Doug Ford unveils mining strategy in Northern Ontario

With the June 2 election just 11 weeks away, Doug Ford was at a massive mine outside Thunder Bay on Thursday to unveil a five-year, 53-page “critical minerals strategy” for the province.

Premier Doug Ford is mining for votes in Northern Ontario.

With the June 2 election just 11 weeks away, Ford was at a massive mine outside Thunder Bay on Thursday to unveil a five-year, 53-page “critical minerals strategy” for the province.

The premier said it would serve as his Progressive Conservative government’s “blueprint” for bringing raw material resources from the north to manufacturers in southern Ontario.

“Doing so has never been more important as we secure game-changing investments in our auto sector to build the electric vehicles and batteries of the future using Ontario minerals,” he said at the Lac des Iles mine, 85 kilometres from Thunder Bay, which is a source of palladium, nickel and copper.

Ford, who has been working closely with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government to encourage more manufacturing of electric vehicles in Ontario, said the new strategy would help find and bring to market the materials needed to make batteries.

Such critical minerals are also used in smartphones, solar cells and pharmaceuticals, among other products.

Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry Minister Greg Rickford said “there is an incredible opportunity to connect our northern and southern economies to build a made-in-Ontario supply chain for emerging technologies such as EVs.

“Our government is building an advanced manufacturing supply chain that will create economic opportunities for Ontarians across the province, including Indigenous communities,” said Rickford, pointing to the current uncertainty and strife abroad.

“We want the world to know that Ontario is ready to supply our allies with a reliable source of critical minerals.”

But NDP MPP Judith Monteith-Farrell (Thunder Bay-Atikokan) noted Ford has been in office for almost four years and has failed to deliver on previous promises to develop the massive Ring of Fire chromite project first announced by the previous Liberal government.

“He hasn’t gotten the job done. The critical mineral industry, including the Ring of Fire, is too important to be just another one of Doug Ford’s hollow election promises,” said Monteith-Farrell.

“Thunder Bay and communities across the North need good jobs — jobs that pay the bills. Jobs that buy homes. Jobs that will keep our sons and daughters here in the North to raise their own families. We don’t need Doug Ford’s broken promises, we need jobs,” she said.

“Over the last four years, Ford should have been providing infrastructure and a stable regulatory framework to provide certainty for sustainable mining operations to thrive. Ford should be working in partnership with First Nations and providing full and prior consent on any mining developments to ensure a path forward.”

But Michael Fox, president of Indigenous Community Engagement, predicted the new push “will result in greater collaboration on resource development projects which can advance reconciliation with Indigenous communities and peoples.”

“Critical minerals represent a new opportunity for Ontario and Indigenous partners to work together,” said Fox.

“I am excited to see where the strategy takes the province’s mining sector.”