Premier excited about Ring of Fire road starting this year

Premier Doug Ford is looking forward to work starting on the roads to the Ring of Fire mining area.

He says construction is poised to begin later this year.

Ford credits agreements with Marten Falls, Webequie and Aroland First Nations for helping push the project three years ahead of schedule.

The province promised to provide up to $39.5 million to each community for local infrastructure and services and to advance the Marten Falls Community Access Road and the Webequie Supply Road.

“These roads will unlock Ontario’s new mining opportunities in a region with the largest critical mineral reserves in the entire world, adding about $22 billion to Ontario’s economy and creating over 72,000 new jobs,” says Ford.

Ford also credits the federal government for helping to expedite the project.

He says his meetings with Prime Minister Mark Carney put an end to the duplication of provincial and federal environmental assessments so projects could get started sooner.

“We really focused on expediting permits as quickly as possible, not duplication,” says Ford.

“We’re doing one EA. They’re doing one EA. So that stopped. Now that’s why we’re able to get the road to the Ring of Fire with cooperation and collaboration with the First Nations.”

An assessment is currently underway by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada that has committed to completing its review of the roads no later than June 2026.