Business Wants Ring of Fire Moving Forward

THUNDER BAY – Reaction to the announcement on the Ring of Fire from Noront Resources and the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce is positive.

Noront Resources Ltd. (“Noront”) (TSX Venture: NOT) is pleased that the Federal and Provincial governments have agreed to jointly invest funds to further economic development and community access in Northwestern Ontario.

“It is essential that benefits associated with mine development accrue to local communities in a way that will create long-term shared value,” said Noront President & CEO Alan Coutts. “This funding will help First Nation communities in the Ring of Fire benefit from construction of Noront’s East-West access road”.

Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce President Charla Robinson says it is a step forward along the path.

Alan Coutts adds, “Noront strives to be a leader in developing mutually beneficial relationships with Aboriginal communities. We’re eager to see infrastructure development progress not just because it will bring our mine into production, but so we can increase employment in the region as well. To date almost 400 Matawa First Nation community members have graduated from the Ring of Fire Aboriginal Training Alliance program, and we’re are eager to see them take on meaningful jobs.”

The Ring of Fire Aboriginal Training Alliance (RoFATA) is a partnership between Noront, the Matawa First Nations’ Kiikenomaga Kikenjigewen Employment and Training Services (KKETs) and Confederation College of Applied Arts and Technology in Thunder Bay. It is an innovative program designed to help prepare local Aboriginal people for employment in the mining sector by providing skills-based training and guidance to long-term career paths. RoFATA also received $5.9-million in 2013 from Canada’s Federal Skills and Partnership Fund.

Noront Resources Ltd. is focused on development of the high-grade Eagle’s Nest nickel, copper, platinum and palladium deposit and the high-grade Blackbird chromite deposit, both of which are located in the James Bay Lowlands of Ontario in an emerging metals camp known as the Ring of Fire.