Pierre Poilievre’s pledge on Wednesday that a Conservative government would fast-track development of the Ring of Fire has been criticized by Nishnawbe Aski Nation’s (NAN) grand chief, who accused the federal party leader of ignoring First Nations’ rights.
Alvin Fiddler was among those responding to Poilievre’s comments on the mineral-rich area of northwestern Ontario during his visit to Sudbury. NAN is a political organization representing 51 First Nation communities across Treaty 9 and Treaty 5 areas of northern Ontario
The Opposition leader said his party would “greenlight” all federal permits for the Ring of Fire within six months to speed the extraction of chromite, cobalt, nickel, copper and platinum, describing this as essential for the Canadian economy in the face of U.S. tariffs. His Sudbury stop comes as the federal parties heighten pre-election efforts in the wake of Mark Carney recently becoming Liberal leader and prime minister.
On social media in response to Poilievre’s post on X, formerly Twitter, Fiddler wrote: “Canada FIRST? That means respecting the sovereignty of the First Peoples of these lands. Poilievre’s proposed shortcuts ignore our rights and our connection to the land.”
The Ring of Fire region, about 500 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, is said to be rich in critical minerals, but development has been slow over the past 15 years.
At a news conference, Poilievre said the Ring of Fire “could make Canada very rich. It would be life changing for northern Ontario towns, galvanizing thousands of paycheques and modern infrastructure.
“It would help our First Nations become richer. It would boost our economy with billions of dollars, allowing us to become less dependent on the Americans after we start selling those resources overseas.”
A history of Indigenous involvement
Marten Falls and Webequie First Nations are leading an environmental assessment for the Northern Road Link, a proposed corridor that would connect the Ring of Fire to Ontario’s highway network. That assessment is not expected to be completed until 2026, a timeline that contrasts with Poilievre’s six-month commitment.
As well, some First Nations in the region have long opposed Ring of Fire development, citing environmental concerns, potential damage to water sources and inadequate consultation. In 2023, a coalition of First Nations, the Land Defence Alliance, was formed in part to resist mining projects in the north.
Sol Mamakwa, NDP member of provincial parliament (MPP) for Kiiwetinoong, said Poilievre’s announcement disregards the fundamental principle of free, prior and informed consent, which is protected under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
“Over hundreds of years, our lands, our territories have [received] a lot of interest from governments, including the government of Ontario, government of Canada without the proper free, prior and informed consent,” Mamakwa said. “If they fast-track anything, I can be clear and be sure that our people will protect these lands, not just in the courts, but it’s going to be on the lands.”
Mamakwa noted that while the Ontario and federal governments talk about protecting their lands and economies, First Nations have been doing the same for generations.
“We’ve lived like that for a long time,” he said. “It needs to be done in a way where we are at the table, not on the menu…. And we need to be part of the discussion.”
The MPP also warned that any attempt to push through permits and construction without First Nations involvement would be met with direct action.
Poilievre’s pledge ‘is sheer politicking’: Hajdu
Minister of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu, Liberal MP for Thunder Bay-Superior North, said Poilievre’s announcement ignores the realities of how resource development projects are approved in Canada.
“For the last decade, we’ve been working with First Nations communities on ensuring that Indigenous people have an opportunity to prosper from natural resource extraction,” Hajdu said, pointing to the government’s major loan guarantee program that allows First Nations to buy into large projects.
She also said Poilievre’s promises signal a lack of engagement with Indigenous leaders.
“We’ve seen the results of trying to jam things through, in fact, without consultations, without environmental processes, without even consultation with non-Indigenous communities, never mind. This is sheer politicking without any understanding of how you actually get things done in this country.”
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, who spoke after leaving a meeting of the cabinet committee on Canada-U.S. relations and national security, also denounced the Conservative leader’s Ring of Fire approach.
“Mr. Poilievre is hearkening back to a period when he was a cabinet minister under Prime Minister [Stephen] Harper when nothing could get built in this country because they ignored Indigenous concerns and they actually [weren’t] thoughtful about environmental considerations when they ripped the heart out of the environmental assessment process,” Wilkinson told reporters on Parliament Hill.
Conservative leader blames ‘gatekeeping’ for delays
In addition to speeding up federal permits, Poilievre said he would spend $1 billion over three years to build a road linking the mineral deposits and nearby First Nations to the Ontario highway network, while “allowing companies investing in the Ring of Fire to pay a share of their federal corporate taxes to local First Nations.”
Poilievre blamed what he called Liberal “gatekeeping and red tape” for the delays, citing Bill C-69 — federal legislation that changed environmental assessment processes — as a major obstacle. He said the Ontario government is already conducting an environmental assessment for the project, and he has accused Ottawa of unnecessary duplication.
“This gatekeeping and red tape was devastating for Canada before Donald Trump threatened tariffs on our economy. Now, it is an act of economic suicide,” said Poilievre.
“By partnering with First Nations to develop our world-class resources, we will bring home powerful paycheques for all Canadians.”
When asked whether he supports processing the extracted minerals in Sudbury, Poilievre said he “absolutely” does.
“Sudbury is the hub. It’s the hub for the supplies that go into our mines, but it’s also the hub where the minerals should go to be refined, upgraded and then shipped to market all around the world,” he said.
“This is a place where we have the expertise, the workers, the financing, the population, the geography…. It’s going to bring billions of dollars through Sudbury.”
Poilievre also framed his plan for the Ring of Fire as a way to reduce Canada’s reliance on the United States, especially as the prospect of new U.S. trade tariffs looms.
