As Ontario moves to fast-track mining in the Ring of Fire, legal experts and Indigenous leaders warn that the province's rush to cut red tape could cause environmental destruction and a wave of lawsuits — potentially slowing the very development it seeks to speed up.  

The Ford government’s newly-tabled bill, designating “special economic zones” in northern Ontario, grants sweeping powers to exempt projects from provincial laws and municipal bylaws, while slashing approval timelines for mining, infrastructure and resource development — including in the Ring of Fire, which they say holds critical minerals for electric vehicle batteries and green-energy technology.

The province claims the bill will cut approvals by routing paperwork through the mining ministry and promising decisions within 24 months—cutting the current 15-year average in half – citing US trade tensions under the Trump administration as justification for expediting critical mineral projects.

But experts and Indigenous leaders argue that fast-tracking the approval process would bypass essential environmental assessments, putting the region's sensitive ecosystems at risk. "We can't pretend that we're addressing an environmental issue like the climate crisis by pulverizing biodiversity.” said Jamie Kneen, an environmental activist and mining policy expert with MiningWatch Canada.

Environmental concerns

The Ring of Fire, located 500 km northeast of Thunder Bay, spans carbon-rich boreal forests and peatlands in the Hudson Bay Lowlands — the second largest peatland complex in the world after the Western Siberian Lowlands. It holds critical minerals like nickel, chromite, copper and platinum group elements.

“We’re not even asking questions about air, water, waste, landscape disruption,” said Mark Winfield, a professor of environmental governance at York University.

Much of the development is in the boreal forest — a critical carbon sink that helps slow climate change. Disturbing this landscape, Winfield said, could release significant amounts of methane and permanently destroy the forest’s carbon-storage capacity.

Disturbing peatlands in Canada could release 130 to 250 megatonnes of carbon, which is as much as yearly emissions from over 5,000 natural gas power plants. It would also disrupt the natural water flow in the Hudson Bay Lowlands, harming peatlands that store 1.6 to two billion tonnes of carbon, especially in the Ring of Fire.

“You can end up releasing far more carbon than you’re ever going to save,” he said. “That sequestration and storage capacity [will be] destroyed forever.”

Mining projects also generate waste rock and tailings that must be monitored for decades — even indefinitely, said Winfield.

Consultation gaps 

Experts predict Ford’s legislation will face serious legal challenges. Ontario’s mining framework has already been scrutinized in court, during cases like the Grassy Narrows challenge, when Indigenous communities argued the Crown had failed to meet its duty to consult.

Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict, who represents 133 First Nations across the province, said the Crown has a constitutional duty to meaningfully consult Indigenous communities under Section 35 of the Constitution Act, especially when projects impact Indigenous lands and ways of life.

“It won’t be fast. Frankly, if they sidestep it, it’ll be a slow process, because First Nations will have no choice but to go to the courts for relief — which, even on a good day, is a slow process,” Benedict said.

Rather than fast-tracking progress, the province may be setting itself up for more blockades, court actions and broken relationships, said Winfield.

“The last time Doug Ford said he was jumping on a bulldozer. He basically set the process back five years,” said Dayna N. Scott, York university professor and York Research Chair in Environmental Law & Justice in the Green Economy, who has worked with First Nations in the region. “This is probably going to make it harder than ever.”

Scott noted the original mine plan included road construction across the Ottawa-Piskat River watershed — a sacred area for communities like Neskantaga First Nation. Many First Nations have voiced repeated concerns over the environmental and cultural damage such infrastructure could cause.

“What they’re setting themselves up for is conflict on the land,” Scott said. “Neskantaga leaders have said many times they will not allow a mining road to cross the Ottawa-Piskat River.”

"We're going to move at the speed of trust," said Shelly Moore-Frappier, chief of Temagami First Nation. "If it does go forward without our consent, then that is going to create uncertainty for the industry.”

Benedict said First Nations are not opposed to development — they want economic growth and prosperity. 

“Communities want development, but they want responsible development.”

They advocate for clean exploration practices and modern technologies, while ensuring  development does not harm the environment or leave communities worse off than before.

Indigenous communities are often expected to engage in mining discussions while dealing with urgent crises, such as inadequate housing, boil-water advisories, health care gaps, and mental health emergencies. 

"The way to actually streamline things and to make this process make more sense, is actually to invest more in those communities," Kneen said. 

While the province leads this push, Benedict said Ontario cannot shirk its fiduciary duty to Indigenous Peoples. Communities will rely on the next federal government to support responsible development.

“We can't take one step forward and three steps back,” Moore-Frappier said. “We really need to be looking at meaningful relationships with First Nations and industry.”

Sonal Gupta / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada’s National Observer