https://www.mywestnipissingnow.com/24049/ndp-question-ford-government-over-stalled-ring-of-fire/

NDP question Ford government over stalled Ring of Fire

Rocco Frangione, staff Tuesday, Oct. 2nd, 2018

Photo credit: Supplied

After being in power for more than 100 days the Ford government has had very little to say about the Ring of Fire, and now the New Democrats are starting to turn up the heat on the governing party.

New Democrat MPP Sol Mamakwa says on July 9th the Matawa Chiefs sent a welcoming letter to newly elected Premier Doug Ford and to restart the Ring of Fire talks.

Mamakwa, who is also the NDP’s Indigenous Affairs critic,  says about a month later on August 9th, the Chiefs got a response telling them that the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs would be doing a follow up on this.

However Mamakwa says since then the Chiefs haven’t heard anything else and no meetings have been scheduled.

Mamakwa says the Ring of Fire is now stalled because the Ford government hasn’t engaged with the Matawa Chiefs since the provincial election.

In response, the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Jeff Yurek, took a swipe at the former Liberal government.

Yurek says the massive chromite project stagnated because, despite claims from the Liberals more than a decade ago that the mines would be open, there was a lack of consultation with Indigenous communities.

Yurek says the new government is committed to the Ring of Fire but he didn’t say when a meeting would take place between the Matawa Chiefs and government officials.

Speaking on behalf of Greg Rickford, who is the minister of Indegenous Affairs, but also the Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Yurek said that Rickford would be building relationships with all stakeholders including municipalities and First Nation communities.