The Road Podcast- comes to you courtesy of Canada’s National Observer.
In Ontario, a battle is brewing over a remote mining region, about 450 kilometres north of Thunder Bay. The outcome could forever change the face of northern Ontario — and possibly the planet.
Harry Wabasse’s home in Webequie First Nation is near the Ring of Fire — a 5,000-square-kilometre mineral deposit rich with the metals needed to build clean technologies. For years, the provincial government has been trying to build a road to the region and open the Ring of Fire up to mining.
A road could improve life in Webequie First Nation, and help the nation pursue economic opportunities. But development will affect the homelands of other First Nations — and not all of them agree with the plan.
Then, there's the environmental risks. Peatlands biologist Lorna Harris says building roads and a mine in the Ring of Fire could be disastrous. The region is home to the second-largest terrestrial carbon sink in the world — a massive expanse of wetlands that cool the planet by absorbing carbon.
This is the story of the years-long battle over the fate of northern Ontario.
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Episode 1 - THE ROAD
Harry Wabasse's home in Webequie First Nation is about 70 kilometres from Ontario’s Ring of Fire mining region. A nearby mine and a road to the region could change his life forever.
Episode 2 - BOOM AND BUST
In the peatlands that wrap around Hudson Bay, Neil Novak makes a discovery that will change the fate of northern Ontario and the nations that call the region their homelands.
Episode 3 - THE BREATHING LANDS
When she learns mining companies have set their sights on the Hudson Bay lowlands, Lorna Harris raises the alarm — the region is home to the planet's second-largest terrestrial carbon sink.
Episode 4 - RESISTANCE
As members of some Treaty Nine First Nations take a stand against mining, Kate Kempton is preparing for court — to challenge who makes decisions about land use in the north.