Ontario, Ottawa to sign deal to cut red tape for major projects, speed up Ring of Fire road

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford will finalize a deal on Thursday to cut red tape for mines and other major projects − with a side agreement that could allow preliminary work to begin next year on a road to the remote Ring of Fire area.

A draft of the overall deal, unveiled last month, is similar to agreements with Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and British Columbia, which signed its accord in 2019. The arrangements allow Ottawa to defer to provincial processes for environmental assessments and Indigenous consultations for major projects that fall under the purview of its Impact Assessment Act, with an eye to reducing duplication.