The province has an agreement with Aroland First Nation on a road that could lead to the Ring of Fire.
Two existing roads, Anaconda Road and Painter Lake Road, will be upgraded, which could eventually link Marten Falls and Webequie.
A release says the agreement builds on the Letters of Confirmation signed by Premier Ford in June that committed the province to future maintenance and upgrades to Highway 584 and Highway 11.
Along with the road improvements, $70 million will be earmarked to advance route and design planning of the Greenstone Electricity Transmission Line, linking the municipality of Greenstone to communities around the Ring of Fire.
Another $20 million will be set aside for community infrastructure projects and up to $2.27 million for a comprehensive community plan to support business development and community wellness.
The province will also support Aroland’s interest in acting as a proponent for the development of a trans-load facility and smelter.
Chief Sonny Gagnon is excited about the opportunities that could be gained by the community.
“We’re going to be looking at a lot of opportunities for my community to build what we need to build, to educate the children that we need to educate, to promote health, proper health, and also to try and work with the drug issues we have in our community,” says Gagnon.
“We have the opportunity with my members, my community to attain the skills that we need to be self-sustaining to make Aroland get off what government funding and all that.”
The provincial government sees the roads as important links toward opening up the Ring of Fire.
Gagnon says those discussions are still to take place.
“The Ring of Fire is somewhere in the site far ahead. We’re only talking the Marten Falls’ community access road, and that’s where it ends. It’s not leading to any Ring of Fire unless the other communities are in favour of moving the project forward, says Gagnon.
The agreement’s announcement was made hours before the Premier moved to dissolve the legislature, prompting an early provincial election.
