Liberal budget ignores Ring of Fire, says MPP Mantha

With no mention of the Ring of Fire in this year's provincial or federal budgets, Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Michael Mantha says the government needs to re-reassess its priorities.

The New Democratsays he fears the lack of progress will scare investors away from the province.

• Ring of Fire mining development still years away from delivering on a decade of hype
• Noront Resources waits for road to the Ring of Fire

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that we have here, and it's not highlighted in our budget?," Mantha said.

"I believe that there are some priorities that need to be changed between both levels of government, and that's going to happen with a new government coming into 2018."

The Ring of Fire is the name of a large mineral depositin the James Bay lowlands. But accessing the chromite and other metalshas been difficult since there isn't any infrastructure leading to the remote area.

• 'Cease and desist,' Neskantaga First Nation tells Ring of Fire mining company
• Using sex to sell Ring of Fire mining project called 'absurd' by industry group

"People are looking at Ontario as having bounties of resources, but we're still trying to develop a plan in order to move it forward,"Mantha said.

"We have no established framework. Industry doesn't know how they're going to invest. Where is the process? How do we get there?"

Representatives from Marten Falls First Nation are heading to China this month to discuss building a rail line to the Ring of Fire.