Ontario Construction News staff writer
Webequie First Nation has signed a new agreement with the Ontario government to advance work on an all-season road that would connect the remote community to the mineral-rich Ring of Fire in northern Ontario.
The deal commits up to $39.5 million for community infrastructure, social programs and early work tied to the proposed Webequie Supply Road. The community, located about 600 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, is currently accessible only by air and winter road.
As part of the agreement, Webequie will submit its final environmental assessment for the project in January 2026. If approved, construction could begin as early as June 2026. The province says that timeline depends on the federal government ending what it calls overlapping impact assessment requirements in the region, a point of tension between Ottawa and Queen’s Park.
Chief Cornelius Wabasse said the project is central to Webequie’s long-term economic future.
“The Webequie Supply Road is more than a road — it’s a pathway to opportunity, access and growth on our terms,” he said in a statement.
Premier Doug Ford, who visited the community last week, said the road would bring jobs and services and change life for future generations.
“Their children and their grandchildren are going to grow up differently than what they did,” Ford said.
The road would connect Webequie to potential mining developments in the Ring of Fire, a region known for deposits of nickel, chromite and other minerals needed for electric-vehicle batteries and other clean-technology manufacturing. The area has been the focus of competing economic and environmental interests for more than a decade, and neighbouring First Nations have raised concerns about cumulative impacts and traditional land use.
The agreement is expected to support local priorities, including upgrades to the community airport and a planned multi-purpose recreation and gathering facility. Funding will also support mental-health and social-service programs and early-stage road work.
Both sides will now work on a long-term partnership model for planning and maintaining the road. Ontario says the approach will incorporate environmental commitments made by the First Nation and coordination with federal agencies.
A supply road is part of the province’s broader strategy to open the Ring of Fire for development while providing economic benefits to northern and Indigenous communities. Ottawa has not yet committed funding for the road network, and environmental groups continue to call for regional-level assessments before major construction begins.