NDP calls on the Liberals to keep their promises and create Ring of Fire jobs

Ontario NDP Northern Development and Mines Critic, Michael Mantha (MPP, Algoma-Manitoulin) demanded to know when northerners will see Ontario’s Ring of Fire begin development and start creating jobs.

“The Liberals call the Ring of Fire a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity.’ The real question is: whose lifetime?” said Mantha. “People in Northern Ontario want to see the Ring of Fire up and running because it means good, stable jobs across the north, and they’ve been waiting for a long time. Will northerners ever see the Liberals keep their promises on the Ring of Fire?”

 

Mantha noted that developing the Ring of Fire would create long-term high-value jobs across the north in exploration, construction, refining and a range of skilled trades. Responsible development of the Ring of Fire will have wide-ranging impacts for communities across Northern Ontario.

“The Liberals have been announcing a plan to invest $1 billion in the Ring of Fire since 2014. And their 'mining strategy' earlier this year also made no new commitments, or provide timelines, or a course of action. If the government invested a dollar every time they reannounced their plan for the Ring of Fire, we might actually see some investment,” said Mantha. “Instead of seeing investment and jobs, all Northerners are getting is ‘cut and paste’ promises on the Ring of Fire from the Liberals.”