Opportunity is knocking for members of Local 793 in northern Ontario as work officially gets underway on the first segment of the new road network to the Ring of Fire.
The $61.8 million Geraldton Main Street Rehabilitation Project will connect Hwy. 11 in the south with Hwy. 584 in the north and prepare the road to handle the heavy traffic expected to come with the opening of new mines in the mineral rich area located 500 km northeast of Thunder Bay.
The provincial government estimates the Ring of Fire redevelopment will create more than 70,000 jobs in industries across Ontario and generate over $22 billion dollars over 30 years. It says developing a network of all-season roads is a key step in the plan – music to ears of our members.
Local 793 Executive Board member and Northwest Ontario Area Supervisor John Kelly and Special Projects Representative Kyle Park were at Tuesday’s groundbreaking in the Municipality of Greenstone, where Minister of Northern Development and Minister of Indigenous Affairs in Ontario Greg Rickford announced, “The Ring of Fire is no longer a distant promise – it is happening now!”
Local 793 signatory contractors Pioneer Construction and Bélanger Construction will be working on the road improvement project.
With much of the proposed road network cutting through their land, much time has been spent in building partnerships with First Nations and other Northern communities, ensuring they share in the jobs and prosperity that will be created.
Chief Sonny Gagnon of Aroland First Nation spoke at the event of the importance of developing responsibly together with the government, with support also being offered by Chief Yvette Metansinine of Animbiigoo Zaagi’igan Anishinaabek.
Work on the road in Geraldton is expected to take three years.
