During a visit to Thunder Bay late last week, Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford reiterated his election promise to speed up project approvals in the mineral-rich Ring of Fire by pushing Ottawa to remove what he called “unnecessary federal barriers and red tape” from major projects under provincial jurisdiction.
Ford says his vision to unlock the economic potential of the critical minerals mined in the Ring of Fire is critical in the face of looming tariffs from the U.S., but it does not sit well with Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN).
NAN Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler is calling on Ford and the Ontario government to “immediately retract these assertions and uphold the promises that the government made in treaty that respects First Nations as full partners — not election pawns.”
In a statement shared with The Chronicle-Journal, Fiddler called Ford’s promise to “unlock” the Ring of Fire and fast-track development a “direct attack on the inherent, treaty, and Aboriginal rights of First Nations who have governed and stewarded these lands since time immemorial.”
“These are not Ontario’s minerals; they exist within our territories, and any attempt to dictate their development without our full and meaningful involvement is an overreach of provincial authority and represents a complete failure to understand and honour the relationship between the government and First Nations in Ontario,” Fiddler said, adding First Nations do not operate on short-term political timelines.
“The unilateral will of the day’s government will not dictate the speed of development on our lands, and continuing to disregard our legal rights serves to reinforce the colonial and racist approach that we have always had to fight against,” he said in the statement.
Fiddler noted that investment does not equate to consent for First Nations people even though NAN acknowledges the investment in the Aboriginal Participation Fund and Ontario’s commitment to First Nations engagement.
He said policies aimed at expediting approvals by cutting red tape cannot override the authority of First Nations, who must be true partners in decision-making.
“If Ontario is serious about advancing its critical minerals strategy and furthering development in the North, it must commit to working with all affected Nations as partners,” Fiddler said.
