Ontario advances Ring of Fire roads five years ahead of schedule

TORONTO — The Ontario government and Aroland First Nation announced Monday that major upgrades to the Anaconda and Painter Lake roads began June 30, advancing the province’s plan to open all-season access to the Ring of Fire five years ahead of the original timeline — just as Premier Doug Ford warned he is prepared to restrict critical minerals exports to the United States amid the escalating tariff war.Preliminary design and early works are already underway. The upgraded roads are scheduled to open by November 2030 — two years earlier than previously planned. The project will upgrade 97 kilometres of existing forest-access roads, replace all 62 culverts to improve drainage, complete bridge upgrades, and widen the corridor to two-lane secondary highway standards.Once finished, the roads will connect Highway 643 near Aroland to the broader all-season network leading into the Ring of Fire while creating local employment for Aroland First Nation members and supporting nearby businesses. The region holds significant deposits of chromite, nickel, copper, and other critical minerals that American manufacturers and the U.S. military rely on.Ford has made clear he views those resources as leverage. In interviews Monday, the premier said he is prepared to cut off critical minerals shipments to the United States if the trade conflict worsens. “I’ll cut them off,” Ford said. “You won’t get a grain of sand out of Ontario.” He also suggested Canada should consider charging triple the price on metals and rare earth minerals heading south..WATCH: Ford tells Trump to ‘kiss my ass,’ threatens triple prices on oil and critical minerals.“As we face down President Trump’s latest economic attack on Ontario workers and communities, we’re delivering on our plan to build the most competitive, resilient and self-reliant economy in the G7 for decades to come,” Ford said in a statement tied to the road announcement. “By building the roads to the Ring of Fire, we are unlocking $22 billion in economic potential and 70,000 good-paying jobs, while working with partners like Aroland First Nation to improve access to services for community members.”The upgrades form part of a Shared Prosperity Agreement signed with Aroland First Nation in January 2025 that also supports community infrastructure and energy transmission planning. Aroland is a Treaty 9 community of Ojibwa, Oji-Cree, and Cree people, with about 400 of its 700 registered members living on-reserve.Under the accelerated plan, construction on the Webequie Supply Road started in June 2026 and is targeted to open by November 2030. The Marten Falls Community Access Road is scheduled to begin this month and open by November 2031. The Northern Road Link is set to start in spring 2028 and open by November 2031.“Today, we are part of something special,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation. “Aligned with the leadership and priorities of Aroland First Nation, we are advancing legacy infrastructure that will support responsible resource development and create lasting prosperity.”.Neskantaga and Attawapiskat First Nations have previously threatened blockades, and the grassroots group Friends of the Attawapiskat River has launched court action seeking to overturn road approvals.With early works now active on multiple segments, the Ford government says the network is positioned to begin opening in 2030 rather than the mid-2030s.

Ontario advances Ring of Fire roads five years ahead of schedule

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