The Ring of Fire
The newly minted Ontario mines minister is touting progress towards developing the h Ring of Fire.
It’s a mineral-rich region in remote Northwestern Ontario.
Timmins MPP George Pirie says the former Liberal government’s so-called “regional framework” was only to the benefit of insiders, lawyers and consultants.
“Our government ended the regional framework in favour of bilateral agreements with First Nations to understand unique priorities and perspectives,” he told the Legislature.
Two of those First Nations could have a road to the mining area through their territory.
“First Nations-led environmental assessments are now underway for two road projects in the Ring of Fire,” Pirie remarked. “By working in partnerships with the First Nationals, we are building momentum, ensuring a plan forward to economic reconciliation.”
Charges are planned for seniors who refuse transfer
Premier Doug Ford says hospital patients who refuse a transfer to a long-term care home outside their local area will have to pay but the amount hasn’t been decided yet.
The government’s new legislation is an attempt to open up more hospital beds but has caused concern among advocates for the elderly.
Ford says the government and hospitals will have to work out how much to charge.
But he says it won’t be 18 hundred dollars a day the rate hospitals charge for caring for uninsured
patients.
Over half of the mail-in ballots sent in for the Conservative Party
The federal Conservative party says more than half its 678-thousand members have already returned their mail-in leadership ballots.
The five candidates are expected to spend the next several days urging their supporters to send in their ballots.
The party will announce the winner on September 10th.
Ukraine continues offensive
Heavy fighting is reported, as Ukrainian troops continue their offensive against Russian forces near the southern city of Kherson and some successes are being reported.
The city captured early in the invasion, guards one end of the land bridge that Russian forces seized to connect with occupied Crimea.
However, Ukrainian officials are warning that it will be a long and difficult battle.
Meantime, a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency set out this morning to visit Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, located in southern Ukraine.
The plant, occupied by Russia, has come under artillery fire, raising the risk of a nuclear accident.
Both sides have accused the other of firing on the facility.
Gorbachev passes away
The last leader of the Soviet Union has died at the age of 91.
Mikhail Gorbachev passed away in a Moscow hospital after a long illness.
Gorbachev was instrumental in ending the Cold War by pushing through unprecedented freedoms in the country and refusing to use force to quell rising demonstrations.
He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 for his efforts.
But his attempts to keep the Soviet Union together, in a more open and democratic association, failed, as country after the country declared its independence.
Gorbachev resigned on Christmas Day, 1991 and the Soviet Union was officially dissolved the next day.
