Thunder Bay

Council in Thunder Bay, Ont. will consider motion to support ferrochrome processing plant

City council in Thunder Bay, Ont. will consider a motion on Monday night to support the location of a Ferrochrome Processing Plant in the northwestern Ontario city.

The planned process plant would process chromite from the Ring of Fire

Thunder Bay City Council will consider a motion on Monday night to support locating a ferrochrome processing plant in the northwestern Ontario city. (Nicole Ireland/CBC)

City council in Thunder Bay, Ont. will consider a motion on Monday night to support the location of a Ferrochrome Processing Plant in the northwestern Ontario city.

Joe Virdiarmo, the chair of the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, said having the processing plant in Thunder Bay is a goal that has been included in the Mining Readiness Strategy — a strategy that was developed with the Fort William First Nation and the City of Thunder Bay Community Economic Commission.

The planned Ferrochrome Process Plant would process chromite extracted from the Ring of Fire.

According to a written release on Monday, in 2011 City Council supported the efforts of Cliffs Resources in this matter and more recently they supported a successful CEDC application to the province to help develop an investment proposal for Noront Resources to attract the plant to the city.

Thunder Bay city councillor Joe Virdiramo says the goal to develop a ferrochrome processing plant in Thunder Bay is part of the city's Mining Readiness Strategy. (Nicole Ireland/CBC)

Virdiramo added that an expression of support from the city would be a positive addition to that proposal as the economic impact of having the processing plant would benefit not only Thunder Bay and Fort William First Nation but also the northwestern Ontario region.