Construction is now underway on the reconstruction of the Municipality of Greenstone’s Geraldton Main Street Rehabilitation Project, a project that the province says will be a major milestone on the gateway to the Ring of Fire.

The province says that developing all-season road access to the Ring of Fire will strengthen local economies in the North, secure domestic supply chains and support local First Nations.

The start of work on the road marks the beginning of the government’s plan to accelerate the construction and completion of the four roads to the Ring of Fire five years ahead of schedule. The roads are projected to open in November 2030.

“Geraldton’s Main Street has always been about more than rebuilding a road: It is about building the Corridor to Prosperity, with First Nations and northern communities as integral leaders and full partners, every step of the way,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation. “Today, we provide the baseline access to responsibly develop the region, unlock the Ring of Fire and ensure that the infrastructure is in place for shared prosperity in northern and First Nation communities.”

The Ontario government is investing $81.3 million to rebuild Geraldton’s Main Street, connecting Highway 11 at the south end to Highway 584 at the north. The project will provide access to the Trans-Canada Highway.

Rehabilitating Geraldton’s Main Street will support future road development efforts in the region, helping connect northern communities and remote First Nations to critical goods and services, education and health care.

Leading the Main Street work is Pioneer/Minodahmun Development LP, a First Nation-owned partnership.

"The rehabilitation of Main Street is a once in a generation project that provides much needed revitalization to a core piece of infrastructure that will serve as the starting point to the corridor of prosperity,” said James McPherson, Mayor of the Municipality of Greenstone.

The Main Street rehabilitation project is part of Ontario’s plan to unlock the Ring of Fire by investing in infrastructure that supports economic development, job creation and stronger, more connected communities across the north, while advancing economic reconciliation with First Nations through partnerships that offer economic opportunities spanning generations.

Realizing the economic potential of the Ring of Fire is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create more than 70,000 jobs, make Ontario a critical minerals superpower and add $22 billion to the province’s economy over the next 30 years.

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