Conrad Black: Canada must unleash the Ring of Fire

2026-03-07 - 11:03

The Prospector’s and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC), the world’s premier gathering of the global mining industry, just concluded its annual convention in Toronto, drawing nearly 30,000 participants from more than 125 countries. As always, the event served as a barometer of the global mining sector. This year, critical minerals, dominated nearly every discussion, and all eyes inevitably turned to Canada. Few countries possess the combination of political stability, geological potential, proximity to the world's greatest market, and technical expertise that Canada brings to the global mining industry. Despite the voracious global appetite for mineral exploration and development, Ontario premier Doug Ford has been criticized by some for his extensive publicization and promotion of the Ring of Fire mining region in northern Ontario in the low-land approaches to James Bay. Many were burned in the initial enthusiasm about this area approximately 25 years ago and have less than happy memories of unfulfilled promise. Read More