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WEBEQUIE FIRST NATION, Ont. — Webequie First Nation and Juno Corporation have announced a new cooperation agreement to advance exploration in Northwestern Ontario's Ring of Fire mineral zone.
In an announcement Monday, Chief Cornelius Wabasse described a Memorandum of Understanding with the company as "an economic milestone" for his community.
"We are a community that believes in self-determination and pursuing collaborative alliances with the right government and business partners. This MOU brings us one step closer to securing new employment, training, business prospects and ongoing consultations as mining develops in our traditional territory," Wabasse said.
Juno describes itself as the largest claim holder in the Ring of Fire.
The company has stated it plans to carry out targeted exploration activities within its approximately 1,300 square kilometres land position that hosts a diverse inventory of precious, base and rare earth metals.
President Jacob McKinnon said "We have a genuine desire to respect the traditional lands of the Webequie people and carry forward with a principled and respectful approach to Indigenous engagement and partnerships."
Webequie is the closest community to the Ring of Fire and is located about 35 kilometres west of Juno's exploration project.
The First Nation is currently studying the potential for an all-season supply road to link it to emerging mining sites in the Ring of Fire.
