Timmins businesses hear optimism for progress on Ring of Fire development
Members of the Timmins business community learned more about the progress on the Eagle’s Nest Project, which is located within the Ring of Fire, north of Thunder Bay.
The Eagle’s Nest Project is an undeveloped nickel sulfide deposit that contains many of the minerals on Canada’s critical minerals list.
Once developed, Eagle’s Nest is expected to produce 15,000 tonnes of nickel per year, but company officials said for that to happen, Indigenous partnerships must be prioritized.
"The Eagle's Nest project is really looking to develop this in concert and with the First Nations of the region in the Mattagami region," said Wyloo CEO Kristan Straub.
"So that's been a fundamental advancement and a fundamental part of our discussions with First Nations."
Wyloo projects production to begin in 2030, but Staub said that’s dependent on the government’s permitting process and the building of infrastructure such as a road.
Straub said the company is currently undertaking a feasibility study to incorporate a number of project changes.
"Like things around water, like things around where the mill or the production facilities would be situated (and) the operating methodologies and modes," said Straub.
Wyloo CEO Kristan Straub shares an update Thursday on the company’s Eagle’s Nest project in the Ring of Fire region during a Timmins Chamber of Commerce 'State of Mining' luncheon. (Lydia Chubak/CTV News Northern Ontario)
"There's been tremendous development in battery electric vehicle technologies that are being incorporated into a revised feasibility study that will be completed around March of 2025."
Indigenous officials with the Mushkegowuk Council appreciate Wyloo’s efforts, but said the province must also demonstrate its commitment to work with Omushkego people.
“We had made an inroad back in Feb. 26 in Toronto when we met with (Premier Doug Ford) and some of the cabinet ministers where he agreed totally to work with us on a conservation critical mineral strategy," said Lawrence Martin, director of lands and resources department at Mushkegowuk Council.
- Download the CTV News app now
- Get local breaking news alerts
- Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox
"He agreed to a treaty roundtable and he agreed to work with us on accessing more federal money for safe drinking water and infrastructure. But then when he assigned it to a minister, those meetings didn't happen thereafter so we've been waiting since February for a meeting."
Straub said the demand for electric vehicle batteries is expected to more than double over the next six years and getting projects like Eagle’s Nest into the development stage are crucial to help meet that demand.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard found not guilty of sexual assault
Former Headley singer Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northern Ontario.
Police arrest Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides
Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'
Following child's death in Ontario, here's what you need to know about rabies
An Ontario child died last month after coming into contact with a rabid bat in their bedroom, which was the first known human rabies case in Canada since 2019.
NDP house leader laments 'agents of chaos' in precarious Parliament
NDP House leader Peter Julian says there's more his party wants to do in Parliament before the next election, but if the current dysfunction continues it will become a factor in how they vote on a confidence measure.
Former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters sentenced to 9 years for voting data scheme
A judge ripped into a Colorado county clerk for her crimes and lies before sentencing her Thursday to nine years behind bars for a data-breach scheme spawned from the rampant false claims about voting machine fraud in the 2020 presidential race.
Here's what the jury didn't hear in Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial
A northeastern Ontario jury has started deliberating in Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial, we can now tell you what they weren't allowed to hear.
Youth pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of P.E.I. teen Tyson MacDonald
A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
A French judge in a shocking rape case allows the public to see some of the video evidence
A French judge in the trial of dozens of men accused of raping an unconscious woman whose now former husband had repeatedly drugged her so that he and others could assault her decided on Friday to allow the public to see some of the video recordings of the alleged rapes.
2 dead after fire rips through historic building in Old Montreal
At least two people are dead and others are injured after a fire ripped through a century-old building in Old Montreal early Friday morning, sources told Noovo Info.