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.

Moonias, an elder from Neskantaga First Nation, and many in his community see the provincial government害羞草研究所檚 ambitions for the Ring of Fire as an existential threat to their way of life.

害羞草研究所淢other Earth is hurting,害羞草研究所� the 70-year-old says. 害羞草研究所淚f a big needle is pushing into your body, how would you feel?害羞草研究所�

The survivor of a residential school and, later, alcohol addiction, has heard government promises of prosperity related to developing the territory before. And he害羞草研究所檚 not convinced.

害羞草研究所淭he government has to come and see the land, or at least spend time with us,害羞草研究所� he says, breathing in the morning air as water laps the rocky shoreline. 害羞草研究所淭he gift the Creator gave us is to protect the land.害羞草研究所�

Neskantaga害羞草研究所檚 leadership is not completely opposed to mining in the Ring of Fire, a 5,000-square-kilometre area about 500 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, Ont. But they are dead set against the way the province has gone about it, saying the government has not properly involved them.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e not saying outright no, we just want to be part of it,害羞草研究所� Chief Chris Moonias says.

害羞草研究所淏efore anything happens, we want to be able to decide. We have to know what the real benefits are and we have to know what the real impacts are.害羞草研究所�

Premier Doug Ford has made mining the Ring of Fire a key priority as part of his goal to build an end-to-end electric vehicle manufacturing chain in Ontario.

The province and federal government have together committed billions to deals inked with auto giants Volkswagen and Stellantis to build EV battery plants in southern Ontario. In Ford害羞草研究所檚 vision, the metals supplying those plants would come from northern Ontario and head south for refining and processing.

The province considers nine First Nations to be within the Ring of Fire.

Two of those First Nations 害羞草研究所� Webequie and Marten Falls 害羞草研究所� are leading an environmental assessment on a proposed road to the Ring of Fire. While other First Nations say they respect Webequie and Marten Falls害羞草研究所� position, they also say the province is employing what they call a colonial divide-and-conquer tactic.

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.

Neskantaga has been under a boil-water advisory for more than 28 years 害羞草研究所� the longest continuous boil-water advisory in the country, which only the community害羞草研究所檚 leadership decides when to lift. There害羞草研究所檚 also a housing crisis 害羞草研究所� the fly-in community of about 350 people needs at least 100 more houses and many live in cramped conditions.

The community has no high school, meaning children have to leave at 13 or 14 years old for education. There is no doctor in the community and its nursing station faces constant staffing shortages.

A state of emergency declared in 2013 over a rash of suicides remains in place. Opioids are an emerging worry, while alcohol still finds its way inside the dry reserve.

Prosperity, the chief says, would have to come in the form of tangible improvements.

It means a high school in the community, he says. It means clean drinking water, good jobs, a paved airport runway that would allow bigger planes in and better access to doctors and nurses.

COMMUNITY CONCERNS

Outside a home for elders, George Sakanee fiddles with a new metal detector. He loves hunting for metallic rocks. Out of one pocket comes a few stones. He pulls a magnet out of his other pocket. A shiny black rock gets pulled to the magnet.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 a lot of metal around here,害羞草研究所� he says with a smile.

He recounts a story about another elder who performed a ceremony that connected him to the spiritual world deep inside the Ring of Fire.

害羞草研究所淭he Ring of Fire is a gift from the Creator to the Indian people,害羞草研究所� he says the elder told him.

害羞草研究所淏ut Doug Ford wants all of it now and what will we be left with?害羞草研究所�

An all-weather road to a mining development, if it害羞草研究所檚 ever built, also presents concerns. There are plans for several water crossings, including a bridge over the Attawapiskat River.

害羞草研究所淭hey will contaminate the water and we could lose a lot of our fish,害羞草研究所� says Ryan Moonias, who lives in Thunder Bay with his young family but returned to Neskantaga for its annual summer festival.

害羞草研究所淚 worked in a mine before, I know what can be left behind, sometimes they screw up, or there are accidents and spills. It could mess up our environment, screw up our hunting grounds and trap lines.害羞草研究所�

For Roy Moonias, the road itself is an issue.

害羞草研究所淲ho owns that road? Will there be Ontario police on that road? What else comes with that road, more drugs and alcohol?害羞草研究所� he says.

害羞草研究所淏uilding a road into our territory will cause changes and we害羞草研究所檙e obviously really worried about that.害羞草研究所�

MARTEN FALLS

About 150 kilometres southeast lies Marten Falls First Nation, which is taking a different approach.

It is working on two possible road projects. One is an access road that will connect it with the provincial highway system to the south. The First Nation is leading an environmental assessment that should be complete in two years, says Chief Bruce Achneepineskum.

害羞草研究所淭hat 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,害羞草研究所� he says.

The second project is the so-called 害羞草研究所淣orthern Road Link害羞草研究所� that would lead to a proposed Ring of Fire mining site known as Eagle害羞草研究所檚 Nest, owned by Wyloo, an Australian-based mining giant controlled by billionaire Andrew Forrest.

Marten Falls and Webequie First Nation are leading the road害羞草研究所檚 required provincial environmental assessment, which Achneepineskum says will not be complete until 2026.

He emphasizes that helping lead the environmental assessment is not a tacit approval to mine the region.

害羞草研究所淲e felt strongly that we should take the lead in any development happening in our territory,害羞草研究所� Achneepineskum says.

害羞草研究所淏ut first we want to address the social conditions and economic conditions in our community. These issues are being ignored.害羞草研究所�

Marten Falls has been under a boil-water advisory for 17 years, so fixing the water problems is paramount, the chief says. The community also needs more housing and better health care.

Marten Falls hopes the proposed road to the provincial highway system will help address those issues, the chief says. The road to the Ring of Fire comes a distant second in priority, he says.

The chief feels, however, that Marten Falls is being held back by other First Nations who disagree with his community害羞草研究所檚 approach.

害羞草研究所淭his is a new form of paternalism, but now it seems to be coming from our Indigenous brothers and sisters,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淒o we have to give up our vision because we have not agreed to a collective approach?害羞草研究所�

THE GOVERNMENT VIEW

On a recent afternoon, three Ontario ministers were ebullient when discussing the creation of an end-to-end electric vehicle battery manufacturing chain.

The province is coming off two big 害羞草研究所� and expensive 害羞草研究所� wins in service of that goal by landing, with Ottawa, deals with Volkswagen and Stellantis for electric vehicle battery plants in southern Ontario.

Greg Rickford, who runs two ministries 害羞草研究所� northern development and Indigenous affairs 害羞草研究所� along with Mining Minister George Pirie and Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli say all of northern Ontario holds the key to economic growth across the province.

害羞草研究所淭his is a generational opportunity to transform our economy,害羞草研究所� Pirie, a former gold mining executive, says.

With development comes a host of jobs, they say, including engineering, architectural, accounting and legal work. There will also be jobs in mines and need for heavy equipment operators, among others.

The ministers believe the development will spur socio-economic change within northern Ontario First Nations. And, of course, be crucial to Ontario害羞草研究所檚 plans to become an EV battery powerhouse.

Rickford, who spends a lot of his time talking to chiefs across northern Ontario including Neskantaga害羞草研究所檚 leader, believes the government can reach agreement with the opposing First Nations.

害羞草研究所淲e have lots of talks off-line around some of the things that (Neskantaga) needs to move forward,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淚f we focus on those common interests around legacy infrastructure and keep it keep it pretty simple, we have a clear path.害羞草研究所�

The province has recommitted $1 billion to develop the Ring of Fire, like the previous Liberal government before it. Ontario has repeatedly asked the federal government to match the funds, which it has thus far not done.

Ottawa wants to develop a domestic source of critical minerals, but it believes many other mining projects across the country are closer to realization.

害羞草研究所淲e are going to focus very much on expediting the development of Canadian resources,害羞草研究所� says Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson.

害羞草研究所淲e will only develop minerals in a manner that is sustainable and respects the rights of Indigenous peoples.害羞草研究所�

MINING PROSPECTS

In downtown Toronto, Kristan Straub, the Canada CEO of Wyloo, shows off a model of what the underground area that could be explored at the company害羞草研究所檚 site in the Ring of Fire might look like. The mine would be three times as deep as the CN Tower is tall 害羞草研究所� possibly deeper.

Wyloo is performing exploratory drilling at its Eagle害羞草研究所檚 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.

In 2007, nickel, copper and platinum metal deposits were discovered at the site. Nickel is a key component of electric vehicle batteries, accounting for roughly 80 per cent of one, says Straub, who came to the company in the spring.

Eagle害羞草研究所檚 Nest 害羞草研究所� if and when it becomes operational 害羞草研究所� could produce upwards of 15,000 tons of nickel annually.

害羞草研究所淥ur goal today is to be in a position where we害羞草研究所檙e ready for construction in four years by 2027, and that would see us in production for 2030,害羞草研究所� he says.

Wyloo forecasts a 12-year mine life with a possible eight-year extension, he says.

The majority of nickel currently mined in Ontario is exported, Straub says. With the coming Volkswagen and Stellantis plants, the need for nickel in the province will skyrocket.

害羞草研究所淚s Eagle害羞草研究所檚 Nest going to supply Ontario害羞草研究所檚 new battery electric vehicle market?害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淣o. It害羞草研究所檚 going to take, roughly by our calculations, probably close to 25 to 30 new Eagle害羞草研究所檚 Nests.害羞草研究所�

For any of that to work, the company needs a road to haul out the metals it extracts. And it needs collaboration with First Nations, he says.

Straub, from Henvey Inlet First Nation south of Sudbury, Ont., understands better than most the needs of Indigenous communities. The company is in direct talks with some First Nations, he says.

Wyloo has pledged at least $100-million worth of contracts for Indigenous companies. They害羞草研究所檝e also established a fund to invest in First Nation communities害羞草研究所� priorities, focusing on health care and education.

害羞草研究所淐ertain First Nations are going to either highlight that they have a problem or they want us to stop,害羞草研究所� Straub says.

害羞草研究所淥ur ask back to the government and to the other First Nations is that while we respect your opinion, that we don害羞草研究所檛 get stopped in terms of the exploration work or the engineering work.害羞草研究所�

Individuals and companies can stake mining claims for a small fee in Ontario. There are more than 28,000 mining claims held by 14 companies and individuals in the Ring of Fire, the province said.

Last week, several First Nation leaders, including Neskantaga害羞草研究所檚 chief, protested Ontario害羞草研究所檚 Ring of Fire plans at the legislature. Four First Nations outside the Ring of Fire have pledged to support Neskantaga in a group they害羞草研究所檝e called the Land Defence Alliance.

Chief Rudy Turtle of Grassy Narrows First Nation, which is part of the alliance, does not want mining, logging or any development in his territory 害羞草研究所� or in any others.

In the 1960s and 害羞草研究所�70s, two paper mills dumped thousands of kilograms of mercury into a river upstream of Grassy Narrows.

Researchers have reported that more than 90 per cent of the residents in Grassy Narrows and the Wabaseemoong First Nation show signs of mercury poisoning, including Turtle. He lives with seizures, the shakes and co-ordination problems.

害羞草研究所淲hat I害羞草研究所檓 seeing is it害羞草研究所檚 nothing more than a divide-and-conquer tactic,害羞草研究所� Turtle says. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 led to tragedy in the past, and that害羞草研究所檚 how I see it right now.害羞草研究所�

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