Ontario Premier Doug Ford pitches railway to Ring of Fire, Alberta is on board

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, left, models a new belt buckle presented to him by Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta, after signing agreements to build new energy and trade infrastructure in Calgary, Alta., Monday, July 7, 2025.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has signed an agreement with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to help build a railway to the mineral-rich Ring of Fire region.

The two premiers signed two non-legally binding memorandums of understanding today about increasing trade and building energy corridors, including commitments to build oil and natural gas pipelines to northern and southern Ontario.

Ford has been trying for years to build a critical mineral supply chain that would connect the mines in northern Ontario to processing facilities further south.

Two First Nations are leading environmental assessments on three roads that would connect the Ring of Fire region to the provincial highway system.

Ford’s government recently passed legislation in an effort to speed up the construction of a mine in the Ring of Fire by creating so-called special economic zones where provincial and municipal laws can be suspended for certain projects.

That new law has sparked outrage from First Nations who say it tramples their rights and ignores their concerns.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2025.

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press