The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.
A self-confessed “recovering politician”, who was Ontario New Democratic Party leader for 13 years and represented Kenora-Rainy River for 24 years, has been appointed special advisor to federal NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair for the Ring of Fire.
Howard Hampton has worked the last three years for Fasken Martineau law firm, advising mining and forestry companies in Northern Ontario about how to work with First Nations.
Since 2011, Hampton has been involved in discussions with First Nations, mining companies such as Cliffs Natural Resources and Noront Resources, and engineering firms that conduct environmental assessments and do mine construction.
While Hampton will be contracted to advise the federal NDP, he said he has watched in recent years as the Government of Ontario has “dropped the ball a number of times and made a number of miscues” in trying to develop the chromite deposits 540 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay.
His take on the federal is that “it is just not engaged” in Ring of Fire discussions, said Hampton, and has been largely absent from them. “Governments are supposed to show some leadership and governments are supposed to bring people together. That hasn’t happened,” he said in a telephone interview.
Hampton has worked with some First Nations in and around the Ring of Fire for 25 years, since he entered provincial politics.
After 2003, when the Ring of Fire first got on the public agenda, he had many meetings with First Nations leaders before retiring from politics.
“Almost all of the First Nations that claim the area as their traditional territory are in my former provincial constituency so I met with them often and got to know their issues, their positions,” said Hampton.
Part of the 5,000-square-kilometre Ring of Fire is located in the provincial riding of Timmins-James Bay, the rest in the provincial riding of Kenora-Rainy River and the federal riding of Kenora, he said.
Hampton’s job will be to consult, mostly with First Nations but with companies and other communities as well, about what they believe the federal government must do to move the Ring of Fire forward.
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