RingOfFire (#RoF) News – August 28, 2016 #RingOfFire makes it onto The Canadian Press Baloney Meter! “Has the federal government dropped the ball on Ring of Fire development?” CP’s assessment? “the statement is partly accurate but important details are missing.” The reporter seems to miss some federal and provincial stuff, so click here (Ring of Fire mentions on ontario.ca pages) or here (Ring of Fire mentions on gc.ca pages) for more details on what the governments have done so far – for better or worse. Remember this $785K from Ontario, Canada last year for a road study? Someone got some results … “A road connecting remote First Nations in Northern Ontario’s Ring of Fire region to the south would cost $264-million to $559-million, according to a government-funded study that reviewed a range of options. The All-Season Community Road Study has not yet been made public, but The Globe and Mail has obtained a copy of the 147-page document, which is described as final and is dated June 30, 2016. The $785,000 study was paid for by the federal and provincial governments. Ottawa and Ontario are considering options to address the needs of remote First Nations while also responding to the potential for major mining development in Ontario’s far north if the region is made accessible through a new road or rail line …” … with this conclusion (according to the media’s read of the report, anyway): “Plans to provide road access to remote Northern Ontario First Nations and spur development of the Ring of Fire mineral deposits are in limbo after a government-funded consultation failed to produce a clear consensus on how to proceed. A community study that cost $785,000 in combined provincial and federal funds has concluded that Ottawa and Ontario have not provided enough information for First Nations to make a clear decision on how to proceed …” – more from CBC.ca here and from resourceclips.com here. Can the public see the study yet? “The results of a much-vaunted study, said to be a starting point in plans to develop infrastructure for the Ring of Fire, will not be released unless and until the First Nations which completed it make it public …” Meanwhile, KWG digs up some three-year-old cards to play the “where’s the road/railway going into #RoF going?” game … “KWG Tables Study of East-West Road to Ring of Fire Networking Eabametoong, Neskantaga, Webequie and Marten Falls With Nibinamik, Kingfisher, and Wunnumin Lake Connections Also Feasible — KWG Resources Inc. has posted on its website an all-weather road study that was previously prepared for it by Green Forest Management Inc. The report estimated that an all-weather gravel road starting in the west at the Northern Ontario Resource Trail Road northeast of Pickle Lake, projecting eastward to the Ring of Fire area over a distance of approximately 305 kilometres, would cost between $83.6 million to $99.9 million. Trunk roads from it to connect the First Nations communities of Eabametoong, Neskantaga, Webequie and Marten Falls would cost between $36.1 million and $73.1 million depending on the route alignments selected. The study notes that additional trunk roads to connect Nibinamik, Kingfisher, and Wunnumin Lake are also feasible but required further research for construction budgeting purposes …” – more here (Northern Ontario Business) and here (baytoday.ca). … while continuing to have a Chinese company study the proposed railway up to the #RoF – more details on exactly what the rail line study will look at in a KWG company news issued last week here.