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GREENSTONE - The “gateway” to the Ring of Fire will be lined with new culverts.
Premier Doug Ford returned to Greenstone Nov. 13 to eyeball improvements made to Highway 584 where his government made funding commitments last summer to upgrade a vital road, add new commercial amenities, and contribute to resource industry-related skills training.
An Ontario government news release said seven culverts have been replaced this year on the highway between Geraldton and Nakina with three more on the way in 2025. Come the 2025-26 provincial fiscal year, 26 culverts will replaced on the highway with new pavement planned for 2027.
The release said these culvert replacements on the highway, dubbed the “gateway” to the Far North mineral belt, will improve access to the provincial highway system for First Nations in the Greenstone work. Further north, studies continue on a combination community and industrial haul road extending into the mineral-rich James Bay lowlands.
The Premier’s walk-about in the northwestern Ontario community was a follow-up to the letters of confirmation that the province signed last June, with two First Nation development corporation, Kenogamisis Investment Corporation and Minodahmun Development LP.
“I’m excited to see first-hand the improvements being made to road and highway infrastructure in Greenstone, as we continue working with First Nations partners to unlock new economic opportunities here at the gateway to the Ring of Fire region,” said Ford in the release.
“Along with the upgrades being made to infrastructure, we’re also investing in skills development programs for Indigenous community members in the mining and construction sectors as part of our ongoing efforts to advance meaningful and lasting economic reconciliation with First Nations.”
Compared to the fanfare generated from last June’s announcement, there was no livestream feed provided this time.
The Nov. 13 announcement falls well short of an anticipated landmark investment that Ford hinted was coming this fall for Far North infrastructure related to the Ring of Fire.
The Greenstone area is the key logistical jump-off and potential trans-modal point for a proposed Ring of Fire road network being studied as a means to open up the James Bay region to mine development while providing overland access to a handful of remote communities for the first time.
But nothing will be built and no material will be moved without consent from Indigenous communities along the southern leg of the north-south road network. With engineering and environmental studies for the road network still ongoing, it’s difficult to nail down a timeline for road construction.
However, Australian mining company Wyloo told a Sudbury audience last May that it intends to start mining its Eagle’s Nest nickel deposit in the Ring of Fire by 2027.
Other Greenstone investments of $2 million in provincial funding were delivered for a highway retail plaza and truck stop, where site preparation has started for a construction start next year. Other provincial funding has been directed toward local pre-trades training in the resource industry.
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund further approved $2 million for Kenogamisis to purchase the Greenstone Gold Mine assay lab in Geraldton where the corporation plans to renovate and expand the facility and provide job opportunities for Indigenous people.
Ford was accompanied by Greg Rickford, who holds the dual role of Northern Development and Indigenous Affairs minister in charge of economic reconciliation.
For Rickford, these investments set the stage for bigger things to come.
"Working in close partnership with First Nations leaders, we are laying the groundwork for Greenstone to become a powerful centre of economic opportunity in Northern Ontario," he said in a statement. "Our shared commitment to building long-term prosperity for northern communities is creating meaningful progress today and paving the way for a brighter future for generations to come.
