Report - Wetland Mitigation Options for Project Developments in Far Northern Ontario: An Annotated Bibliography

Authors
Daniel Campbell
Line Rochefort
Resource Date:
2025

This report presents and summarizes an annotated bibliography on the options to mitigate 
impacts on wetlands for proposed mining project developments in the Ring-of-Fire region 
in the far north of Ontario. The report and the bibliography were developed for the Priority 
Species Unit of the Ontario Region of the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS-ON). 
The Ring-of-Fire mineral exploration region is centered around McFaulds Lake (52.8° N, 
86.1° W) and covers approximately 3,000 km2 in the transition zone between the Boreal 
Shield and Hudson Bay Lowland. Rich mineral deposits have been discovered there of 
chromite, nickel, copper, platinum group elements, gold and zinc. The region is only 
connected via winter roads, so any proposed mining development would also include the 
construction of at least 300 km of all-season roads. 
The Hudson Bay Lowland or Hudson Plains is a vast peatland expanse of bog and fen with 
areas of conifer swamp, as well as coastal marsh along the shores of Hudson Bay and 
James Bay (OMNRF, 2019; Tarnocai et al., 2011). Wetlands, most of them peatlands, cover 
almost 100% of the landscape. Uplands are scarce. The adjacent Boreal Shield or Ontario 
Shield has more upland and less wetland cover, but wetlands, again mostly peatlands, 
remain extensive and cover at least 50% of the landscape (OMNRF, 2019; Tarnocai et al., 
2011). 


The objectives of this report are to: 
•    provide the methods used to assemble the annotated bibliography and present its 
structure and best strategies for searching it; 
•    review the probable stressors that will impact wetlands in the Hudson Bay Lowland 
and the adjacent Boreal Shield and the probable origins of these stressors; 
•    present mitigation options for these principal stressors, following the mitigation 
hierarchy; 
•    review best monitoring methods to evaluate the success of mitigation measures; and 
•    point out major gaps in our knowledge on how to mitigate or monitor these stressors. 


The explicit scope of the report and the annotated bibliography is focused on mitigation 
options for migratory birds and species-at-risk in wetlands in the Ring-of-Fire region. 
However, given that few documents cover migratory birds or species at risk in this region, 
this scope is widened to include mitigation options for wetlands, especially peatlands, 
without direct consideration of migratory birds or species-at-risk in Hudson Bay Lowland 
and the adjacent Boreal Shield. Any impacts to wetlands and peatlands will also affect the
habitats for migratory birds and faunal and vegetation species-at-risk.

The Cree word for this landscape of peatlands in the Hudson Bay Lowland and adjacent 
Boreal Shield is ‘muskeg’. It is one of the few Cree words adopted in English. The Cree 
communities in the Hudson Bay Lowland refer to themselves as the Omushkego Cree, and 
they form the Mushkegowuk Council. The ‘muskeg’ root in their communities’ and council’s 
names reflects their ancient closeness to this landscape. We must acknowledge from the 
start that our eƯort to compile knowledge on mitigation options for wetlands in this region 
potentially impacted by resource developments lacks the input from the Omushkego Cree 
as well from the Cree and Ojibway communities of the Matawa First Nations, the 
Shibogama First Nations, the Windigo First Nations, Keewaytinook Okimakanak, Fort 
Severn, Peawanuck, and independent bands in the Far North of Ontario. Our intention is to 
start this bibliography as a living resource. We hope that we can eventually include the 
knowledge of First Nations.