Keeping quiet indeed but I think it is not the waiting for the Chinese but for the Ontario government to do it's duty to the people it represents.

Specifically:
Ontario has a duty and responsibility for providing a road into the Ring. They are trying to off load that responsibility onto Noront by means of having them to consult with up to 20 native communities, meaning to come to an agreement with them for Noront to provide that road instead of Ontario.

Ontario may be hedging it's bet that if Noront does not byte, as it is obviously avoiding to do so, then our government is hoping that KWG will arrange something with the Chinese regarding a railway as a substitute to the road.

I think that a railway alone will not be sufficient to placate the natives and if it alone is pushed the blockade of years past was just a practice run.
Yes I do believe the native communities are desperate for a road because with it just about all things will come cheaper to them and their quality of life would improve greately.