‘There will be no Ring of Fire’ chant First Nation leaders in Ontario legislature

Two ranking leaders of an Ontario First Nation were forced to leave the provincial legislature Wednesday after rowdily accusing the Doug Ford government of failing to consult them about mining development in Northern Ontario’s so-called Ring of Fire region.

The leaders of Neskantaga and four other First Nations, and about 80 community members, have travelled to Queen’s Park from their communities in Northern Ontario and appealed to the Ford government to halt mining development until the Indigenous communities have been consulted.

“There will not be a Ring of Fire. [There has been] no free and prior informed consent,” Christopher Moonias, inbound chief of Neskantaga, shouted at a steel-faced Premier Ford from the gallery in Ontario’s Legislature on Wednesday. “Doug Ford, you come and meet me.”

Neskantaga chief-elect Chris Moonias and current chief Wayne Moonias disrupted Question Period after Indigenous Affairs Minister was asked about their opposition to the Ring OF Fire #onpoli pic.twitter.com/b33TAh0g3l

— Alan S. Hale (@Alan_S_Hale) March 29, 2023

Moonias was shortly after escorted out of the room. Wayne Moonias, the current chief of Neskantaga, who joined Christopher in a chant against the Ring of Fire, was also escorted out.

Responding to allegations of a lack of consultations in the Ring of Fire during the session, Ontario’s Minister of Indigenous Affairs, Greg Rickford, told the legislature that the Ford government is focused on “consensus and relationship building.”

At least six provincial and federal environmental studies are underway to build the first road into the emerging Ring of Fire mining camp. It would connect the regional highway network to the development – but could cost at least $2 billion. Ford’s government has pledged $1 billion and repeatedly asked the federal government to match its commitment.

The Marten Falls and Webequie First Nations are the proponents for the road, which is proposed to be developed in three segments and are leading consultation processes with at least nine other First Nations communities. They are themselves leading an environmental assessment process for the 200-km Marten Falls access road, a 107-km road between Webequie and the Ring of Fire, and the 155-km Northern Link road to connect the two roads.

Several other First Nations whose traditional territories edge the Ring of Fire, 540 km northeast of Thunder Bay, Ont., are fervently opposed and argue they have not been adequately consulted in the development process.

The protest is the latest after four First Nations, the Grassy Narrows, Wapekeka, Neskantaga and Big Trout Lake First Nations, said they’d allied to defend their lands and waters in early February. The First Nations have little appetite for unregulated activity on their lands, considering the mercury pollution legacy industry had left the communities to clean up themselves.

Yet mining prospectors had staked thousands of new claims on their territories over the past few years.

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Grassy Narrows First Nation, located about 100 kilometres northeast of Kenora, Ont., said in a Jan. 31 statement it had seen about 4,000 mining claims staked on its lands since 2018. The Ontario government then allowed any licensed prospector to register a mining claim online for a fee.

The government’s online mining system does not tell prospectors whether the land is part of Indigenous territory before they stake a claim. Likewise, Ontario does not require prospectors to give any notice to First Nations until after the claims have been registered and are in force.

The four First Nations that have come together said they want to meet with Premier Doug Ford to discuss their concerns.

In 2021, Grassy Narrows First Nation launched a legal action against the Ontario government for issuing nine exploration permits to mining companies to start drilling and other exploratory activities for gold on its territory. Ontario issued the permits between 2018 and 2021.

Grassy Narrows said that was done without consultation on lands declared as an Indigenous Sovereignty and Protected Area under Grassy Narrows law in 2018. In 2007, the First Nation declared a moratorium on any industrial activity on its territory.

Ring of Fire Metals’ Eagle’s Nest is the area’s most advanced project. According to a 2012 feasibility study, it has an 11-year mine life and an estimated cost of US$609 million. Proven and probable reserves are 11.1 million tonnes grading 1.68% nickel, 0.87% copper, 0.87 gram platinum per tonne, 3.09 grams palladium and 0.18 gram gold.

Ring of Fire acquired the assets via a takeover of Noront Resources last year, which picked up the package of assets from U.S.-based Cleveland-Cliffs (NYSE: CLF) after its abrupt departure from Canada in 2013 despite having sunk half a billion dollars to advance Eagle’s Nest and the neighbouring chromite deposits.

The Stephen Harper Conservative federal government had in the past regularly touted the Ring of Fire to hold an estimated total mineral wealth in excess of $70 billion.