https://saultonline.com/2018/01/opinion-the-heat-is-on-for-the-ring-of-fire/

Opinion: The Heat Is On For The Ring Of Fire

Last year I thought the Soo was in the forefront to acquire the ferrochromite smelter plant that Noront was proposing to build. Noront CEO Alan Coutts was interviewed on CBC radio’s Up North with Jason Turnbull last summer, and the insinuation was that the Soo had everything they wanted in terms of location, workforce, transportation etc.

It was of my opinion that all we had to do as a city and population was to embrace this venture and it would come to fruition. Things don’t look as fruity after some reading on the subject during the past couple of weeks. I’m not suggesting that we (SSM) are out of the running (it’s still a close race), but I am suggesting that a couple other communities are making inroads and headlines, while it seems we are standing still. Aside from the efforts of our local political officials…I’m not as confident as I was.

In respect to what we have been doing as a community, Sault MP Terry Sheehan was proactive off the start; he has met many times with Noront executives in his desire to sell the Soo as the preferred location.

I am sure he has knocked on many doors on The Hill in Ottawa to garner support. Sault MPP Ross Romano has visited the Ring of Fire (lower James Bay) in order to get a first-hand look at the area that will be sending the raw materials to the plant. At the municipal level, Mayor Provenzano and the city have also met with Noront officials to express their interest and commitment.

The city has also set up a website www.FPFproject.com to give Saulites  information on the proposed plant and to answer commonly asked questions.

I commend all of this hard work by our elected officials but question whether it is enough. WE DON’T SEEM TO BE STANDING OUT (ie. Amazon Bid) like other communities have been recently.

We have a 1 in 4 chance of securing this plant that will process chromite into ferrochromite in order to produce everyday stainless steel products. It would be a game changer (for Sault Ste. Marie) if we were to succeed.

Unfortunately, there are obstacles in the way;  a few communities seem to be going out of their way to get noticed (Timmins/Sudbury).

Before I move on, I have to say that the other communities in the running  (Timmins, Sudbury, Thunder Bay) have also had their local political officials meet with Noront executives so the fact that ours did, really isn’t anything exceptional. I’m hoping we have done more behind the scenes.

What is exceptional is the fact that Sudbury has recently sent a delegation including Mayor Brian Bigger to Tornio Finland to get a first-hand look at a Ferrochrome plant that is similar to the one that Noront wants to build. They are there to inspect as well as meet with public and health officials to get a better understanding of what their community would be receiving.

Information and knowledge is everything right? Sudbury also has an upper hand (or finger at least) in respect to the fact that Sudbury MPP Glenn Thibeault is the Energy Minister for Ontario, and that has to be a definite plus for their application; contacts are everything in politics and business.

Aside from Sudbury, Timmins is gaining some momentum as well. There has been some cooperation with North Bay, as the NB city council has recently adopted measures to support the Timmins bid. Both communities would cooperate and benefit mutually.

One way is via the Ontario Northland Railroad which will help transport the minerals to the plant; this operation is headquartered in North Bay and would serve to increase its load capacity, infrastructure, and workforce with a successful Timmins bid.

In respect to Thunder Bay, for some reason, I haven’t been able to find anything significant about their bid. They have recently held a few information sessions with locals, but that’s it. It doesn’t appear (to me anyway) that they are as hungry as the other communities.

I would still think that the Soo would have the advantage (geographically) as Noront wants to ship the ferrochromite down the Great Lakes to mass markets where it would be processed into stainless steel; obviously our strategic advantage is location and usually, location is everything right?

I hope that I’m right and that the Sault submission will blow them out of the water! But as far as what I’ve been reading lately, I think we are lagging behind on this opportunity. I hope in the next couple of weeks we will get a better glimpse of the application from Sault Ste. Marie.

With our steel mill still in bankruptcy protection, and the city still waiting on $millions$ in unpaid taxes from our friends, I think the Sault needs this opportunity more than the rest. It would be nice to be more than a one pony town for once.

Amazon was a great exercise (and I’m glad we applied), but we all knew it wouldn’t succeed. Noront, on the other hand, is something that is definitely attainable and I am keeping my fingers crossed.

As bids are to be submitted and presented no later than February 2, I would anticipate that we shall know by late spring or early summer if Sault Ste. Marie will not only be home of the 2018 Memorial Cup Champions, but also the Noront Memorial Gardens.

Fingers Crossed,