Debating the Liberal government's record on the Ring of Fire mining project on The Agenda, May 9, 2014.

Efforts to develop the Ring of Fire, a mining project with the potential to generate billions of dollars in economic activity for Northern Ontario and the province, has been a years-long odyssey marked with promises, hope, and countless delays.

Today, the Ontario government announced it was establishing a Ring of Fire infrastructure development corporation within 60 days. From a government press release:

With headquarters to be located in Thunder Bay, the ROF Infrastructure Development Corporation will work to bring First Nations and the public and private sectors together to create partnerships and facilitate investment decisions in strategic transportation infrastructure.

The not-for-profit corporation has an interim board of four Ontario public servants. The board will put the necessary structures in place in order to allow for partners to determine their participation in the corporation. This includes working with key partners including First Nations, industry, communities, and the federal government, to formalize partnerships through the corporation, and overseeing an economic and technical baseline feasibility report on transportation infrastructure.