Photo: The band office in Neskantaga First Nation. (FILE)
By Mike Stimpson
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
SNnewswatch.com
The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) has decided not to conduct an assessment of the Eagle’s Nest mine project in the Ring of Fire, and at least one First Nation chief in the region is unhappy with the decision.
A thorough impact assessment must be done because Eagle’s Nest “is not an overnight project, it’s pretty much a lifetime project,” Neskantaga Chief Gary Quisess said Wednesday.
Quisess said an impact assessment for the proposed mega-mine “should be done properly — you know, it should not be rushed.”
“The Ring of Fire is a very historical area,” he added. “That’s our culture, our ancestors, where we survived from.”
Quisess said he was too busy dealing with a recent death in his remote community to comment further.
IAAC president Terrence Hubbard, in his explanation of the agency’s decision, said they considered “whether a means other than an impact assessment exists that would permit a jurisdiction to address the adverse effects within federal jurisdiction and the direct or incidental adverse effects.”
He concluded that there are other means, including mechanisms under Ontario’s Mining Act, other provincial statutes, and federal laws and regulations.
He also noted that the mine’s proponent, Australia-based mining giant Wyloo, “has been actively consulting with numerous Indigenous groups, working to address potential impacts of the project.”
The Eagle’s Nest property, located some 540 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, is rich in nickel, platinum group metals and copper.
Wyloo estimates its proposed mine could operate for at least 12 years and produce 15,000 tonnes of nickel annually.
The timeline on Wyloo’s Eagle’s Nest webpage has construction beginning in 2027 for production to start in 2030.
The Ontario government has signed partnership agreements with Webequie First Nation and Marten Falls First Nation to move Ring of Fire development forward.
Those deals include roads to link the remote Treaty 9 communities to Ontario highways.
Marten Falls submitted a comprehensive environmental assessment for its proposed all-season access road on Feb. 20.
The environmental assessment for the all-season Webequie Supply Road has also been submitted.
Webequie and Marten Falls are both aiming to begin construction of their roads this year.
Public consultations are underway for the Northern Road Link, a proposed all-season road that would run between the Marten Falls and Webequie roads.
The Marten Falls, Webequie and Northern Road Link roads are the core of what Premier Doug Ford’s government has called a “corridor to prosperity” — land access to the Ring of Fire, where Wyloo and other companies hope to establish mines.
Neskantaga has expressed opposition to Ring of Fire development moving ahead without its participation and consent, and even vowed to block the corridor.