The Ring of Fire will be top of mind for local delegates heading to the Ontario Good Roads Association Conference in Toronto next week.
“The projects that are up there are going to make this province rich,” said Mayor Keith Hobbs.
The economic impact on Sudbury for value-added services in the mining sector is $5 billion. In Thunder Bay, it’s around $450 million, which the mayor says is a good start, but is just that – a start.
“There’s more businesses coming in all the time; more junior exploration companies are setting up shop in Thunder Bay. We have to make sure it happens on a large scale,” he said.
Hobbs will be joined at the conference by Councillors Joe Virdiramo, Iain Angus, Brian McKinnon, Aldo Ruberto and Ken Boshcoff as well as city manager Tim Commisso and Fort William First Nation’s economic development officer Ed Collins.
The committee will be presenting to seven different provincial ministers at the conference, but with a heavy focus on the Ring of Fire.
The mayor said infrastructure and energy are two key pieces. They want to see the east-west corridor built from Webequie to Pickle Lake and a north-south road built from the Ring of Fire mine site to Nakina.
“We’re still in the hunt for the ferrochrome processor for Cliff’s (Natural Resources), but we recognize there is a lot more to the Ring of Fire than just that one Cliff’s project,” said Hobbs. “Noront Resources have indicated they like Thunder Bay as a possible site for a processor as well. There is enough riches in the Ring of Fire so that everyone can benefit, including First Nations.”
The delegates will be speaking with Minister of Energy Chris Bentley about bringing power to the mine sites and the First Nations.
Hobbs said there is enough power between Wawa and the Manitoba border to light up the entire north and get rid of diesel generation once and for all.
“It’s vital that energy piece is addressed,” he said.
Virdiramo said while there are many issues to be addressed, the mining sector is going to have a huge impact.
“We want to be part of it,” he said. “We want to facilitate that.”
The Westfort councillor added it’s important to work with their partners in the First Nations.
Collins said it’s important they show the ministers that First Nations and cities, like Thunder Bay, can work together towards everybody’s best interests.
“Regardless of what happens in Fort William First Nation, it’s going to affect the city of Thunder Bay and whatever happens in the city of Thunder Bay, it’s going to affect Fort William First Nation,” he said.
“Our role there is to show the ministers that we are strong and we’re here,” Collins added.
