Moe Lavigne, vice-president of exploration and development at KWG Resources, inspects a core sample at the Big Daddy chromite property in the Ring of Fire. Photo supplied

KWG Resources Inc. launched a social media campaign Monday it wants northerners and other Ontarians to use to pressure provincial election candidates to seriously consider the company's proposed Ring of Fire bill.

The company, which has a 30% interest in the Big Daddy chromite deposit and the right to earn 80% of the Black Horse chromite deposit, is trying to end the political deadlock in the Ring of Fire, says its president and chief executive officer.

Frank Smeenk says the Ring of Fire will benefit every citizen and community of Ontario — and all Canadians — for generations. So KWG is taking a leadership role "that helps end the political gridlock by proposing real and achievable solutions.

"I encourage all Ring of Fire supporters to participate in this process by having your voices heard and helping spread the message to every corner of this country. Together, we will get the Ring of Fire going," said Smeenk in a statement.

But Smeenk says his company needs "your" vote to make that. KWG has devised a plan, backed by its own proposed bill, that would turn the Ontario Northland Transportation Corporation into the Northern Transportation Corporation.

The company placed a full-page ad promoting that in Canada's national newspaper, the Globe and Mail, last month.

The ONTC and the development corporation would be governed by residents of Northern Ontario, and project financing would be raised by capital markets to pay for transportation and other infrastructure needed to develop mine projects in the Ring of Fire, 500 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay.

KWG is asking residents to get involved and back its plan by calling or emailing candidates in the June 12 election, signing the KWG Resources petition to be presented to whatever party forms the next government and sharing the company's plan via Facebook and Twitter.

Maurice Lavigne, KWG's vice-president of exploration and development, said the social media campaign "gives people a voice on the Ring of Fire."

While the Ontario Liberals have now pledged $1 billion to develop Ring of Fire infrastructure, that figure is meaningless unless there is a plan to back it up.

Until there's an agreed-upon plan between the province and the first nations, "until that happens, nothing happens," said Lavigne.

In their campaign platform, the Liberals have promised to establish a development corporation within 60 days of being re-elected.

Former Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle announced the creation of a development corporation last November, but little progress had been made in establishing it when the legislature dissolved last month.

Lavigne said the last two Liberal governments used Cliffs Natural Resources, which has put its Ring of Fire projects on hold, to spearhead the development of the Ring of Fire, but much of that work was done behind the scenes.

The plan KWG Resources is proposing is public and upfront.

"We're really trying to force the issue here," said Lavigne, with a plan to convert the ONTC to a development corporation.

"And it's a good plan because it doesn't involve taxpayers' money and it doesn't need promises of a billion (dollars)."

carol.mulligan@sunmedia.ca