http://www.ontla.on.ca/house-proceedings/transcripts/files_pdf/26-OCT-2016_L021.pdf

RING OF FIRE
Mr. Patrick Brown: My question is for the Premier.
Since the government won’t answer a question when it
comes to their latest hydro scandal, let’s try a different
subject. Let’s try to have a conversation on mining. In
May of 2012, the government promised thousands of jobs
and new infrastructure for the Ring of Fire. In 2013, the
budget promised to improve vital access to the region.
Then in 2014, the budget of the province committed $1
billion to the Ring of Fire, and then again, in 2015, the
same promise of $1 billion. Surprise, surprise: in the
2016 budget, again a promise—
Interjection.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Sorry. Stop the
clock. The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs is warned.
Please finish.
Mr. Patrick Brown: Mr. Speaker, I can appreciate
why the government likes to heckle their record of
inaction. In 2016, for a fourth time: a re-announcement of
the same funds, but to date not a single cent has gone to
the Ring of Fire. The economic benefit to the region and
to First Nations communities is incredible, yet this
government won’t and hasn’t put a shovel in the ground.
Mr. Speaker, my question directly to the Premier is:
When are we actually going to see—
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. Premier?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: I know that the Leader of
the Opposition doesn’t want to recognize that the work

that has been done with the First Nations communities,
with the Matawa First Nation, is very important work
that had to be done. In fact, the training dollars that have
gone into communities, the support that has already
begun in order that those communities can be part of the
development of the Ring of Fire and can be part of the
economic development—I recognize that the Leader of
the Opposition doesn’t value that. But that is the work
that has been going on, Mr. Speaker.
There has been a serious engagement with those communities to make sure that they are able to take part in
economic development and that, as we put shovels in the
ground and we build roads, that we build those roads in a
way that will connect communities so that, yes, they can
be part of the economic development of the Ring of Fire,
but much beyond that, that they have the social supports
that allow them to take part—
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. Supplementary? The member from Parry Sound–Muskoka.
Mr. Norm Miller: Again to the Premier: The current
government has overseen the entire life of the Ring of
Fire mineral deposit to date, from discovery to where we
find ourselves today. Reading a press release from 2012,
you would have thought that a chromite mine was a done
deal. The release proclaims thousands of jobs coming to
northern Ontario and has quotes from five ministers,
including the current Premier. It boasts of the over 20
mining companies holding claims in the region—a far
cry from what we see today. It even goes into detail on a
chromite processing facility to be opened in close proximity to the then minister’s own riding.
The government, to date, has truly overpromised and
under-delivered on the Ring of Fire. So, Speaker, why
should anyone believe that this government is capable of
doing what it takes to develop the Ring of Fire?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of Northern Development and Mines.
Hon. Michael Gravelle: We are indeed working hard
and very diligently to move the progress forward on the
Ring of Fire. That means, Mr. Speaker, working with all
of our partners, working with industry, working with the
federal government and, certainly, as the Premier pointed
out, working with our First Nations to move this project
forward.
When we signed the regional framework agreement
in—
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): We’re on warnings.
Carry on.
Hon. Michael Gravelle: Mr. Speaker, when we
signed the regional framework agreement in 2014 with
the Matawa First Nation, we made a commitment to
work with them on regional infrastructure, on socioeconomic impacts, on resource revenue-sharing. Those
are all important discussions that are taking place, and
discussions are at a very significant point right now in
terms of them partnering with us to make some decisions
related to the community corridor study.

May I say to the members of the opposition: If they do
not believe we should be having those kinds of conversations with the First Nations, they should say so.
The bottom line is, we are working hard, this is a
complicated file, and we are optimistic that we’ll continue to move forward and see progress on—
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. Final
supplementary?
Mr. Norm Miller: Again to the Premier: Premier, I
think I’ve heard that answer before from your minister.
Speaker, First Nation communities in the Ring of Fire
region are integral to the entire development. They also
stand to gain the most from local mining opportunities.
Mining employs more indigenous people than any other
sector—about 14% of the mining workforce—so it’s
important to the communities in the area to see some
progress.
Through the Speaker: Other than framework agreements to negotiate, what tangible progress have you
made on this important project?
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please.
Thank you.
Interjection: I’ll lend you my shovel, Mike.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): That was very
risky.
Hon. Michael Gravelle: We recognize that it is
crucial that we move forward on transportation infrastructure in the Ring of Fire. That is indeed why we are
so keen to move forward with our work with the federal
government. This is a nationally significant project, one
that deserves federal government support—and that’s the
effort we’re making as well.
In terms of the work with industry, there are still a
significant number of companies that have expressed
tremendous interest in the Ring of Fire. We’re going to
work with those industrial partners to help move this
project forward.
In terms of the First Nations, this is an absolutely
crucial part of our commitment: to make sure that
decisions that are made related to what will most directly
impact their future development are made also by the
First Nations themselves. That’s why it is so crucial that
we have those discussions under the regional framework
agreement that will make sure the decisions that are made
are shared by our partners—not just by the First Nations,
but by industry and by the federal government.
We’re keen to keep working hard on this. I’m
committed to it, Mr. Speaker—
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock.
Minister, I stand, you sit.
New question