On a rock-covered beach in the heart of the Ring of Fire in northern Ontario, Alex Moonias gazes east, then north. All he sees is undisturbed land, water and air.
Some 100 kilometres from where he stands, the province plans to build a road as part of its pledge to mine the area, which is said to be rich in metals needed for electric vehicle batteries.
"The government has to come and see the land, or at least spend time with us," he says, breathing in the morning air as water laps the rocky shoreline. "The gift the Creator gave us is to protect the land." In Neskantaga, Chief Moonias says the premier has yet to reach out directly to the community to discuss plans for the Ring of Fire. Government promises of prosperity ring hollow, he says.
An all-weather road to a mining development, if it's ever built, also presents concerns. There are plans for several water crossings, including a bridge over the Attawapiskat River. "That access road would provide for better lives in our community because we would have 24-hour transportation to another community for health reasons, or for education, employment and training, and the list goes on," he says.
"We felt strongly that we should take the lead in any development happening in our territory," Achneepineskum says. The chief feels, however, that Marten Falls is being held back by other First Nations who disagree with his community's approach. "This is a generational opportunity to transform our economy," Pirie, a former gold mining executive, says.
"We have lots of talks off-line around some of the things that needs to move forward," he says. "If we focus on those common interests around legacy infrastructure and keep it keep it pretty simple, we have a clear path." Wyloo is performing exploratory drilling at its Eagle's Nest site and completing a variety of engineering studies. It has also made a commitment to bury 100 per cent of any mine tailings underground in a process Straub says is safe.
"Is Eagle's Nest going to supply Ontario's new battery electric vehicle market?" he says. "No. It's going to take, roughly by our calculations, probably close to 25 to 30 new Eagle's Nests." "Certain First Nations are going to either highlight that they have a problem or they want us to stop," Straub says.
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