Ring Of Fire Transportation And Utilities (“CCC”) continues to forge ahead in the quest to open up a transportation link to the Ring of Fire from the CN Rail east/west mainline near Nakina, Ontario. CCC continues to believe that this project will be economic and socially transformational and, in that regard, I am pleased to provide an update.
Engagement of Rail-Veyor and Cormorant Utility Services. This is an exciting development relating to the route which follows CCC’s claims between Nakina and the Ring of Fire. The three companies are working closely on preparing a proposal for a Rail-Veyor bulk haulage system for transporting materials from mines in the Ring of Fire to a transfer facility near Nakina and a related proposal for supplying the electricity requirements for the operation of that Rail-Veyor system and the related mines. Significantly, our vision is that the proposed electricity system would also be able to supply electricity to several First Nations communities that are in proximity to a proposed power line, using low-cost environmentally friendly electricity from the Ontario power grid rather than local diesel-powered generators located in each of those communities. As well, the bulk haulage system would be able to transport north from Nakina containers of material needed throughout those northern communities for residential and commercial purposes.
SNC Lavalin. SNC Lavalin and Hatch Engineering have been engaged by Marten Falls First Nation and Webequie First Nation to prepare an Environmental Assessment and a Preliminary Engineering Design, funded by the federal and provincial governments, for a proposed all-season road to service remote First Nations communities in the James Bay Lowlands. In connection with these efforts, CCC has provided its consent to SNC Lavalin to perform geotechnical testing on the CCC claims north of Nakina.
CN Rail discussions. CCC has had initial discussions with CN Rail with a view to determining an appropriate location for a transfer station along the trans-Canada rail-line near Nakina for transferring material to/from the rail cars to/from the Rail-Veyor system. These preliminary discussions are intended to determine rail car needs, logistics planning, and land footprint required to build a transfer facility for those purposes.
Sudbury Rotary Club. I was invited to present an update on the Ring of Fire to the Sudbury Rotary Club at one of their recent luncheons. It was fun to be back in Sudbury for an event like this. It was also exciting to present the update to a knowledgeable group of attendees – many of whom are connected to the mining industry and are well aware of the Ring of Fire and the opportunities which it presents, having followed its events and developments over the past dozen years.
KWG Board Member Fiona Blondin. In addition to re-electing the members of the Board of Directors of KWG that have guided the company for the last several years, KWG’s shareholders have also recently elected Fiona Blondin to the Board of Directors. Fiona’s background is impressive, and she will bring her vast experience to the table as KWG continues to work closely with the First Nations as its projects in the Ring of Fire move along.
KWG Private Placement. As KWG recently announced, the first tranche of its Private Placement of convertible debentures was recently completed, raising more than $3.6 million. I would like to personally express my appreciation to the many investors, including family and friends, who invested in this Private Placement.
Our Vision. We believe that transportation access is not only important to the development of the Ring of Fire but is imperative for the health, safety and security of the First Nation communities in the James Bay Lowlands. It will also be beneficial for their quality of life, including healthcare, education and other services. We are confident that a transportation link will be built between the Nakina area and the Ring of Fire. There will be many who will benefit from such a transportation link when it gets completed. We believe that an all-season gravel road would be a great start to addressing some of the needs of the First Nations communities. However, we do not believe that a gravel road can be a stand-alone solution to serving those communities in the area north of Nakina. We firmly believe that an electricity system integrated with the Ontario power grid is needed to serve those communities. As well, a haulage system is required to move material needed in those northern communities for residential and commercial purposes. Moreover, we believe that each of those elements – road transportation, electrical power and a haulage system – needs to be operated on an environmentally friendly basis. We are pleased to note that our proposed electricity and transportation concepts are being designed not only to connect the future mines in the Ring of Fire with the trans-Canada rail line and Ontario electricity grid passing near Nakina but also with a view to assisting in addressing the needs of the communities north of Nakina and to doing so in an environmentally friendly way and in a way that those First Nations communities will be participants in and beneficiaries of those systems.
Sincerely,
Tony Marquis
President
Ring Of Fire Transportation And Utilities
46A Royal Oak Drive
Barrie, Ontario
L4N 7S5
tony.marquis@canadachromecorp.com
416.906.4407
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