Minister rejects ring of fire report: failing grade for federal government misplaced, says Greg Rickford.

• Author: Migneault, Jonathan
• Position: MINING

Canada's minister of natural resources rejected an Ontario Chamber of Commerce report that gave the federal government a failing grade its involvement in the Ring of Fire development.

"I don't accept it," said Greg Rickford during a visit to Sudbury in March. "The federal government has been working with communities."

In its report card on progress, or lack thereof, near the remote Ring of Fire mineral deposits, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce said, "The federal government has yet to demonstrate that the Ring of Fire is an economic development priority."

The report went on to say the federal government should commit to matching the $1 billion the provincial government set aside to build infrastructure to access the Ring of Fire chromite deposits in the remote James Bay lowlands.

"They didn't talk about the new runways we put in to land and do exploration activities," Rickford said. "Nor did I see mention of the great relationship we have with the province on a couple of key initiatives, one of which we announced at PDAC (the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference), and that was to focus squarely on specific infrastructure projects that could open up regional development."

Rickford said the federal government has also worked with Thunder Bay's Confederation College to train members of...