As a longtime advocate for the Ring of Fire deposit in Northwestern Ontario, Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli has seen what the years have done to the region without government funding.

Of course, that $1-billion dollar announcement from the provincial Liberals seems like a distant memory.  The Liberals will contend that the announcement was contingent on the federal government lending support as well.

But one of the more telling things in the saga that is the chromite deposit is in the details of Fedeli’s visits.

He says he went in 2011 and there were numerous people working, to the tune of 250 people.

Fast forward to 2015.

Patrick Brown is named the new leader for the Progressive Conservatives and his first stop is the Ring of Fire.

It was at that visit a couple years ago that Fedeli, Brown and company found six people left working.

Fedeli says nothings been done because both the provincial and federal governments are pointing at each other.  He even tells how Cliffs Resources pulled out due to a lack of confidence and clarity in and from the governments.

This was after Cliffs dropped a $700-million investment.

He also made note of a recent Chamber report.  That report from a couple weeks ago states business confidence fell under Premier Kathleen Wynne.  Wynne started with that rate at an undesirable 49%.

It’s now at 24%.

And with skyrocketing hydro prices for businesses and residents alike, that confidence isn’t expected to go up with it any time soon.

The Ring of Fire should be a hot topic at the next session at Queen’s Park, along with hydro prices, education and health care.

MPP’s return on Tuesday.

Filed under: Local News