Maybe it's time the province of Ontario used a win-win formula that included the First Nations as serious partners in northern rail development? Northern Ontario's First Nations, part of the fastest segment of population growth in Canada, need education, job training, clean drinking water, power, transportation and communication infrastructure in advance of the enormous upcoming development of the Ring of Fire. It would go a long way to help solve incredibly high poverty, unemployment, suicide, and drug use rates in those communities. If we empower the First Nation to provide this themselves, many of the issues regarding responsible self-sustaining northern development will resolve themselves, not to mention, mutual cultural respect. Turning our own way of thinking around may be the answer.

KWG President Frank Smeenk said "If we can build a $2 billion railroad (to the mine site) using incentives that are built into our taxes and have it owned by the First Nations, is that more attractive to the taxpayers of Canada and Ontario, or is it more attractive to have Cliffs get contributions of hundreds of millions of dollars from the Ontario government for the building of an all-weather road?"