This blog post was last updated on March 27, 2025. We will continue to update this blog post as new information becomes available.
By Kanisha Acharya-Patel, Staff Lawyer
On January 20, 2025, the federal government released the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Regional Assessment (RA) in the proposed Ring of Fire (the name mining companies have given to a mineral-rich area in Treaty 9 territory) – and with it, the RA officially began. The ToR sets out the purposes, methods, and outputs of the RA and clarifies the mandate and responsibilities of the Regional Assessment Working Group (composed of representatives from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) and delegates from the 15 First Nation Partner communities).
RAs are extremely rare – only three have been completed under the federal Impact Assessment Act (IAA) and two, including the Ring of Fire RA, are in progress. No RAs, however, have ever occurred in a region where the impacts of the proposed extractive projects are borne nearly exclusively by Indigenous peoples.
RAs are a unique tool and done well, can provide invaluable insights into cumulative impacts of development in a geographic region, recognizing that these impacts would be underestimated and ignored if projects were assessed one-by-one. However, despite ongoing calls for a moratorium on mineral exploration absent the consent of impacted communities and protection plans for this globally unique region, the government has not required mining activities or other extractive industries be paused while the RA is being conducted.
The RA will study a region that is facing unprecedented impacts from mining developments (see Figure 1 below). The mines, together with exploration activities and related infrastructure to access this remote region threatens the homelands of Indigenous communities who have, since time immemorial, relied on the region for food, water, medicine and sacred spaces for traditional practices, ceremonies and burials. The proposed Ring of Fire area falls within the second largest peatland ecosystem in the world: a type of wetland that stores huge amounts of carbon and provides habitat to countless endemic and threatened plants and animals.
While the ToR states that the RA is being co-led between the federal government and 15 First Nation Partner communities, it falls short of the hallmarks you would expect for a truly co-led process where the RA is conducted in partnership. It also isn’t an Indigenous-led RA that many, including the Friends of the Attawapiskat River, have called for.
Stay Tuned
Looking ahead, there are a few key dates and opportunities to track:
- March 21, 2025: The Work Plan was released and is available on the IAAC registry (click here for the PDF). It is a one page poster that sets out the timeline for the RA and the tasks that must be completed.
- End of March/beginning of April: The draft Participation Plan will be released by the Working Group, for the public to review and provide feedback on. The Participation Plan will also provide details on the upcoming Call For Information (where you can submit any information that may be relevant to the conduct of the RA).
- April 17, 2025: Deadline to apply to be an Expert Support. The Working Group is inviting Indigenous peoples and organizations, government and non-government organizations and the public to apply to provide expert support to the Working Group throughout the RA. The Working Group will select individuals and/or organizations based on their knowledge and experience relevant to the RA, and will prioritize Indigenous experts and those who are or have previously worked with the First Nation Partners. The announcement and the application form are now available and will be posted to the IAAC Registry. If you have questions, you can contact the IAAC at regionalrof-cdfregionale@iaac-aeic.gc.ca.
- January 20, 2026: An update about the RA must be posted publicly by the Working Group on a shared electronic platform (i.e. website). The location of the website is not yet known.
- July 20, 2027: The RA must be complete and the Working Group must submit their final report.
Have a Say
Interested in learning more about the proposed Ring of Fire and your rights? We invite you to check out these resources:
- Template letter for community members to send to the IAAC, expressing their interest in being meaningfully involved in the RA
- Fact sheets on Indigenous rights, the proposed Ring of Fire, and Indigenous protected and conserved areas
- The Friends of the Attawapiskat River’s correspondence to date on the RA, calling for an Indigenous-led process protective of Indigenous rights and nature
LAND will be posting updates as information becomes available. As this first of its kind RA proceeds, we also invite you to stay tuned by joining our mailing list and following us on instagram @naturesdefence!
We will also be discussing the proposed Ring of Fire at our upcoming environmental justice and Indigenous rights workshop in Timmins on March 31, 2025, co-hosted by LAND and the Friends of the Attawapiskat River. Whether you join us in person or remotely, we hope to see you there!