By Jamie Smith, tbnewswatch.com

THUNDER BAY -- A mining company with stakes in the Ring of Fire believes a recent report states what it's been saying all along.

The Northern Policy Institute report, authored by former federal deputy transportation minister Nick Mulder, recommends a transportation authority model to oversee infrastructure in the James Bay lowlands rather than the province's long-awaited development corporation.

A Ring of Fire Infrastructure Authority would be arms-length but more importantly, would take all the risk off of the province, unlike a Crown corporation.

"The marketplace, not governments, would bring the discipline needed in terms of the viability, costs, risks and rates of returns. Political direction and decisions would be minimized," the report states.

KWG Resources vice-president Moe Levine said that's what his company has been asking for four years.

He's hoping that the province will listen now.

"I suspect that their commentary will be carefully considered," he said.

The province announced the development corporation late last year. It then hired Deloitte LLP in February to build the corporation's framework and study proposed infrastructure projects in the area.

"It's been some time since we've had communications with the devco," Levine said.

On the campaign trail in Thunder Bay Kathleen Wynne promised the corporation would be created within 60 days of the Liberals taking office.

The Ministry of Northern Development and Mines said it will carefully consider and review the NPI report.

‘Carefully considered’