The Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines says the time for talk on The Ring of Fire is over and now is the time for action.

Recently, the government abandoned the Regional Framework Agreement process, started five years ago, and is now reaching out to the individual communities for a new approach.

Greg Rickford says things are happening.

“We hope that the first of a series of environmental assessments will be complete by the end of the year. We hope we can get shovels in the ground by late winter or early spring,” Rickford says.

Rickford says the government has an important role in creating the conditions for mining companies to prosper and that it turn creates jobs and improves the lives of people in the north.

He says government involvement could include several projects including paving the way for road access, creating a network of corridors for electrification and technology bundles.

(photo by station staff)

Filed under: Greg Rickford, Ring of Fire