Anna Baggio News Today

The clock is ticking for an Indigenous-led conservation plan to protect the carbon-containing peatlands of Northern Ontario from the threat of Ring of Fire development

Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and Wildlands League endorse Urban Park Guelphs proposal to establish a national urban park on the former Guelph Correctional Centre site.

The long-contested mineral deposit known as the Ring of Fire in northern Ontario has seen a spike in mining claims, but conservationists and First Nations leaders say there's risk that comes with claims being staked before environmental assessments and community consultations are done.

The Ontario government is being called upon to place its support on existing mining projects rather than opening up the Ring of Fire.

In March, the province committed to invest $29 million over four years to protect caribou, whose estimated number in the province is around 5,000. Now, Ontario has announced $20 million for a conservation stewardship project.

“It seems pretty clear we need to get this part of it right,” says Jamie Bonham. “Without it, we will struggle to see the potential this industry can realize.”

Reconciliation isn’t the only thing threatened when mining exploration companies fail to get consent from Indigenous nations, says one ethical investor. 

The Northern Road Link Project, a highway leading to the region in northern Ontario, is part of a larger push to develop mining projects in the area and capitalize on critical minerals like copper, chromite and nickel that play a vital role in the energy transition.

The Ontario government has promised to spend $29 million over four years to protect boreal caribou, an iconic animal that's been considered threatened for more than a decade. But some proponents say the province's strategy isn't doing enough to preserve the species.

Filmoption International is proud to announce that Michael Zelnickers film The Issue with Tissue will be released in theatres in Montreal and Quebec City on December 9th.