Liberals ‘on top’ of Ring of Fire, mines minister says – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – January 24, 2015)

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

When it comes to working with first nations to develop framework agreements for developing the Ring of Fire and approving environmental assessments for projects there, the Liberal government is “absolutely on top of it,” says Ontario’s mines minister.

Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle said the province is continuing its “good work” on framework agreements and advancing the development corporation established to design and build infrastructure for the Ring of Fire.

The interim part of the development corporation is in place, Gravelle said in Sudbury on Friday, during a visit to boost the campaign of Liberal byelection candidate Glenn Thibeault.

The next stage is bringing the province’s full partners on board, including companies with holdings in the Ring of Fire, 540 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay.

Gravelle said he’s also looking forward to having more formal discussions with FedNor and Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford about the federal government’s “full engagement, if not matching dollars related to the project.”

The Government of Ontario has pledged $1 billion to develop infrastructure so the vast chromite deposits can be mined and it has been seeking a similar commitment from the federal government.

Gravelle said someone at a mining awards ceremony in Sudbury told him he didn’t think the Ring of Fire would move forward while commodity prices are low, “and I certainly wasn’t arguing that point …

“That speaks to why it’s all the more important we do the work we’re doing now to be positioned to be ready for this development,” said the minister.

The president and chief executive officer of Noront Resources, which is waiting to develop its Eagle’s Nest nickel deposit in the Ring, told The Sudbury Star recently that he was frustrated at the slow pace of the permitting process and getting other approvals for its project.

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