The terms of reference will set out the work plan – including scope and issues to be considered – for the EA on the North Road Link, a proposed all-weather, two-lane roadway. It is part of a proposal, along with Marten Falls Community Access Road and Webequie Supply Road, to build a 450-kilometer all-season road through the northern forest and swamp peatlands of northern Ontario, giving access to the Ring of Fire. The terms of reference for the other two roads were approved by the province last year.
The map, provided by the Northern Road Link project team, shows the three proposed all-weather roads connecting the remote First Nations to the provincial highway network. Marten Falls Community Access is purple, Northern Road Link is striped and Webequie Supply Road is red. (Offered by Stephanie Ash)
The mineral deposit, located more than 500 miles north of Thunder Bay, contains a number of critical minerals, including those used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries and energy storage systems. Prime Minister Doug Ford has linked development in the Ring of Fire to his plans to build an EV construction hub in southern Ontario.
Leaders of Marten Falls and Webequie First Nations, who lead EA processes in all three road projects, say year-round access will improve living conditions in their communities.
“This is a step forward for us in terms of economic reconciliation, alleviating the conditions in the community and the levels of poverty we have faced in recent decades,” Marten Falls chief Bruce Achneepineskum told a news conference on Thursday. Ford and Northern Development. and Mining Secretary Greg Rickford.
Prime Minister Doug Ford and Mining and Development Minister Greg Rickford welcomed the news at a news conference Thursday that the terms of reference for the Northern Road Link project were ready for submission. (Government of Ontario)
The terms of reference have not been made public, but Webequie chief Cornelius Wabasse said they present a comprehensive process that will produce the information needed to guide any developments in their home countries.
“We are very careful with our responsibilities for environmental management, so that our traditional sites, shrines and cultural way of life are protected in the near future. At the same time, we need to balance our community needs for financial opportunities, such as work. creation, business development and cooperation “.
Growth is facing opposition
However, the processes and development of EA in the Ring of Fire have been challenged by other First Nations and environmental organizations in the region. Neskantaga recently filed a lawsuit against Ontario, asking the court to provide “basic rules” on how the province should consult and accommodate indigenous communities in crisis over dangerous counseling issues for boiling water, housing shortages, poor health and the pandemic. The federal government is also conducting a comprehensive regional impact assessment of the Ring of Fire. But this process has met with opposition, with five First Nations calling the draft terms of reference for this assessment “fundamentally flawed in scope, purpose and legitimacy” and demanding equal cooperation in the process. Twelve environmental and civil society organizations also sent a letter to Ottawa in March criticizing the draft terms of reference, saying it “degrades the impact of massive industrial activity on major global wetlands and watersheds … and does not take into account ecological of the area”. The area is still a short time to see the actual construction of any roads, as the EAs are expected to take several years.