LB,

Thanks a million ($ would be excellent) for your handy work. The integrated map looks just fine for giving people, especially politicians a good perspective of what the RoF and the RoR (Ring of Rail) look like.

It looks fine as is. If you have looked at the area long enough you can tell which is which with a picture in front of you.

During the next couple of days, I will try to write a short note with this diagram attached (LB: with your permission of course) to list the pros and cons of various proposals, along with my suggestion on how to tackle the transportation corridor (the RoR and the connection roads) in the order of priority, generally as follows:

1. Do the NS RR along with a small service road on the esker as proposed by KWG ASAP.

2. Put in a power, gas, telecom infrastructure, along this NS route.

3. Connect all connecting roads to several FN communities, as proposed by KWG, to this NS spine.

4. Then do the northern RR route, via Victor Mines, to connect the RoF to Attawapiskat, Fort Albany and Moosonee). De Beers can certainly benefit from this for transporting heavy equipment and supply, but they don't really need the trains to take the pocket-full of diamonds out. Note that this portion would complete the "ring" of rail transportation, but this section will be expensive.

5. The seaport would provide an alternate route for export and import. Moosonee would be the best candidate.

6. The slurry pipe and the gas-power converter would be responsibility of the private sector. KWG and partner(s), most likely, would pick the Nakina area.

7. Subsequent value-added facilities could be loacted elsewhere. It could be in Quebec (Sorel) where the electricity is cheap. Or it could be located near the new seaport, but it should not be in the middle of nowhere. Moosonee is probably a good location to attract highly skilled workers.

It would be best for the Fed to set up a Fed Port Authority and provide leadership (election is coming). There would be no excuse for the Ont government to drag its feet under the cover of "doing it right".

Perhaps, other posters may want to write/e-mail/text/whatever our politicians as well, just to add more voice. It does not have to be long, since politicians would need just talking points.

goldhunter