TORONTO -- The federal government says Ontario should have responded sooner to the needs of a big mining company before it pulled out of the Ring of Fire.
Greg Rickford, minister of state for FedNor, says uncertainty over whether an all-season road would be built was a factor, and the province needs to deal with it.
Rickford says big companies looking to develop the massive chromite deposit in northern Ontario can't proceed until they know what direction they're going to go.
Speaking in Timmins, Ont., Rickford said he has every indication that Ontario's governing Liberals understand what the challenges are moving ahead.
But he says they should have collaborated more with him, First Nations and the companies before announcing a development corporation to move the project along.
Rickford says he's disappointed that Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. has suspended its Ring of Fire operations indefinitely, but the company is "very satisfied" with the federal government's involvement in the project.
The Liberals have been taking a drubbing over Cliffs' decision to suspended its Ring of Fire operations indefinitely.
Opposition critics say they have to get their act together soon if they want to save the project from being snuffed out.
Cliffs was going to pour billions into the project, but said it couldn't keep spending money given the uncertain timeline and risks associated with developing necessary infrastructure to the project.
It's a major setback for cash-strapped Ontario, which may not see the economic windfall the government promised with the Ring of Fire anytime soon.
The Liberals dithered as Cliffs warned that it might pull out as development stalled over a dispute about access to the site, said the New Democrats.
The Tories said it has a chilling effect on other companies looking to invest in Ontario and warn that tens of thousands of jobs won't materialize if Cliffs doesn't come back.
The Liberals have been touting the Ring of Fire for years as a major mining project that will help boost the cash-strapped province's economic fortunes, create jobs and bring in revenue to struggling First Nations.
They insist the project isn't dead and there are many other interested companies.
"Our government is committed to realizing this unprecedented opportunity that will bring long-term prosperity to communities in the North and indeed, across the entire province," Ontario Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle said in a statement.
"While I am disappointed with Cliffs' decision, our commitment remains clear and the province is prepared to invest in vital infrastructure and create the right climate to support development in the region and move development forward."
Gravelle also called on the federal Conservatives to "come to the table with matching funds for infrastructure development in the Ring of Fire, the same way they have funded similar projects across Canada."
