Ford government celebrates construction work on northern Ontario mining roads

Construction work is officially underway on roads in a remote, mineral-rich area of northern Ontario as part of the Ford government’s push to open up the Ring of Fire for mining.

On Monday, the Ontario government and Aroland First Nation announced that ground had broken on work to upgrade the Anaconda and Painter Lake roads, part of a broader network in the region.

“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,” Premier Doug Ford said in a statement.

“I want to thank Chief Sonny Gagnon and the members of Aroland First Nation for their partnership as we stand up to protect Ontario communities and workers.”

Since it was first elected in 2018, the Ford government has sought to create an all-season road to the Ring of Fire, which is home to remote First Nations as well as a range of critical minerals and potential mining opportunities.

The Ring of Fire is an area coveted by major mining companies for its range of critical minerals, which are key to various modern technologies like phones and batteries.

The Ford government put extra emphasis on building an all-season road to the area to make large-scale mining possible in the 2025 snap election.

The premier pitched it as a solution to make Ontario more economically self-sufficient and to give it resources that the United States may want to partner on.

Since winning the 2025 election, the government has accelerated work on the project, which has undergone expedited environmental assessments.

The construction work with Aroland First Nation is five years ahead of schedule, the government said Monday.

“Our government is making historic investments in our provincial highway network to unlock access to the Ring of Fire while supporting economic opportunities for First Nations in northern Ontario,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation.