{"id":446109,"date":"2025-12-14T08:38:16","date_gmt":"2025-12-14T08:38:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/446109\/"},"modified":"2025-12-14T08:38:16","modified_gmt":"2025-12-14T08:38:16","slug":"inside-the-ring-of-fire-a-tale-of-two-first-nations-and-a-road-that-could-change-everything","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/446109\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Ring of Fire: A tale of two First Nations and a road that could change everything"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0THE\u00a0WARNING<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The\u00a0ancestors knew.<\/p>\n

First Nation elders understood\u00a0the\u00a0south would march north eventually. They knew it would come in waves, sometimes slow, sometimes fast. Those ancestors told their kids, who told theirs, and so on until today.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0south has already carved many changes. Decades ago, Webequie First Nation and Neskantaga First Nation were one community.\u00a0The\u00a0southern import\u00a0of\u00a0Christianity split them apart. Neskantaga is largely Catholic.\u00a0The\u00a0Anglicans left for Webequie.\u00a0The\u00a0family ties remain, though so many were torn away by\u00a0the\u00a0residential school system. They are cousins.<\/p>\n

Today, leaders in both communities say their people live in conditions\u00a0the\u00a0rest\u00a0of\u00a0Canada would find unacceptable. Both communities are off-grid, stuck relying on diesel for power and reliant on an ever-shrinking winter road season that isolates them further.<\/p>\n

Now\u00a0the\u00a0south is hastening its march again. Canada\u2019s north is warming at least twice as fast as\u00a0the\u00a0rest\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0world. A global trade war has political eyes in Toronto, Ottawa and even Washington, D.C., on critical minerals buried underground.<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

Again Webequie and Neskantaga find themselves charting diverging courses.<\/p>\n

One seeks to harness\u00a0the\u00a0onslaught, embrace resource extraction and lift itself out\u00a0of\u00a0poverty.\u00a0The\u00a0other would first prioritize basic improvements, like getting clean drinking water out\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0taps for\u00a0the\u00a0first time in 30 years. Some plan an active blockade. To them, it is a deeply personal fight.<\/p>\n

But no matter what, that latest wave is here, galvanized by warming temperatures and a feeling\u00a0of\u00a0geopolitical urgency. As\u00a0the\u00a0elders foretold,\u00a0the\u00a0south is coming for what\u2019s hidden deep within\u00a0the\u00a0land.<\/p>\n

They are coming for\u00a0the\u00a0Ring\u00a0of\u00a0Fire. And, inevitably, they are building a road.<\/p>\n

II.\u00a0THE\u00a0ISLAND<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore on Toronto
\n\t\t\tMore videos\n\t\t<\/p>\n

The\u00a0raging fire lit\u00a0the\u00a0sky bright orange. Black smoke billowed for days. Embers floated onto\u00a0the\u00a0small fly-in community, on an island some 600 kilometres north\u00a0of\u00a0Thunder Bay.<\/p>\n

Chief Cornelius Wabasse could feel\u00a0the\u00a0heat from across\u00a0the\u00a0lake.\u00a0The\u00a0fire jumped to\u00a0the\u00a0island as it breathed to life, ultimately consuming more than 5,370 hectares\u00a0of\u00a0forest.<\/p>\n

But\u00a0the\u00a0winds were with Webequie First Nation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were lucky it didn\u2019t change its direction from\u00a0the\u00a0south to\u00a0the\u00a0north,\u201d Wabasse says. \u201cIf that would have happened, this community would have burned.\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a0fire ran\u00a0the\u00a0other way, giving\u00a0the\u00a0federal and provincial governments time to organize an evacuation.<\/p>\n

Nine cabins were lost across\u00a0the\u00a0lake, along with several boats and all-terrain vehicles. Fortune shone on Webequie, as\u00a0the\u00a0only way off\u00a0the\u00a0island at that time\u00a0of\u00a0year is by air or water.<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

There is no bridge, but one day Webequie hopes to build one.<\/p>\n

Helicopters dart across\u00a0the\u00a0sky on a wet and dreary October day. Charred spruce and birch trees stretch for dozens\u00a0of\u00a0kilometres to\u00a0the\u00a0east. From\u00a0the\u00a0window\u00a0of\u00a0one chopper, a planned road to\u00a0the\u00a0Ring\u00a0of\u00a0Fire comes into view. There is a clearing where trees have been chopped near\u00a0the\u00a0first proposed water crossing.<\/p>\n

In this part\u00a0of\u00a0Ontario, a couple hundred kilometres southwest\u00a0of\u00a0James Bay, there is as much water as land.\u00a0The\u00a0earth morphs from solid rock in\u00a0the\u00a0west to muskeg in\u00a0the\u00a0east. Underneath it all is said to be one\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0richest deposits\u00a0of\u00a0critical minerals and rare metals\u00a0the\u00a0world over.<\/p>\n

Outdoor shoes are not allowed inside Webequie\u2019s band office, much like at\u00a0the\u00a0nearby school and in\u00a0the\u00a0community\u2019s lone store.\u00a0The\u00a0floors in all three are spotless.<\/p>\n

Chief Wabasse sits at his desk, sporting tinted glasses and a black vest over a black sweater. An autographed photo\u00a0of\u00a0him with Ontario Premier Doug Ford hangs on\u00a0the\u00a0wall. A hand-carved, wooden bald eagle is perched atop a filing cabinet.<\/p>\n

Wabasse has been chief\u00a0of\u00a0Webequie for\u00a0the\u00a0past 15 years. He knows change is coming, and he wants to have a hand on\u00a0the\u00a0wheel when it arrives.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur elders used to say that there will come a time when things are going to come from\u00a0the\u00a0south, meaning development, and we have to be ready,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur well-being has to be at a favourable level because we have so many issues in our community, including overcrowding in our homes and mental health issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

Wabasse is a quiet and serious man. He kept his head down and his mouth quiet when Ottawa and Queen\u2019s Park passed laws in\u00a0the\u00a0spring that gave themselves extraordinary powers to remove barriers to development, at\u00a0the\u00a0cost\u00a0of\u00a0environmental regulations and Indigenous consultation.\u00a0The\u00a0laws sparked outrage among many First Nations, who saw it as an existential threat to their way\u00a0of\u00a0life.<\/p>\n

Wabasse, however, has a different take: \u201cWe don\u2019t need them,\u201d he says\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0new laws, though\u00a0the\u00a0community is studying them to see if they bear any advantages.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur elders used to say that we need to work with\u00a0the\u00a0government in order for our community to prosper,\u201d says Wabasse. \u201cWe need to work with all parties, even with industry or any other parties that want to work with us. We need to work together, we can\u2019t always fight and go into legal battles.\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a0First Nation is leading\u00a0the\u00a0provincial environmental assessment and\u00a0the\u00a0federal impact assessment on\u00a0the\u00a0Webequie Supply Road, a 107-kilometre gravel road to a proposed mine. From there,\u00a0the\u00a0road would connect to two other proposed roads, which would ultimately link Webequie and another First Nation, Marten Falls, to\u00a0the\u00a0provincial highway system.\u00a0The\u00a0two First Nations are working together on a similar study for\u00a0the\u00a0Northern Road Link, while Marten Falls is leading\u00a0the\u00a0study\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0third road.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0province has recently made deals with both First Nations \u2014\u00a0the\u00a0details, in Webequie\u2019s case, having been hammered out over pizza at\u00a0the\u00a0premier\u2019s home in Etobicoke \u2014 and\u00a0the\u00a0federal government. Webequie is hoping construction will start not long after\u00a0the\u00a0ground thaws in June. Marten Falls eyes August for its own construction to begin.<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

A road could bring problems: drugs, alcohol, hunters from\u00a0the\u00a0south. But it could also bring prosperity.\u00a0The\u00a0community wants its autonomy, and Wabasse firmly believes that starts with a bridge off\u00a0the\u00a0island.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0chief has four children. He lost one.\u00a0The\u00a0other three live in Thunder Bay, and though he is often in\u00a0the\u00a0city for work, he misses them. \u201cI\u2019d love to have them here and all\u00a0the\u00a0other band members who want to return, but we don\u2019t have enough houses or jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n

About 850 people live in Webequie, with another 200 off reserve. It needs 30 more homes to ease intense overcrowding. Five units were built last year and 10\u00a0the\u00a0year before. They\u2019re hoping to build 20 next year, but it all depends on\u00a0the\u00a0length\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0winter road season, which is down to about a month.<\/p>\n

For a long time, Webequie\u2019s people didn\u2019t worry about\u00a0the\u00a0winter road. Winter usually arrived in November.\u00a0The\u00a0community would begin packing down\u00a0the\u00a0road by December and driving off\u00a0the\u00a0island on an ice road by January. It would last two or more months.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe\u00a0weather is warming,\u00a0the\u00a0climate is changing,\u201d Wabasse says. \u201cThese days, it doesn\u2019t get cold until December or January.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diesel trucked in along\u00a0the\u00a0winter road powers\u00a0the\u00a0community for\u00a0the\u00a0year. Despite recent upgrades to a Hydro One diesel station at\u00a0the\u00a0airport, every year,\u00a0the\u00a0community burns through that fuel before it can be replenished again.\u00a0The\u00a0remainder has to be flown in.<\/p>\n

Webequie and Neskantaga First Nation are among five communities in\u00a0the\u00a0Ring\u00a0of\u00a0Fire region that still rely on diesel to generate power. People don\u2019t want to rely on this fossil fuel. It\u2019s dirty. It pollutes\u00a0the\u00a0air. But Webequie will need a lot more before a transmission line promised by\u00a0the\u00a0province arrives.<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

Everything else has to be brought in on\u00a0the\u00a0winter road or by air. Food. Building supplies. A 12-pack\u00a0of\u00a0Coca-Cola runs $36 at\u00a0the\u00a0only store in town.\u00a0The\u00a0service fee to take out money at Royal Bank,\u00a0the\u00a0only bank in town, is $15. Gasoline, which is also flown in to feed\u00a0the\u00a0200 or so trucks in Webequie, costs $3.09 a litre.<\/p>\n

Wabasse takes a deep breath when asked about nearby First Nations that take an opposite position on development. He respects that others do what they feel is best for their community, and he hopes for\u00a0the\u00a0same from them in return.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re hoping that at some point in time we\u2019ll move forward and they\u2019ll begin to understand why we are doing this,\u201d he says, adding that many communities in\u00a0the\u00a0north share similar needs that governments and industry can address.<\/p>\n

Wabasse explains that his community members view\u00a0the\u00a0land,\u00a0the\u00a0water and all\u00a0the\u00a0resources\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0area as their own, to benefit from however they want to. That is their sovereignty.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn our community, when people were living off\u00a0the\u00a0land, they were travelling, fishing and hunting, mostly,\u201d he says. \u201cLiving off\u00a0the\u00a0land is different now, where we have\u00a0the\u00a0resources, like\u00a0the\u00a0forestry and also\u00a0the\u00a0minerals that are out there. It\u2019s a new way\u00a0of\u00a0living off\u00a0the\u00a0land. And that\u2019s how we see it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a0old way\u00a0of\u00a0doing things does not always work in a warming world. It is harder to leave\u00a0the\u00a0island. Blue ice, which is strong and comes from extended periods\u00a0of\u00a0cold, is increasingly giving way to slush ice that results from warmer conditions and is half as strong, community members say.<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

\u201cIf\u00a0the\u00a0weather is mild, we don\u2019t get that much blue ice. You need at least 17 inches for our groomers to cross, and those are light vehicles,\u201d says Harry Wabasse, a councillor.<\/p>\n

Groomers are now kept off\u00a0the\u00a0island to speed annual construction\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0rest\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0winter road, while blue ice must now be topped off with packed slush ice to achieve a strong enough base for fully loaded transport trucks.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0lack\u00a0of\u00a0a bridge hampers development.\u00a0The\u00a0gravel pit is off\u00a0the\u00a0island. It is needed for virtually all construction.\u00a0<\/strong>Lower-priority work cannot happen. Dirt roads go without being upgraded, kicking up an incredible amount\u00a0of\u00a0dust in\u00a0the\u00a0dry months, and sometimes becoming unnavigable due to mud in\u00a0the\u00a0wet months.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0community is thinking\u00a0of\u00a0other ways to modernize. It has received a provincial grant to help build a sawmill.\u00a0<\/strong>About half\u00a0the\u00a0community\u2019s homes are heated with wood stoves.\u00a0The\u00a0wood being cleared for road construction, and from areas affected by\u00a0the\u00a0wildfires, could be used as an energy source.<\/p>\n

Bob Wabasse,\u00a0the\u00a0community\u2019s champion for energy improvements, is also looking at using provincial funding for solar panels to help power\u00a0the\u00a0school and band offices.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t do any\u00a0of\u00a0this without a road and a way off\u00a0the\u00a0island,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

III.\u00a0THE\u00a0ROAD<\/strong><\/p>\n

The\u00a0rotors on four helicopters whir to life one after\u00a0the\u00a0other on a gravel tarmac at Webequie\u2019s airport. Temperatures hover around freezing. Snow and sleet from an hour ago has abated. Clouds float 300 metres above\u00a0the\u00a0ground and\u00a0the\u00a0other side\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0remote lake is visible. It\u2019s good enough to fly.<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

The\u00a0road crew\u2019s early morning meeting is complete.\u00a0The\u00a0helicopters lift off with scientists and engineers on board as they carry out\u00a0the\u00a0painstaking work\u00a0of\u00a0carving 107 kilometres through solid esker rock and soft muskeg in some\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0most remote conditions in\u00a0the\u00a0country.<\/p>\n

Several dozen members\u00a0of\u00a0a crew from AtkinsRealis are flying out dozens\u00a0of\u00a0kilometres to various points along\u00a0the\u00a0proposed route.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re doing a pretty intensive drilling program, which is drilling small holes deep into\u00a0the\u00a0ground to give us an idea\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0different layers\u00a0of\u00a0soil and then\u00a0the\u00a0engineers take that information and use that to help design\u00a0the\u00a0road,\u201d says Don Parkinson, a senior consultation specialist.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0idea is simple enough. But it is a complex operation to carry out in\u00a0the\u00a0middle\u00a0of\u00a0nowhere.<\/p>\n

First, \u201ccutters\u201d take a few days to clear\u00a0the\u00a0dense forest for a 45- by 55-metre area so helicopters can land. Crews then attach a claw to a 30-metre-long line that is tethered to\u00a0the\u00a0helicopter so\u00a0the\u00a0pilot can move\u00a0the\u00a0fallen trees. Clearing takes several days. Next, they set up a drill rig that weighs several tonnes.\u00a0The\u00a0crews bring an inordinate amount\u00a0of\u00a0gear: tools, auger, compressor, generator, water tote. When\u00a0the\u00a0drilling is done, they will do it all again at a new spot.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0AtkinsRealis team undertakes this work from mid-September until\u00a0the\u00a0weather turns nasty in early November, with plans to return in January once\u00a0the\u00a0deep freeze sets in.\u00a0The\u00a030-plus crew members from all parts\u00a0of\u00a0Ontario do their work in shifts, rotating two weeks on and two weeks off.<\/p>\n

After construction begins in earnest,\u00a0the\u00a0two-lane gravel road will take four to six years to complete, and it will require six bridges and 25 culverts to cross various bodies\u00a0of\u00a0water. It will run northwest-southeast for 51 kilometres from Webequie\u2019s airport to\u00a0the\u00a0next segment, which will run 56 kilometres east-west to McFaulds Lake and\u00a0the\u00a0Eagle\u2019s Nest mineral exploration site.<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

The\u00a0road is expected to last 75 years, after which major refurbishments will be needed.\u00a0The\u00a0province is expected to spend $663 million, though who will own\u00a0the\u00a0road and who will be allowed to use it are questions for future negotiations. Ontario is reviewing its costing for this and\u00a0the\u00a0two other proposed roads, which combined will run up at least a $2-billion bill.<\/p>\n

Construction was originally scheduled for 2028. Now it is expected to begin next year. And\u00a0the\u00a0all-important environmental assessment is expected to be complete by January.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0delicate drilling dance is underway on a cold, grey Friday morning in late October. Scott Olshanoski sits at a desk in\u00a0the\u00a0living room\u00a0of\u00a0a bunkhouse built by Webequie that looks like a massive school portable.\u00a0The\u00a0company is paying\u00a0the\u00a0community several million dollars for\u00a0the\u00a0accommodations over\u00a0the\u00a0course\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0project.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0crew\u2019s four helicopter\u2019s light up a map on\u00a0the\u00a0computer Olshanoski\u2019s eyes are glued to. A Garmin inReach Mini dangles on\u00a0the\u00a0wall nearby. It allows for text messaging via satellite, though those messages can take 15 minutes to arrive.<\/p>\n

Cell phones do not work in Webequie, or anywhere within hundreds\u00a0of\u00a0kilometres.\u00a0The\u00a0drill teams carry a Starlink satellite receiver, battery packs and a generator. It means they can get high-speed internet in\u00a0the\u00a0middle\u00a0of\u00a0a peat field.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can phone me if there\u2019s a problem,\u201d Olshanoski says.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, today there have not been any major issues.\u00a0The\u00a0pilots are with a biologist. They are sweeping\u00a0the\u00a0work area in a grid pattern looking for boreal caribou, which move through\u00a0the\u00a0area in\u00a0the\u00a0fall.<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

A draft report\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0environmental assessment suggests road work should not pose significant threats to plant and animal life. But construction and operation is \u201cexpected to provide predators such as wolves increased access to\u00a0the\u00a0caribou, particularly where\u00a0the\u00a0road traverses natural movement corridors,\u201d it says.\u00a0The\u00a0province says 5,000 caribou remain, but advocates believe\u00a0the\u00a0number is much lower. Wolverines are also under threat.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"For<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tGet breaking National news<\/p>\n

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had a couple times where we\u2019ve seen caribou so we\u2019ve backed off, returned to camp here and then we can\u2019t work at that site that day,\u201d Olshanoski says.<\/p>\n

Environmental activists warn that further development, including roads and mines, could threaten an ecologically sensitive area already facing turbulence due to warmer temperatures and drought.\u00a0The\u00a0James Bay and Hudson Bay Lowlands are among\u00a0the\u00a0largest peatland complexes in\u00a0the\u00a0world, storing more than 35 billion tonnes\u00a0of\u00a0carbon.<\/p>\n

Anna Baggio,\u00a0the\u00a0conservation director\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0Wildlands League, says by phone that she understands why many First Nations seek to connect to\u00a0the\u00a0highway system in\u00a0the\u00a0south.<\/p>\n

But she says she believes Webequie would be better served by an east-west road rather than one that veers north to a mining site. And while her organization is not against mining, she believes enough are being built elsewhere to satisfy\u00a0the\u00a0market.<\/p>\n

In her mind,\u00a0the\u00a0problem with more aggressively developing\u00a0the\u00a0Ring\u00a0of\u00a0Fire is simple:<\/p>\n

\u201cEnvironmentally, it\u2019s going to be insane,\u201d she says. \u201cWe just can\u2019t afford to have all that disturbance and still somehow get to net zero by 2050.\u201d<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

IV:\u00a0THE\u00a0MINE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake Carter lifts\u00a0the\u00a0helicopter off\u00a0the\u00a0ground from\u00a0the\u00a0Webequie airport and heads east. It is a 40-minute flight to Wyloo\u2019s Eagle\u2019s Nest mining camp in\u00a0the\u00a0heart\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0Ring\u00a0of\u00a0Fire.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0forest blackened by wildfire gives way to a mix\u00a0of\u00a0evergreen and peatlands. Carter points out vast bogs and fens that paint\u00a0the\u00a0ground.\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0the\u00a0sky,\u00a0the\u00a0fens look like decrepit fingers lined up side by side, surrounded by peat.\u00a0The\u00a0look like ripples\u00a0of\u00a0sand on a beach.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat formation occurs because\u00a0the\u00a0water underneath flows perpendicular,\u201d Carter explains. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot\u00a0of\u00a0water up here, but under it all is a lot more rock.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2007, Noront announced it discovered a large deposit\u00a0of\u00a0nickel, platinum, copper and other critical minerals. Dick Nemis,\u00a0the\u00a0Sudbury-born lawyer turned miner and head\u00a0of\u00a0Noront, named it\u00a0the\u00a0Ring\u00a0of\u00a0Fire, partially due to its crescent shape and his love\u00a0of\u00a0Johnny Cash.<\/p>\n

Australian mining giant Wyloo and Juno Corp., a Canadian junior mining company formed in 2019, own\u00a0the\u00a0vast majority\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0more than 40,000 claims staked in\u00a0the\u00a0Ring\u00a0of\u00a0Fire, though two other mining companies, Teck Resources and Canada Chrome Corporation, also hold a significant number\u00a0of\u00a0claims.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0companies say they\u2019ve found a wide variety\u00a0of\u00a0critical mineral and base metal deposits, including nickel, copper, chromite, titanium, platinum, vanadium, iron and gold. They are used to make all types\u00a0of\u00a0batteries, cell phones, stainless steel, semi-conductors, drones, satellites, data centres and computers.<\/p>\n

There is a heavy defence component, too. Juno, for example, says it met with U.S. defence officials for\u00a0the\u00a0first time in May to discuss how titanium and vanadium can be used to fill aerospace supply chain gaps.<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

In\u00a0the\u00a0distance,\u00a0the\u00a0mining camp comes into view. Wyloo\u2019s field team completed two years\u00a0of\u00a0work this past summer, and now leaves\u00a0the\u00a0site empty save for periodic checks. Over\u00a0the\u00a0summer, Indigenous protesters who seek to disrupt\u00a0the\u00a0mine\u2019s construction discussed\u00a0the\u00a0possibility\u00a0of\u00a0moving in. It did not come to pass.<\/p>\n

An area\u00a0the\u00a0size\u00a0of\u00a0a square kilometre has been cleared. There are dozens\u00a0of\u00a0buildings. Crew members sleep in orange and white Weatherhaven shelters. There\u2019s a kitchen and maintenance shop and a main office, many\u00a0of\u00a0those structures built with trailers. There\u2019s also a sauna, a small fitness room and a recreation room.<\/p>\n

Some 1,100 kilometres southeast\u00a0of\u00a0Eagle\u2019s Nest, Luca Giacovazzi sits in a small office in downtown Toronto,\u00a0the\u00a0mining finance capital\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0world.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0CEO\u00a0of\u00a0Wyloo is in town to visit his Canadian team and to meet with stakeholders, including provincial politicians and some First Nations. A massive photograph\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0Ring\u00a0of\u00a0Fire region hangs on a wall. Several years ago, Wyloo began looking around for major nickel projects, Giacovazzi says.\u00a0The\u00a0company zeroed in on Noront\u2019s Eagle\u2019s Nest.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we looked at it, we were like, \u2018This is one\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0best nickel ore bodies in\u00a0the\u00a0world. Why is it not built?’\u201d Giacovazzi says. \u201cIt was discovered a long time ago. Why is it still in\u00a0the\u00a0ground?\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a0deeper he looked,\u00a0the\u00a0more he liked what he saw. It had support from two First Nations and several years\u00a0of\u00a0regulatory work already completed. That, and\u00a0the\u00a0belief that Eagle\u2019s Nest is a \u201cworld-class ore body,\u201d made\u00a0the\u00a0play a no-brainer. Wyloo, owned by billionaire Andrew Forrest, got into a bidding war in 2021 with BHP,\u00a0the\u00a0world\u2019s biggest mining company, for Eagle\u2019s Nest. Wyloo won. It paid more than $600 million and took Noront private.<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

For several years, Wyloo wondered if they\u2019d ever see movement on\u00a0the\u00a0project, but recent events have made\u00a0the\u00a0company more bullish.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has started to feel more like we can start to think about timelines and start managing timelines,\u201d Giacovazzi says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want it to ever come across as it\u2019s all done and dusted and this is definitely happening, but we are definitely seeing\u00a0the\u00a0right signs and\u00a0the\u00a0right things happening.\u201d<\/p>\n

Giacovazzi points directly to recent partnership deals Webequie First Nation and Marten Falls First Nation signed with\u00a0the\u00a0province as signs to move\u00a0the\u00a0project forward.<\/p>\n

Each First Nation is to receive $39.5 million. Some\u00a0of\u00a0that will be used to build community centres, repair\u00a0the\u00a0airports and add mental health supports, while some will be used for materials to begin road construction. In return, both First Nations reasserted their existing commitment to\u00a0the\u00a0Ring\u00a0of\u00a0Fire mining project and pledged to complete environmental assessments for\u00a0the\u00a0roads by early 2026.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Wyloo is wrapping up a feasibility study on\u00a0the\u00a0mine and its claims in\u00a0the\u00a0region, which Giacovazzi says has cost tens\u00a0of\u00a0millions\u00a0of\u00a0dollars.<\/p>\n

He pulls out a rendering\u00a0of\u00a0what they are designing: two large underground mines.\u00a0The\u00a0first is\u00a0the\u00a0original,\u00a0the\u00a0Eagle\u2019s Nest deposit. It will connect through an underground drift, or passageway, to\u00a0the\u00a0second ore body, Blackbird.<\/p>\n

Wyloo envisions twin portals heading underground, one\u00a0of\u00a0which would be used to transport ore to\u00a0the\u00a0surface on a conveyor. While a mine shaft is built,\u00a0the\u00a0plan is to crush\u00a0the\u00a0aggregate pulled from underground to create a foundation for\u00a0the\u00a0buildings.<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

The\u00a0company aims to build a concentrator to process\u00a0the\u00a0nickel and copper; a treatment plant to recycle\u00a0the\u00a0water it uses; and a plant that will mix its tailings into a cement paste that will be returned underground and stored in voids in\u00a0the\u00a0rock.\u00a0The\u00a0Eagle\u2019s Nest tailings would be stored below\u00a0the\u00a0\u201cvery high\u201d water table in\u00a0the\u00a0area, as well as in voids at\u00a0the\u00a0Blackbird site.<\/p>\n

Wyloo has already drilled about 1.6 kilometres deep on Eagle\u2019s Nest as it pulls out core samples. That confirms a belief that\u00a0the\u00a0mine will run much longer than a decade.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe haven\u2019t reached\u00a0the\u00a0bottom, so we know we\u2019re going to go for at least 15 years,\u201d Giacovazzi says.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0mine will take about three years to construct, he says, though they can build and produce ore concurrently.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it a high-quality world-class asset? Absolutely. Is it\u00a0the\u00a0first? Yes. Is there more to come? Probably. That\u2019s a sensitive thing, though, because I don\u2019t think you can go into this thinking it\u2019s now open season. I think it will be step by step, and I think that\u2019s why we take it really seriously that we\u2019re\u00a0the\u00a0first, and we do not want to mess it up,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0company has seven ore bodies in total in its portfolio in\u00a0the\u00a0Ring\u00a0of\u00a0Fire, but\u00a0the\u00a0company is focused on Eagle\u2019s Nest and Blackbird. They also have Black Thor, a big chrome ore body; a smaller one called Nikka, which is a copper-zinc ore body. There is also Thunderbird, a vanadium-titanium ore body.<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there was ever a shortage\u00a0of\u00a0vanadium in\u00a0the\u00a0world, or it became a critical mineral, or anything like that, this is one\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0few places in\u00a0the\u00a0world you can find it,\u201d says Giacovazzi.<\/p>\n

Several thousand workers will be needed to build\u00a0the\u00a0mine, and\u00a0the\u00a0company will employ about 600 miners once its operational.\u00a0The\u00a0company plans to train and employ Indigenous workers as part\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0workforce.<\/p>\n

Giacovazzi says he tells First Nation chiefs that running a mine is similar to running any other remote community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithin that, there\u2019s opportunity, because we\u2019re going to have to subcontract all those elements,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we actually feel that they\u2019re best placed in a whole lot\u00a0of\u00a0cases to take on those roles.\u201d<\/p>\n

One thing is for sure, he says: \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a generational mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

VI.\u00a0THE\u00a0RESISTANCE<\/strong><\/p>\n

The\u00a0sun shines bright on an unusually warm late October day in Neskantaga First Nation.\u00a0The\u00a0thermometer reads 10 C as Luke Moulton gets his chopper airborne. He has been piloting in\u00a0the\u00a0bush for three years. \u201cIt\u2019s a life-changing job,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

He banks right and whips\u00a0the\u00a0machine up to 160 kilometres an hour as he follows\u00a0the\u00a0twists and turns\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0mighty Attawapiskat River. A few boats chug along\u00a0the\u00a0water below, Neskantaga hunters out looking for moose on\u00a0the\u00a0riverbanks. Chris Katsarov Luna, a Canadian Press photographer on board, has never seen a moose in\u00a0the\u00a0wild.<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll see one today,\u201d says Marcus Moonias, an employment co-ordinator for\u00a0the\u00a0band office. \u201cThis is moose country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw 15 yesterday,\u201d Moulton says. \u201cNo caribou, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

Without spotting any moose,\u00a0the\u00a0helicopter weaves its way to a settlement two First Nations are building some 90 kilometres downriver from Neskantaga.\u00a0The\u00a0burgeoning encampment sits on a tail\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0southern tip\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0Ring\u00a0of\u00a0Fire. It is where one\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0bridges\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0Northern Road Link will be built. Neskantaga and Attawapiskat First Nation plan to be there whenever\u00a0the\u00a0roadworkers arrive.<\/p>\n

Back in June, Jeronimo Kataquapit became fed up with politicos in Ottawa and Toronto.\u00a0The\u00a020-year-old from Attawapiskat First Nation was offended that\u00a0the\u00a0powerful figures\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0south were coming for\u00a0the\u00a0bounty\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0north. He quickly organized information sessions about new federal and provincial laws \u2014\u00a0the\u00a0ones designed to remove regulatory barriers, including what many Indigenous people would consider basic consultation \u2014 and decided to do something about it. He would head up river from his home along\u00a0the\u00a0James Bay coast to\u00a0the\u00a0Ring\u00a0of\u00a0Fire.<\/p>\n

He, his parents and his brother stuffed gear into two 24-foot freighter canoes, each with a 25-horsepower motor, and set out with supplies, including a generator and a Starlink receiver for satellite internet, for an extended trip.\u00a0The\u00a0family took several weeks and travelled more than 400 kilometres upriver. They called\u00a0the\u00a0movement \u201cHere We Stand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our home,\u201d Jeronimo Kataquapit said in mid-June from\u00a0the\u00a0canoe. \u201cThis is our own territory, not just Attawapiskat\u2019s, but every nation in\u00a0the\u00a0area.\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a0settlement is called Shaykachiwikaan, or where\u00a0the\u00a0river meets\u00a0the\u00a0rocks.\u00a0The\u00a0only sound piercing\u00a0the\u00a0silence is water rushing through\u00a0the\u00a0rapids. Sturgeon, pickerel, whitefish and \u201cmonster pike\u201d dominate\u00a0the\u00a0waters and help feed\u00a0the\u00a0people. Two white teepees gleam in\u00a0the\u00a0bright sun, nestled within\u00a0the\u00a0bush on\u00a0the\u00a0north bank\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0river.<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

Two bald eagles soar nearby as\u00a0the\u00a0helicopter lands at a high point in\u00a0the\u00a0middle\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0water. James Kataquapit and Monique Edwards, Jeronimo\u2019s parents, motor over in one\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0freighter canoes,\u00a0the\u00a0bright orange Attawapiskat First Nation flag with a silhouette\u00a0of\u00a0a wolf flapping at\u00a0the\u00a0front\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0canoe.<\/p>\n

At\u00a0the\u00a0settlement, a printed notice nailed to a birch tree declares who owns\u00a0the\u00a0land.<\/p>\n

\u201cNeskantaga First Nation takes\u00a0the\u00a0position that its traditional territory is under its control, and approval to operate in our territory cannot be given by\u00a0the\u00a0government,\u201d\u00a0the\u00a0sign reads.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0couple is joined by David Kataquapit and his wife, Lucie, who came to\u00a0the\u00a0encampment in August.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to ensure that\u00a0the\u00a0generations to come, our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren, even\u00a0the\u00a0ones are not going to meet, have what we have today,\u201d Edwards says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you build a road or build a mine, it\u2019s irreversible. It will affect\u00a0the\u00a0land. It will affect\u00a0the\u00a0water. Just look around. It\u2019s pristine. It\u2019s untouched.\u201d<\/p>\n

Edwards says elders who have since passed away said no to a road before in order to protect\u00a0the\u00a0land and water and their sovereignty.<\/p>\n

For her,\u00a0the\u00a0answer is still no, even if there are cousins who have decided to row in a different direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur treaty rights are being trampled on without even consulting us,\u201d she says. Though she adds: \u201cWe\u2019ll leave it to\u00a0the\u00a0future generations what they want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

The\u00a0smell\u00a0of\u00a0burning wood fills\u00a0the\u00a0air. David Kataquapit has jury-rigged three wood-burning stoves out\u00a0of\u00a0old industrial steel drums with an angle grinder. One is set up in\u00a0the\u00a0eight-by-five-metre kitchen they built, complete with a makeshift chimney next to counters fashioned from birch trees.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot bad, eh?\u201d he says with a big smile as he serves coffee made with water from\u00a0the\u00a0river.<\/p>\n

They pour moose stew in bowls for lunch. They bagged a moose upstream a few weeks back and another one a few days prior. Moulton,\u00a0the\u00a0helicopter pilot, flew one back to Neskantaga,\u00a0the\u00a0massive animal strapped to a long line.<\/p>\n

\u201cMother Earth is good to us,\u201d Kataquapit says.<\/p>\n

They are building a full-sized cabin, and they also have plans to build an encampment near\u00a0the\u00a0Eagle\u2019s Nest mining site itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe\u00a0whole idea here is to tell those mining companies, both governments, Ontario and federal, that we\u2019re here,\u201d Edwards says. \u201cYou just can\u2019t come and just not tell us what you\u2019re doing, like just brush us aside. We\u2019ve been here long before you have, and this is all we have left, this pristine land.\u201d<\/p>\n

A float plane lands soon after with a contingent from Neskantaga.<\/p>\n

Coleen Moonias, a councillor, has brought her three-year-old granddaughter to visit. \u201cIt feels refreshing, I feel connected, I feel\u00a0the\u00a0brightness in life here and that\u2019s healing to us,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

Another councillor, Bradley Moonias, says he\u2019s noticed changes to\u00a0the\u00a0environment over his lifetime.\u00a0The\u00a0Attawapiskat River is much lower than it was when he was a kid, making travel much trickier in parts.<\/p>\n

\n\t\tTrending Now\n\t<\/p>\n