WCS Canada Comment: A step toward sustainable development in Northern Ontario

WCS Canada comments on the draft Terms of Reference for a Regional Assessment in northern Ontario.

This the first Regional Assessment process kicked off since the release of the federal critical minerals strategy, and the first time one has been developed jointly with First Nations through a co-led process.

The Regional Assesment represents an opportunity to fundamentally change how the risks of potential development to critical ecological and cultural areas are understood and accounted for. The outcome is intended to guide all future development across a broad region. You can find the full Terms of Reference here.

Lynn Palmer, Forests and Regional Policy Specialist for WCS Canada, commented: "The far north in Ontario, a national and international ecological hotspot, supports critical ecosystems to address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. Careful assessment is required of all potential development impacts so they are balanced with the needs of local people, wildlife, and climate mitigation.

"We're pleased to see the Regional Assessment process being advanced for the Area of Kawana ‘bi ‘kag (also known as the Ring of Fire area) through the recent release of the draft Terms of Reference co-led by First Nations with homelands in this area and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. This marks a significant step in prioritizing Indigenous voices in the region.

"We are concerned, however, about the lack of detail included in the Terms of Reference. We will be providing recommendations in due course to ensure a Regional Assessment that establishes clear processes for how Indigenous values and decision-making will be upheld, and to ensure that the race for critical minerals is not at the cost of communities, wildlife and the planet.”

Background

• The region is one of the largest remaining areas of intact forests and carbon-rich peatlands left in the world with globally significant carbon stores that act to mitigate climate change and habitat for wildlife that is struggling in other, more developed areas.
• This RA has been in the works since it was announced by the federal government in February 2020 as a response to requests from two Matawa member First Nations and WCS Canada.
• A draft agreement to conduct a regional assessment in the Ring of Fire area was released in December 2021 from a bilateral process between Canada and Ontario. This was rejected by First Nations in the region and a new process was launched in spring 2022. What followed was the establishment of a joint working group in spring 2023 between the potentially impacted First Nations and IAAC. It is this group that developed the draft Terms of Reference.