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We at Ring of Fire Metals love talking to and getting to know you. We are committed to keeping you informed and our favourite way to do that is by visiting you in your community.

A typical community visit will involve Ryan Tuomi (Community Engagement Manager) and Scott Jacob (Community Relations Manager), who are often joined by others, like Stephen Crozier (VP, Sustainability) and Glenn Nolan (VP, Indigenous Enterprises). We will bring a presentation and lots of maps and images showing what our deposits, mine plan and Esker Site look like. We can also tailor our visit to the needs and interests of your community.

If you are interested in a community visit, please reach out – our lines are always open! You can call or email us with any questions you have. Also, you can request information and materials for your community, such as maps and information sheets.

Ryan and Scott can be reached by email at rtuomi@rofmetals.com and sjacob@rofmetals.com or phone at 807-285-4808. We can also set up a video call to have a virtual chat!

In July and August, we’re focusing on organizing and maintaining our site, as well as restoring old drill pads.

An assessment is underway for a tree planting program on old drill pads from historic drilling of the Blackbird deposit. We are ensuring that the drill pads are regrowing local vegetation such as spruce and tamarack.

Analysis completed by a forester has shown that because the pads are small, the vegetation is regenerating naturally. On some pads where we find insufficient regrowth, our team will be planting trees.

Given Esker has been operational since around 2008 with Noront and other companies, there is some scrap equipment that needs to be removed. One of our initiatives is to organize and complete removal of the scrap equipment that has accumulated over the years. It’s important to us that Esker is safe and tidy, and that we minimize disturbance to the environment.

We hope to have the waste material ready to go by the end of August for the backhaul in the winter. We ship out waste on a Basler plane from the ice strip near Esker (a frozen lake called Koper) to Pickle Lake where it is taken to a registered waste facility to be properly disposed of.

Our Esker team also recently received training on forest fire suppression. The training provides our team with the skills required to deal with forest fire situations. We look forward to a great (and hopefully, not too hot) summer season at Esker!

Name: Lindberg Baxter
Community: Marten Falls/Fort Albany
Job Position: Field Assistant

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY IN YOUR ROLE LOOK LIKE?

It depends on the season or what programs we have planned. My tasks can include line cutting, geophysics survey work, moving core, packing trails, or cleaning up site.

WHAT IS IT LIKE WORKING AT ESKER?

It’s a blast!  We work with fun people – we’re basically family. We’re always laughing and having a good time while working hard. Also, freezing and roasting depending on the time of year.

HOW IS WORKING 2 WEEKS ON + 2 WEEKS OFF?

It’s good! You get used to people cooking for you so when you go home you don’t want to cook. It teaches you how to manage your time when you’re at home. Sometimes it’s hard because you miss out on things back home, but the work is rewarding.

WHAT IS ONE THING YOU’VE LEARNED SINCE STARTING WORK AT ROF METALS?

I’ve learned that I like to work hard and see my completed work after I’m done. I find value in working hard – it’s fun and I’ve learned to enjoy working with people and by myself. It’s grounding.

This job has changed my life – I’ve learned how to be responsible, independent and how to be myself. Also, that you sweat A LOT haha.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE ESKER MEAL?

It’s a tie between Cory’s ribs with mashed potatoes, gravy, fries and broccoli with cheese or his cream cheese chicken and rice.

Esker Site is located in the area known as the James Bay and Hudson Bay Lowlands. This area is home to many wildlife species, including caribou.

There are two subspecies in the area near Esker during the winter — the boreal caribou (or woodland caribou), and the migratory caribou. Because the boreal caribou are considered a threatened species by the Ontario and Federal governments, we undertake special measures during exploration to avoid disturbing the animals or impacting their habitat.

Ring of Fire Metals has a rigorous plan in place (required by the Provincial Endangered Species Act) to protect caribou. One part of this plan is to create caribou awareness at Esker. Our team members go through a species at risk standard operating procedure (SOP), which is a step-by-step procedure explaining what to do if they encounter caribou while out in the field. In the SOP, it details what to do to minimize the disturbance of caribou, as well as minimizing habitat changes and fragmentation.

When workers come across caribou, they are not to feed or follow the caribou. Fieldwork is to be stopped to give the animals space and let them move through. Workers are to document any caribou observations and report them to their supervisor, which is then reported to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. This information helps the Ministry to be aware of where caribou are moving, which adds value to their studies about the species.

Congratulations to Marten Falls and Webequie First Nations on the approval of their Environmental Assessment (EA) Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Northern Road Link (NRL) project. This road project is the third and final road proposed to access the Ring of Fire (RoF) and was approved by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change on March 6, 2023.

In 2020, Marten Falls and Webequie, along with the Ontario government, announced an agreement to move forward with planning and development of the NRL. The proposed new road will link the Marten Falls Community Access Road to the Webequie Supply Road, completing a new network of infrastructure from Aroland First Nation to Webequie and including the RoF mineral deposits.

The ToR is essentially Marten Falls and Webequie’s work plan for what is going to be studied during the preparation of an EA. An EA is a study which assesses the potential environmental effects (positive or negative) of the proposed road. Key components of an environmental assessment include consultation with First Nations, government agencies and the public; consideration and evaluation of alternatives; and the management of potential environmental effects.

Chief Bruce Achneepineskum said: “On behalf of Marten Falls, I am pleased to move forward with NRL ToR approval and the start of the Environmental Assessment! It is important as our young people and members are relying on us leaders to provide employment and training opportunities but also a sustainable economic base for our communities!”

For links to the three road project’s webpages, go to: www.rofmetals.com/projects/community-infrastructure-corridor

By Ryan Tuomi, Manager, Community Engagement

At the beginning of March, Ring of Fire Metals began a new chapter in our journey when our new CEO, Kristan Straub, joined the team

Kristan attributes much of his love for the outdoors and learning to his maternal grandparents, Arthur (Art) and Eva Solomon. Art Solomon was an internationally recognized spiritual and social teacher to both Canada’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Art was an artisan and a craftsman, having a strong passion for supporting and empowering Indigenous people. As a result of his work in Northern Ontario, a member of Kasabonika gave Art the name Kesheyanakwan (meaning Fast Moving Cloud) when he connected the community’s crafts to southern and international markets enabling them to receive full value for their work. Kristan spent most of his childhood holiday time with his grandparents learning the importance of being a steward of the land and its people.

Kristan studied geology and his appetite for learning led him on many adventures across the world. From early grass roots exploration in Mongolia and the High Arctic of Canada, to project development in Tanzania and Sudbury, to operations management in the South Pacific and Nunavik region of Northern Quebec. His interest in learning more about operations and problem solving led him to shift into operations management, where he had the opportunity to focus on leadership, people growth and mentorship and environmental stewardship. Working in remote locations with Indigenous communities around the world led Kristan to this role. Kristan’s top priority has always been deeply rooted in building trust and relationship building, which were priorities important to Ring of Fire Metals when filling the new CEO role.

“My role is to empower stakeholders and employees to tackle the unknown, create meaningful change and champion the growth of our business through the development of the Eagle’s Nest Project and the infrastructure corridor. Building capacity for new and innovative operations begins with building the capacity of people. We have a responsibility to ensure that this work is done safely with care, respect, integrity and trust. I’m looking forward to our shared work delivering results for local communities and stakeholders and I am committed to doing this in an open, honest and transparent manner.” – Kristan Straub