Ring of Fire requires greater co-operation – by Thomas Perry (Timmins Daily Press – January 23, 2015)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – Everyone agrees the Ring of Fire has the potential to have a huge impact on our region, the province and the country. Unfortunately, that seams to be as far as the parties involved in this mineral-rich project can go in terms of agreeing on anything.

The parties, for anyone unfamiliar with the Ring of Fire, are the federal government, the provincial government, a number of private-sector companies (including KWG Resources, Noront Resources and Cliff’s Natural Resources) and area First Nations.

Instead of working together to see this project developed, they appear more interested in playing the blame game. Federal Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford, speaking in Timmins this week, for example, suggested the private sector is not willing to move forward on the development at this time.

“The market has had trouble getting to the point where any company can justify moving ahead very quickly with an extractive exercise,” he said. “We are hopeful that the province is coming on board and turning its mind to specific projects that have the value-added, if you will, of connecting First Nation communities and smaller towns and cities in and around the Ring Of Fire, to be involved in and accessible to the Ring Of Fire.”

Back in April, when the provincial government announced it was earmarking $1 billion for development of the Ring of Fire, Ontario Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle couldn’t resist taking a shot at the federal Conservative government.

“We’ve certainly spoken on a number of occasions about the significant investment the province was prepared to make and today we put that figure on the table,” he said.

“We’re calling on the federal government in very strong terms to match that amount. We know the infrastructure needs are very significant. It is absolutely crucial the feds accept their responsibilities and become part of the vision for the Ring of Fire.”

If we are going to see development of the Ring of Fire in our lifetime, and hopefully we will, the federal Conservatives and the provincial Liberals will have to set party politics aside and work with each other, the mining companies and area First Nations.

For the original source of this article, click here: http://www.timminspress.com/2015/01/23/ring-of-fire-requires-greater-co-operation