Question Period Note: Ring of Fire

• Indigenous Services Canada continues to work in support of
Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
and Natural Resources Canada, the lead federal departments, to
further infrastructure development and economic reconciliation
in the Ring of Fire region.
• Since 2011, whole-of-government efforts led by Indigenous
Services Canada and the Federal Economic Development
Agency for Northern Ontario, the Government of Canada has
made major investments in Indigenous communities in the
region. This includes over $190M of programming investments
to improve socio-economic conditions as well as to support
informed decision-making for natural resource development.

Ontario’s Ring of Fire region is one of the most promising mineral development opportunities
for critical minerals in the province. It’s located approximately 500km northeast of Thunder Bay
and covers about 5,000km squared. As part of the Critical Minerals Strategy Memorandum to
Cabinet (May 2022), Natural Resources Canada has expanded the Indigenous Natural
Resources and Partnerships Program to support capacity to participate proposed activities
within the region. In addition, Minister Wilkinson has invited First Nations in the region and the
province of Ontario to join co-development processes for the Ring of Fire.
Indigenous Natural Resources and Partnerships Program: ISC supports the implementation
of the Indigenous Natural Resources and Partnerships Program (INRP); which supports the
capacity of First Nations to participate in economic development opportunities in natural
resource sectors within the region. This program is administered and funded through Natural
Resources Canada, one of the lead federal departments responsible for the Ring of Fire. To
date, 21 projects have been approved for INRP funding, two of which are from the critical
minerals stream not associated with the Ring of Fire. The recipients were British Columbia First
Nations Energy and Mining Council and Denendeh Investments Incorporated. No critical mineral
proposals have been received via the INRP program associated with the First Nations located in
the Ring of Fire.
Northern Road Link: To date, no funding has been provided by ISC for the Northern Road
Link. The Northern Road Link would link two proposed roads, the 200km Marten Falls First
Nation Community Access Road and the 110 km Webequie Supply Road to the Ring of Fire.
The road would connect several northern communities and the Ring of Fire to the provincial
road network for the first time. In September 2023, ISC provided comments to the Impact
Assessment Agency on the proponent’s Draft Socio-Economic Existing Conditions Report for
the Webequie Supply Road proposal. Both LED and FNHIB provided comments and points for
consideration.

If pressed on the Strategic Partnerships Initiative (SPI) As part of the federal government’s commitments to economic
reconciliation, direct investments of $51M have been made via
the Strategic Partnerships Initiative (SPI) to support Indigenous
participation in the mining sector and improve socio-economic
conditions.
• Indigenous Services Canada remains committed to working
together with all our partners, including Natural Resources
Canada’s Indigenous Natural Resources and Partnerships
Program, which contributes to advancing Indigenous economic
and infrastructure opportunities in the Ring of Fire.