In an article about the Canadian mining industry published in the 2017/2018 Lexpert Special Edition on Global Mining (included in the March 3 edition of The Globe and Mail), Davies partner Melanie Shishler spoke about the challenges faced by mining companies in financing projects in Ontario.

Ten years after massive deposits of chromite, nickel and copper were discovered in Ontario’s James Bay lowlands, the Ring of Fire development is stalled due to low commodity prices, the absence of agreement with Aboriginal communities in the area and a lack of transportation infrastructure.

“For projects like that, which require not only mining development but all of the infrastructure, that takes a much stronger rally in commodity prices than to develop something that is in an existing infrastructure area,” Melanie said. “Ultimately, [decisions on infrastructure] will be political as well as financial. You have to work through the political channel to make sure you get the permits you need to go one way or another.”