After years of negotiations and delays, the provincial government is moving ahead with an all-season road to the Ring of Fire chromite mining development.

Premier Kathleen Wynne announced Monday in Thunder Bay that agreements have been reached with the Webequie, Marten Falls and Nibinamik First Nations to begin construction of the road.

The route would go to the proposed Noront Resources mining project that Queen’s Park hope will give Northern Ontario a much-needed economic boost as well as link remote communities with other highways.

Environmental assessments will begin in January, six months before the June 7 provincial election, and construction is set to start in 2019 in the area about 575 km northeast of Thunder Bay.

The funding is part of the government’s promise to invest $1 billion in Ring of Fire infrastructure in the region.

It is estimated that there is $60 billion in mineral deposits in the area, including chromite, an essential component in making stainless steel; nickel; gold; platinum; copper; vanadium; and zinc.

“The entire Ring of Fire region has huge potential for development that would benefit all of the communities involved and the entire province, creating new jobs and improving the quality of life for people in the North,” said Wynne.

“Getting shovels in the ground to build this connection to the Ring of Fire will move us forward towards unlocking its full potential,” she said, admitting it will be a daunting project that will take years to complete.

“This is geography that is not straightforward in terms of building a road. (There) will be many, many bridges and causeways and so on because of the amount of water. So it will be a couple of years at least. But we want to get going as quickly as we can.”

Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown said Wynne’s newfound sense of urgency on the Ring of Fire has more to do with politics than anything else.

“Since its discovery in 2007 it has not been a priority for the Liberals. They are only in the North now because we’re a year out from an election. Any promise Kathleen Wynne makes on the Ring of Fire today she will break if she wins again,” said Brown.

“The Liberals have promised action on the Ring of Fire time and time again, but they can’t be trusted. They’ve sat on their hands and haven’t gotten anything done,” he said.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said northerners remain frustrated with the pace of movement on the project.

“That disappointment follows 14 years of Liberal government during which not one shovel has hit the ground. Not one kilometre of road has been built,” said Horwath.

‘Unlike Wynne and the Conservatives, I understand the urgency. There are people hurting because of the shortage of good jobs in their home community — jobs they can raise a family on. It doesn’t have to be this way,” she said.

“With a new government — one willing to take the Ring of Fire off the backburner and make it a priority — we will see action quickly.”

Webequie First Nation Chief Cornelius Wabasse said the road should “benefit our people and the region.”

“As proponents, this will allow us to engage with our people and serve them more effectively including respecting other First Nations,” said Wabasse.

Noront’s president and CEO Alan Coutts said the road is “a major step forward” for the company’s hopes of developing the mining site.

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“Establishment of a road network with agreement on industrial access is our most important project advancement milestone, and we are very pleased to see it move ahead,” said Coutts, adding the corporation would work closely with First Nations “through the road construction and mine development processes.”

Marten Falls First Nation Chief Bruce Achneepineskum said it is essential for everyone to work together to ensure the project is developed responsibly.

“As the historical occupants of the Ring of Fire, we believe that mining development must be both environmentally and economically sustainable, and we want to develop infrastructure that enables a multi-generational chromite opportunity,” he said.

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