Doug Ford has been raving about mining in the Ring of Fire (a mineral-rich area in Northern Ontario) for years, but conveniently leaves out the fact that he is ignoring the intent of First Nations treaty rights, and worsening the climate crisis by allowing profit-hungry corporations to mine sovereign land without Indigenous consent.
The Ring of Fire region, about 500 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, is said to hold some of the world's richest deposits of chromite, nickel, copper and platinum.
Ford wants to mine the Ring of Fire for metals to be used as part of his vision for an end-to-end manufacturing chain for electric vehicles and the batteries that power them.
And Indigenous leaders say they are upset with Ford who has not met directly with the group over the mining claims and argue that their land rights are being violated.
We need to do something about this
We can’t continue to let Ford unleash an unmitigated disaster on Ontario.
And don’t tell us voting against him is the answer because while you may be right, that doesn’t speak to what this moment calls for.
What it calls for and requires, is a mass mobilization movement to stop Ford from undertaking more (visible and invisible) sketchy actions.
It’s giving evil mastermind
The auditor general’s report on Greenbelt further proves that Doug Ford is a corrupt leader who cannot be trusted to prioritize the public good over his own profit - especially when there’s the environment, climate crisis, cash, and marginalized folks at stake.
And it doesn't matter that he reversed the decision and apologized for his mistake. The fact that he made the mistake (consciously, we might add) is bad enough.
Ford has also made other decisions that have been unconstitutional - AKA against the law - and faced no legal consequences.
The premier's approval rating dipped to a historic low this summer after the bombshell Greenbelt reports. An Angus Reid survey suggests that fewer than three in 10 Ontarians - 28 per cent - approve of the premier, which marks the lowest rating he has received since being elected in 2018.
Fool us once, shame on you, but fool us - how many times has it been now - then shame on us.
How did we get here?
Doug Ford has failed as a leader of a province because of trust
We don’t trust Ford to act in the best interest of people, planet, and public, because he’s shown us, time and time again, that while he says the right things at press conferences, his actions will always prioritize personal, political, and private sector profit over his literal job description.
Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles said it best: "Why would anyone trust this government to fix a disaster of their own making?" The Greenbelt controversy has cost the Ford government five officials - ranging from ministers to aides.
Solidarity in practice
This is another Greenbelt-level scandal just waiting to happen, so if you don’t trust Ford with the climate - take action
1) Join the Land Alliance of five allied First Nations in Toronto, to march against mining exploration on their land (AKA: present-day colonialism). So settlers, let's be on the right side of history on Sep 27th at 12pm, Grange Park
(2) Send this to:
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your company’s HR rep
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your friend group
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your hinge match
Indigenous people are asking for your support, and we need to ensure this doesn’t become yet another Ford mess-up.
Don't side with the bully
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On Canada Project is a social advocacy group made up of neighbourhood nerds who are here to dismantle the status quo and champion change in our lives. Check our Instagram to learn more.
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With files from Canadian Press, CTV and The Toronto Star