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Ontario Natural Resources Minister David Orazietti, left, and Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle answer questions following a presentation at a Timmins Chamber of Commerce luncheon held at the Porcupine Dante Club in Timmins Thursday. Their presentation was held in advance of Friday’s Northern Leaders Forum in Timmins, which is scheduled to be attended by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and eight other cabinet ministers including Orazietti and Gravelle.

TIMMINS - The province wants Ottawa to share the cost of installing transportation infrastructure within the Ring of Fire.

Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle, who was in Timmins on Thursday along with Natural Resources Minister David Orazietti, outlined why the province feels the federal government should contribute to the project.

“We are talking about a major resource development, $60 billion in mineral potential, in a part of the province that has never seen development before,” said Gravelle.

“In terms of economic development, and opportunity for job creation, the Ring of Fire project is certainly on a scale that more than warrants the federal government’s matching funds. I’d like to think that is the direction we will be going in.”

Both Gravelle and Orazietti were speaking at a Timmins Chamber of Commerce luncheon held at the Porcupine Dante Club.

In the meantime, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne was in Ottawa on Thursday to meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper to discuss the federal government’s involvement in the Ring of Fire.

Wynne is scheduled to be in Timmins Friday for a cabinet meeting here with Northern leaders.

“It’s the infrastructure piece that indeed we absolutely call upon the federal government to match the funds we are prepared to make,” said Gravelle. “We are prepared to make a very significant investment in infrastructure and we think it’s absolutely more than fair game to ask the federal government to do the same.”

Wynne’s meeting with Harper comes on the heels of the recent announcement by American mining firm Cliffs Natural Resources that it was putting its plans within the region on hold, citing lack of progress on building the infrastructure needed to get this project underway.

Gravelle noted that just Cliffs is one of several companies that have an active interest within the Ring of Fire and that they haven’t fully abandoned the idea of establishing a chromite mine.

“The companies that are involved in the project remain very positive. We’ve had very positive conversations very recently with Noront Resources. Last week, I had conversations with Cliffs. They are still interested in being part of the development corporation and they have made it clear to me how keen they are to continue having that conversation.”

Both provincial ministers took a turn at the podium Thursday to discuss various issues relating to their respective portfolios

Orazietti spoke about some recent positive developments in forestry including Haavaldsrud sawmill’s new $66-million cogeneration plant in Hornepayne, which happened to receive a $30-million grant from the province.

“We’re also working hard to promote the use of Ontario forest products through our Ontario wood brand,” he said. “We launched the Ontario wood brand in 2011 to promote Ontario wood domestically, along with our industry partners. An initiative of the province, Ontario wood promotes the benefits of buying Ontario wood products and raising awareness of the sustainability of the province’s forestry industry.”

Afterwards, Orazietti spoke with The Daily Press about his ministry’s recent efforts to find a balance between providing the forest industry with the wood it needs ensuring endangered species and their habit are protected within Crown forests.

The caribou conservation plan within the Endangered Species Act has been a particularly contentious issue in this region, with concerns about the massive areas of Crown forest being taken away from industry.

“At this point, we have struck a good balance,” said Orazietti.

After consulting with industry, the MNR this summer “made changes to the (Endangered Species) Act that reflect, I think, a broader view across Ontario that the Crown Forest Sustainability Act, which forestry companies are required to comply with, already has strong elements of protection of endangered species. There will be an opportunity over the next five years to integrate the Endangered Species Act and the Crown Forest Sustainability Act ... We listened to what we heard from the industry and the sector, to be able to do that.

“While we are working to protect species that are at risk and their habitat, we also need to ensure that communities and the livelihood of people in Northern Ontario is not put at risk.”