Ontario signs deal with Marten Falls First Nation to fast track road to Ring of Fire

TORONTO — Another northern Ontario First Nation has signed a partnership deal with the province to fast track construction on the road to the mineral-rich Ring of Fire, with its chief saying they hope to begin construction next summer.

Marten Falls First Nation will receive nearly $40 million for a multi-purpose community centre, materials for other infrastructure projects, including this season’s winter road, and other priority projects, said Chief Bruce Achneepineskum.

The deal also includes money to rebuild the First Nation’s airport terminal and pave the gravel runway, along with cash to build an aggregate-sourcing project. The community centre will also be used to train people for the upcoming road work and other projects Marten Falls is working on.

“We have to deal with very expensive air flights to get in and out of the community, and that has a big, direct detriment on our health,” Achneepineskum said at a news conference at Queen’s Park.

“We cannot easily jump in a car and then ride down the street to make an appointment to the doctors at any day of the week. It’s been a huge, huge hardship for our members.”

Achneepineskum said the deal represents economic reconciliation, and added it also fixes a relationship with the province that has historically left the community behind.

Premier Doug Ford said the deal is a “landmark moment” to bring prosperity to northern Ontario.

“I’m bound and determined, with the co-operation of the chief and council, we’re going to change the young people’s lives up there,” Ford said.

In return, the community will complete its environmental assessment on the Marten Falls Access Road by February with the hopes of beginning construction by August. That is contingent upon the province completing a deal with the federal government to remove what it calls duplicative work on environmental assessments.

Marten Falls is about 450 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ont., accessible via a winter road for a month or two a year and otherwise only reachable by air.

The province recently signed a similar deal with Webequie First Nation, which is north of Marten Falls.

Both are leading environmental assessments on three roads that will connect to Webequie in the north, mining activities in the Ring of Fire, Marten Falls further south and, ultimately, the provincial highway system.

The province thinks the critical minerals in the ground are theirs to give away, said New Democrat Sol Mamakwa who represents the riding of Kiiwetinoong, where the Ring of Fire is located.

“I am always a believer that rights holders need to have a say, and I respect their decision to participate in the government’s process,” he said.

“However, we know that neighbouring communities who may be impacted need to be involved and without their involvement, these projects won’t go forward.”

He said the land is worth more than the $39.5 million each the province is giving Marten Falls and Webequie.

“They must be protected for the generations to come,” Mamakwa said.

Liberal parliamentary leader John Fraser applauded the deals for both Webequie and Marten Falls, though he said Ford has a lot more work to do with the other 131 First Nations in the province.

“It doesn’t solve the problem that the government really has with First Nations, and that relates to Bill 5, this whole thing about the government being able to do whatever they want, whenever they want, wherever they want,” he said.

“And the basis of that problem, the real problem, is trust.”

Ford’s government passed Bill 5 last spring. The legislation, in part, allows the government to create so-called “special economic zones” where it can suspend any or all provincial and municipal laws. It was passed in an effort to speed up the approval and construction of large projects, particularly mines.

The passage of the bill sparked protests from the majority of First Nations, which said the law trampled their rights and ignored their concerns.

The province has not declared any special economic zones yet, though Ford said the Ring of Fire would be the first.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2025.

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press