$3.1B for First Nations mining promises ‘prosperity’, province says – TimminsToday.com
May 23, 2025
The money will be used for loans, grants and scholarships towards Indigenous participation in mineral extraction
TORONTO — The Ontario government has announced over $3 billion for loans, grants and scholarships it says will be used to encourage Indigenous participation and ownership in the province’s mining sector.
The Ford government has said the province’s mineral deposits, including the Ring of Fire in the far north, are a key part of its pushback against the ongoing trade and tariff war with the United States. In announcing the money, Greg Rickford, Ontario’s Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation, said it’s important to have First Nations on board as partners.
“I want to separate out, of course, the opportunities for careers in legacy resource development, responsible resource development, projects,” Rickford told a press conference in Toronto.
