AN INTERVIEW WITH MINISTER OF MINES- GEORGE PIRIE

With Marten Falls and Webequie on board, Pirie is hoping to see other communities become a part of the burgeoning development.

“We’re there to support all of the First Nations in these projects. I myself, am personally open to any discussion at any time.”

Pirie met with the Chief of Fort Hope, also known as Eabametoong First Nation, last fall, and said that much of the consultations taking place are being led by the Chiefs of Marten Falls and Webequie, which he hears has garnered interest of other FN communities. “I think those are very positive signs,” he said.

Ontario’s Minister of Mines George Pirie is feeling very optimistic these days about the province’s prospects for major growth in the mining sector, and its correlating industries.

Pirie, a former mining executive and City of Timmins mayor, says the biggest building block is that of the long anticipated Ring of Fire development in the remote reaches of Northern Ontario. A recent development has plans to finally get a permanent transportation network to the area, including Webequie First Nation (Webequie Supply Road) and Marten Falls First Nation (Marten Falls Community Access Road).

“During PDAC (Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada) we announced the final approval on the terms of reference for the Northern Road Link, which will connect the two communities with the highway network, and the Ring of Fire,” he told MiningLife.

The basic idea is to connect the mineral deposits to the manufacturing sector throughout the rest of the province.

“This is really about improving the lives of the First Nations and trying to unlock the critical minerals in the

Ring of Fire.”

All 3 of those highway links are now undergoing the environmental assessment process with the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada.

Pirie gave credit to the hard work and leadership of Chief Bruce Achneepineskum of Marten Falls and Chief Cornelius Wabasse of Webequie First Nation for leading the way in progress.

The proposed highway would run somewhere between 117 and 164 kilometres in length, and cross the Attawapiskat River. Those links would then connect at Nakina to the rest of the provincial road network.

The Province of Ontario is investing approximately $1 billion dollars in legacy infrastructure in the Ring of Fire region including the all-season roads, broadband connections, and other supports.

“We’re all on the same page – our government, Webequie First Nation, Marten Falls First Nation – we share the same goals,” said Pirie, adding that connecting the communities and the resource bases will secure a more prosperous future.

“We will ensure that economic reconciliation happens for all the communities in the Ring of Fire.”

“We certainly want to streamline the process, and they want to see the process streamlined. We’ve got a real good working relationship.”

As it stands, rail connections to the Ring of Fire are not in the plans, and Pirie maintains that despite the obviously challenging terrain in the area, constructing a high quality, four seasons road with proper maintenance standards and capabilities is very feasible, and not without precedent. “The easiest thing about this project is building the road,” he said.

“A large part of the road will be running on an esker. The parts that are in muskeg will be no different than the road that was built in the 90s to get to Musselwhite.”

There have been some environmental concerns relating to the area’s muskeg acting as a delicate carbon sink.

“I think that’s very important for everybody to understand. There’s very little of that muskeg that will be disturbed,” said Pirie, adding that the construction of such roads is an ‘amazing process.’

Throughout the rest of Ontario, things are looking up.

“Right now, Ontario is the leading jurisdiction for mining exploration in