RING OF FIRE QUICK FACTS (All numbers approximations)

Size: 5,000 square kilometres; most discoveries to date are in a small, 20-kilometre long strip.

Location:

• 1,000 kilometres northwest of Toronto.
• some 300 kilometres away from nearest rail line or highway.
• two hours flying time north of Thunder Bay, 500 kilometres away.

Number of claims: 30,000

Number of prospecting companies: 35

Significant discoveries: chromium, copper, zinc, nickel, platinum, vanadium and gold.

Number of current development proposals: two

The Ring of Fire name: Noront founder Richard Nemis was company president when the first significant mineral finds were made in the region. A lifelong Johnny Cash fan who liked to dress all in black, Nemis named the region after one of the country-and-western’s singer’s most famous ballads.

Some 30,000 claims have been established to date in the region. Many discoveries – chromite, nickel, copper, zinc and gold – have great potential to be developed once the Noront and Cliffs projects pick up more steam.

Although no diamonds have been found, the Ring of Fire promises to keep Ontario on the global mining activity map for decades to come.

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