Federal mines minister Greg Rickford said this week the federal government is ready to ante up its share of infrastructure funding for nationally significant projects such as the Ring of Fire mining development.
But he made it clear that the Province of Ontario will have to pay a share of those costs as well. Rickford, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, was speaking at the annual Mining Day event on Parliament Hill on Tuesday. The event was sponsored by the Mining Association of Canada. The Timmins Times requested a copy of his speech.
Rickford, the government MP for Kenora, said he recognizes the importance of mining on both the provincial and national levels, in that it continues to generate tens of billions of dollars to Canada’s GDP (gross domestic product).
“Bottom line – mining is a cornerstone of Canada’s economy and our quality of life,” he said. He admitted that as a Northern MP, he has a continuing local interest.
“My riding has a dynamic mining sector, with some of this country’s biggest mines. As your own figures show, the sector is directly responsible for providing more than 380,000 jobs. The industry is a major employer of Aboriginal Peoples, providing employment to over 10,000 individuals,” Rickford told the audience.