Ontario, Webequie First Nation sign deal on Ring of Fire road construction

A northern Ontario First Nation has signed a partnership deal with the province designed to speed up construction of a road to the mineral-rich Ring of Fire.

The province will give Webequie First Nation nearly $40 million to build a community centre with an arena, rebuild its airport terminal that recently burned down and buy materials and equipment to begin early work on a road to the proposed Ring of Fire mining site.

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Webequie First Nation Chief Cornelius Wabasse says the deal will also provide his community with badly needed mental health resources and support.

Wabasse says the Webequie Supply Road is a pathway to economic opportunity for his isolated community, which can only be reached by air or via a winter road that is increasingly shrinking in length due to climate change.

There are two other proposed roads that would link Webequie to the provincial highway system hundreds of kilometres to the south.

Premier Doug Ford says construction on the road could begin as soon as next June, though he would need the federal government to drop an impact assessment he says is duplicative of the work Webequie has already done on a nearly complete environmental assessment.