A candidate in the Sault Ste. Marie byelection is calling for the chromite smelter for the Ring of Fire to be built in that community.
Debbie Amaroso, a former mayor who's running for the Liberals in the June 1 vote, met with representatives from Noront Resources on Wednesday to discuss Noront locating a smelter in Sault Ste. Marie.
"I strongly encouraged Noront to locate their smelter in the Sault," Amaroso is quoted as saying in a news release. "Based on the southern tip of Lake Superior, Sault Ste. Marie is the ideal location.
“Saultites are hard working and highly skilled; they need more well-paying jobs right here in their community. If elected, I'll continue to fight for every investment, every benefit and every opportunity because we deserve nothing less."
The location for smelter for the long-delayed project was announced as Capreol in 2012, and was estimated at that time to be worth $1.8 billion. But the lead company at the time, Cliffs Resources, pulled out of the project in 2013 over delays and issues negotiating with First Nations in the area.
Noront acquired all of Cliffs’ Ring of Fire chromite properties in a US $27.5-million deal in 2015. CEO Al Coutts said last year four communities have expressed interest in the smelter, including Sudbury, the Sault, Timmins, Thunder Bay and Hamilton.
Speaking to Northern Ontario Business editor Ian Ross, he said factors in the decision include the availability of a skilled local workforce, having the electrical infrastructure already in place, and getting the power at the right price.
“I like the concept of having something in Northern Ontario,” said Coutts. “Ultimately it’s going to depend too on what kind of power price agreement we can negotiate with the province.”
The byelection is being held to elect a successor to former minister David Orazietti, who resigned over Christmas. City councillor Ross Romano is running for the Progressive Conservatives and Joe Krmpotich, also a councillor, is running for the New Democrats.
In her news release, Amaroso said she wanted to follow in Orazietti's footsteps.
“I want to bring the same passion, hard work and tenacity that David brought everyday to the government table so we keep these investments coming," she said in the release.
"Under the watch of David Orazietti, Sault Ste. Marie benefited from hundreds of millions of dollars in investments for our college and university, businesses like Essar and Tenaris Tubes, our hospital, our roads and countless small businesses that wouldn't be able to exist without the NOHFC.”
