Indigenous reconciliation was been added to Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford’s title in Premier Doug Ford’s June 6 cabinet shuffle.
Ford decided to switch up and expand the roster at the close of the spring session, expanding his cabinet to 36 members.
Rickford remains northern development minister but gets a longer title as minister of Indigenous affairs and First Nations economic reconciliation.
The stalled Ring of Fire development is very much on the government’s radar to feed the battery and electric vehicle plants in southern Ontario, and there remains much Indigenous grassroots opposition to digital claimstaking in the booming exploration business in northwestern Ontario.
Rickford will have to smooth out and build better relationships with those First Nations communities either on the fence or opposed to mining and mine-related development activity without their consent and participation.
He’ll work with Timmins MPP George Pirie, who remains minister of mines and steers the government’s policy direction on development of the Ring of Fire.
Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli stays on as minister of economic development, job creation and trade.
Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Graydon Smith’s title is amended from minister of natural resources and forestry to just natural resources.
Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry MPP Nolan Quinn becomes associate minister of forestry as part of the natural resources ministry.
The rest of the cabinet switches are here.
