While Michael Gravelle wasn't ready to unveil a development corporation for the Ring of Fire yesterday, the Northern Development and Mines minister did tell an audience of policymakers and industry leaders from across Canada that action on this front is looming.
"We are working very hard, right now, to get a corporation established and I will have an update on that very, very soon," said Gravelle, during a keynote address at the Energy and Mines Ministers' Conference at College Boreal.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne earlier promised her government would create a corporation to guide development of the James Bay chromite deposits within 60 days of the July 3 throne speech — in other words, by early September — and Gravelle said this remains the plan.
"We will meet the commitment," he pledged.
Addressing federal colleague Greg Rickford, the Natural Resources minister and minister for FedNor, Gravelle said he looked forward "to having a more substantive conversation with you once we have the details in place on a development corporation."
Such a creation "is of vital importance," said Gravelle, "because it will bring partners together to make the infrastructure decisions — partners who live in and around the region who are closely affected, like the Matawa member First Nations."
Ontario has established a strong relationship with Aboriginal groups in the James Bay area, he said, citing "the regional framework agreement we signed this past March" as proof. "This agreement ensures the Matawa First Nations are active participants in, and will benefit from, the proposed Ring of Fire development."
The focus now, he said, is to bring together a team to advance the project, and federal participation is integral to that process. "We are hoping the federal government will join us in partnering through a development corporation made up of First Nations, key industry partners and the provincial government to lead strong, strategic infrastructure development in that region," he told conference attendees.
Noting the Ring of Fire has mineral potential worth $60 billion, Gravelle said his government views the resource as "an opportunity to create thousands of jobs and significantly strengthen our economy, and Canada's, for years to come."
The stumbling block is access, as "there are no roads and no all-weather access to the region," he said. "We take these challenges very seriously and that's why in our recent budget we committed up to $1 billion for transportation infrastructure."
The federal government has yet to pledge an equal amount for a rail or road network to reach the chromite deposits.
Ontario's contribution doesn't hinge on Canada anteing up a share, said Gravelle, but his government clearly believes a federal investment is called for.
"While we are prepared to meet our commitment regardless of whether the federal government comes forward with matching dollars, we do believe that when we're working on this project of national significance, it warrants matching funds from Canada," he said.
If that commitment has been slow in coming, it's not for lack of rapport between Gravelle and his federal colleague.
The provincial minister said he "listened very carefully" to comments from Rickford earlier in the day, and was "very heartened by (his) continued recognition of the important role the Ring of Fire would play on the national economic and social landscape, and heartened by his willingness to work with the province on this vital infrastructure project."
Gravelle said he and Rickford "speak often and quite publicly about the strong personal and professional relationship we have and our mutual goal to see this project come to fruition."
He reiterated this point later to media, saying the affinity bodes well for a joint solution to Ring development. "I'm confident the federal government will be joining us in a full partnership," he said. "We think it's crucial, in terms of the development corporation being successful, to have a full partnership."
A provincial infusion of $1 billion is a start, he said, but "in order for us to reach the maximum potential for this project, which includes not just the transportation access to the Ring itself but also community access — opening up transportation lines to the First Nation communities — we do need the participation of the federal government."
He conceded the feds "have provided significant support for a number of the building blocks" for Ring of Fire development, including skills training, but solving the access issue is paramount.
"I think there is recognition that infrastructure needs of this project are vital," he said. "It's a remote part of the province. You need to get the minerals out by a transportation corridor. And I just see this as a great opportunity for the federal government, as well, and I'm going to continue to make the case that we have every right — and I think the people of Ontario have every right — to expect the federal government to be a full partner."
The framework agreement with the Matawa First Nations was "unprecedented and historic," ensuring the member bands will "see benefits" from any development in the Ring, he said.
But there is "still a lot of work to do," said the minister. "Industry wants to see a commitment in terms of the infrastructure."
Asked whether Ontario would favour a road or rail option for the remote resource area, Gravelle said that would be a decision that would fall to the development corporation, once it's in place.
"The purpose of the development corporation is to bring the partners together to make the decisions, specifically the infrastructure decisions," he said. "Clearly the province with our billion-dollar commitment has a significant role to play; we're one of the partners at the table. But we want to have the First Nations at the table, we want to have industry, we want to have the federal government. That's where the decisions will be made."
He noted "four or five different models and proposals have been put forward for infrastructure," and his government has given each serious consideration. "But it needs to be the development corporation, through its partners, that makes those decisions."
jim.moodie@sunmedia.ca