper, cobalt, nickel and platinum deposits, would become one of these strategically designated areas.
“For decades, Ontario’s critical minerals have remained trapped, locked and held back by red tape and duplicative federal approval processes that together can take up to 15 years to complete,” the government said during the legislative session opening.
In his comments, Ford framed the mining initiative as a direct response to what he described as economic threats posed by the American president.
“President Trump wants to destroy our economy, take jobs away from Ontarians and Canadians, and we have to get up and fight like we’ve never fought before,” Ford said. “We can’t be caught up in red tape and regulations and dilly-dallying around.”
The government emphasized its plan to ensure minerals mined in Ontario will also be refined within the province, creating opportunities in northern communities like Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and Timmins.
First Nations leaders have expressed concerns about expedited development in their traditional territories. The government promised to fulfill its constitutional duty to consult with Indigenous communities while creating benefit-sharing opportunities through equity partnerships.
Opposition NDP leader Marit Stiles warned that development must be done properly: “Unleashing the economic potential of our province means working with Northern communities, in partnership with First Nations, making sure that key mining and infrastructure projects are done right, not just done fast.”
Ford indicated that similar strategic designations could be applied to other major infrastructure projects beyond mining operations, including potential tunnels and pipelines.
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