Ford follows Poilievre’s footsteps in unleashing Ring of Fire
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is taking steps to open the Ring of Fire for natural resource development by introducing new legislation to fast-track mining approvals.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is taking steps to open the Ring of Fire for natural resource development by introducing new legislation to fast-track mining approvals and designate “special economic zones” for critical mineral development.
As Canada’s federal election campaign heats up, Ford’s announcement follows Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s promise to “put Canada first” by slashing regulatory delays and unleashing the country’s mineral wealth.
The Ring of Fire — a massive mineral-rich region in northern Ontario — is a centrepiece in both the premier’s and the Conservative leader’s plans to strengthen domestic supply chains and reduce reliance on foreign adversaries.
“President Trump wants to destroy our economy, take jobs away from Ontarians and Canadians, and we have to get up and fight like we’ve never fought before,” said Ford. “We can’t be caught up in red tape and regulations and dilly-dallying around.”
Poilievre has also proposed “shovel-ready zones” across Canada, where permits would be pre-approved and projects could proceed immediately if they meet safety and environmental standards.”
The new Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act would streamline approvals for mining and infrastructure projects by replacing overlapping permitting processes with a “One Project, One Process” model. The government says this could cut review times by up to 50 per cent.
“Accelerating responsible resource development — from clean energy to critical minerals projects — creates a generational opportunity that will transform our country into a true energy superpower,” said Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce.
Poilievre announced in March that a Conservative government would fast-track all federal permits for the Ring of Fire within six months and commit $1 billion toward connecting First Nations communities to the Ontario highway network.
“Only a Canada First Conservative Government will rapidly approve Ring of Fire permits and quickly repeal C-69, the anti-resource law the Liberals still have in place,” said Poilievre. “We could boost our economy with billions of dollars… turning dollars for dictators into paycheques for our people.”
Ford revealed that a simple mining project can take 15 years just to get approved due to red tape, bureaucracy, and duplicative processes.
“In the face of current Ontario-U.S. trade tensions, it can no longer be business as usual. We are cutting red tape to unlock our critical minerals and unleash our economy to create new jobs and opportunities in the north and across the province,” said Ford.
The legislation will create an authority to designate special economic zones, accelerate mining development provincewide, speed up other projects, build a secure energy grid by restricting foreign actors, and more.
The Ontario government said it will maintain its environmental standards and constitutional obligations to consult Indigenous communities.
If the legislation is passed, the first special economic zone is set to be designated by September 2025.
Ontario is one of the most mineral-rich areas in the world, containing nickel, titanium, cobalt, and lithium, which cell phones and electric vehicles rely on. The Ring of Fire is a nearly 5,000-square-kilometre region filled with extensive mineral deposits.
So where has ford been all this time, in forcefully pushing for the Ring of Fire? Could it be that his nose has been too occupied with sniffing turdoh's nether regions since covid times, that he couldn't fully apply himself to the task? And why, if the Ring of Fire is so overridingly important to him, has he not eschewed the marx carney continuation of the same old lieberal cabinets, caucuses and policies, in favour of FULLY supporting a Conservative federal government, which is publicly committing to instill and follow up on pro-Canadian development of Ring of Fire, oil and gas development and transportation for the betterment of Canada and Canadians? Canadians all know, that if carney is elected, his platform policies, which he has been stealing from Pierre, will never see the light of day. They will be swept under the rug, like all of the other lieberal promises. Shame on you doug, for not standing up for Ontarians and Canadians.
Sieg Heil Douggy! And give our regards to your Somali Druggy friends.