Good relationship

Michael Gravelle and Keith Hobbs have kissed and made up.

Gravelle, Ontario’s Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forsestry, spoke to Thunder Bay’s newly elected mayor by phone on Friday morning, a day after Hobbs complained to the media that Gravelle wasn’t representing his Thunder Bay-Superior North constituents in fighting for a proposed Ring of Fire smelter to be located in the city.
 
Gravelle said he understands why Hobbs felt he had to go public with his complaints, going as far as saying he would likely have done the same things were the roles reversed.

“Certainly I am very conscious of how eager the mayor is to see the opportunity for the processing site for the Ring of Fire to be located here in Thunder Bay,” said Gravelle, who called his own news conference Friday morning to publicly answer the charges.

“I encouraged him, as I encouraged other municipal leaders, to put forth the best case possible for that opportunity.”

Gravelle re-iterated the province is committed to bringing Ring of Fire development to Northern Ontario, but stated as minister he can’t be seen to be lobbying for any particular community or riding.

The entire region must be given the opportunity to build its own case, for the smelter, which Cleveland-based mining company Cliff’s Natural Resources has said it plans to build to refine the estimated one to two million tonnes of chromite the open pit mining operation is expected to yield annually.

The chromite will be processed and produce between 400,000 and 800,000 tonnes of ferrochrome, used in the production of stainless steel, an operation expected to be worth up to $30 billion or more over the Ring of Fire’s lifespan.

There are no guarantees that any of the processing work will be conducted in Ontario, and high energy costs could drive the work to Manitoba, Quebec or even British Columbia.

Hobbs said he’s always had a good relationship with Gravelle, but as mayor he has to do what’s best for his community.

In this case, it means ensuring the processing plant is built in Thunder Bay.

“I just wanted to let him know that as mayor I have to be very aggressive in getting the best we can get for Thunder Bay. To me the best for that Ring of Fire would be to get that processor. It’s been no secret of mine,” Hobbs said.

“I just want to assure MPP Gravelle that I am going to be fighting hard and on his case. That’s something a mayor has to do. He appreciates that. We had a great conversation today.”

Cliff’s is expected to release in the next few weeks a shortlist of Ontario communities it is considering for the processor, should it be built in the province.

Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Sudbury and Greenstone have all expressed an interest in housing the plant.