Resource: Chromite (used to make stainless steel)
Conflict: In 2008, prospectors discovered chromite deposits for the first time in North America. The multi-billion dollar find also includes minerals like nickel, copper and gold. Located on First Nations territory in northern Ontario, the remote area, referred to as the ‘Ring of Fire,’ needs an estimated $2 billion in infrastructure investment to get off the ground. Nine Cree and Ojibway communities overlap the mineral belt. Concerns are high that mining would damage the sensitive ecosystem – which includes wetlands, boreal forests and the habitat of moose, caribou and bear.
