2012 – Page 64 – Republic of Mining

[Ontario] North clearly not united – by John R. Hunt (Sudbury Star – August 22, 2012)

August 30, 2012

http://www.nugget.ca/

“When I think about it, strapping Bartolucci to the cow catcher might
be more fun than a flogging or getting him to resign. Can anyone help
arrange it?” (John R. Hunt – August 22, 2012)

A distinguished member of the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce has advocated the immediate resignation of Rick Bartolucci. No doubt you have heard of this politician who enjoys a special place in the hearts of all North Bay citizens.

I would cheerfully advocate a public flogging knowing full well that it might make my readers chuckle, but it will never happen.
Throwing verbal mud at Dalton McGuinty and his favourite Northern boy is great fun, but does not accomplish much.

This provincial government is amazing. It allowed the refinery at Timmins to close and send ore from the Kidd Creek mine to Quebec. Allowed is the wrong word. Ontario’s energy prices are so ridiculous the mining company had to do something.

Now the government is going to sell Ontera, which is the communications branch of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission. It used to be the most profitable part of the Crown corporation.

NEWS RELEASE: Neskantaga First Nation Will Continue to Fight the Construction of a Road to the Ring of Fire in the Wake of an Ontario Mining Commission Court Decision that Up-holds the Community’s Right to Consultation.

August 29, 2012

For Immediate Release

Thunder Bay, August 29, 2012 – The Ontario Mining Commission court handed down a decision on a case that had involved Neskantaga First Nation last week. The community had hoped the decision would prevent Cliffs Natural Resources from building a road or rail line across the Attawapiskat River to the proposed site of the company’s Ring of Fire (ROF) chromite mine. However, the Commission determined that their decision only concerns whether Canada Chrome should have to share the surface rights of the proposed easement with Cliffs Natural Resources and thus does not affect Neskantaga’s interest.

“The decision is both good and bad for us,” said Chief Peter Moonias of Neskantaga First Nation. “On one hand the Commission won’t make a decision about stopping the road, but on the other hand it has strongly acknowledged our First Nation’s right to be consulted.”

The Commission emphasized that its decision will not result in the grant of the road easement to Cliffs. It is only a decision that tries to determine whether there is a reason that Canada Chrome should not be compelled to share any surface rights with Cliffs. Once that decision is made, it will then fall to the Minister to decide if the easement should actually be granted.

Mining builds communities across Ontario — Red Lake

August 29, 2012

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

Red Lake was the world’s first fly-in, fly-out mining camp. In 1925, what is billed as the last great gold rush in North America began in Red Lake. Travel by dog team and canoe soon gave way to bush plane prospecting and in the mid-1930s Red Lake was one of the busiest airports in the world. Up to the end of 2011, the historic gold production from the Red Lake area was almost 27 million ounces.

“Red Lake in 1925 was founded as a fly-in, fly-out camp and if it wasn’t for dog sleds and airplanes at that time, we might not be here,” said Phil Vinet, Mayor of Red Lake. “The long and short of it is that we are a mining town and we can’t lose sight of that.” The city’s largest annual event, the Norseman Festival, celebrates the role of this historic Canadian-made float plane.

The largest workforce in the community is Goldcorp’s Red Lake operations, which has 1,000 employees and 500 contractors. “You can’t find a better corporate citizen than Goldcorp,” said Mr. Vinet. Along with Goldcorp’s bullion production, the company is undergoing a major expansion and two advanced exploration projects — Rubicon’s Phoenix Project and Claude Resources Madsen Project – are also fuelling mine employment and community development.

Gold, China and the commodities super cycle – Jim Rogers – by Geoff Candy (Mineweb.com – August 29, 2012)

August 29, 2012

www.mineweb.com

“The Chinese will buy a lot more gold over the next decade”

GEOFF CANDY: Welcome to this week’s edition of Mineweb.com’s Gold Weekly podcast. Joining me on the line is Jim Rogers – he’s a renowned author, commentator and investor. Jim, gold prices in dollars hit their highest point since mid-April on Monday, largely on hopes of further stimulus from the Federal Reserve. Are we likely to see these hopes dashed once more, do you think or are we likely to see something different post the Jackson Hole meeting?

JIM ROGERS: Well I have no idea what’s going to happen at Jackson Hole. I do know that the Federal Reserve is going to continue to print more money, whether they announce it or not because that’s all they know to do, it’s the wrong thing to do for all of us – for the world, but they don’t know any better. So whether they announce it or whether they call it something different, who knows. Until the world economy gets better these guys don’t know anything else to do so they’re going to print more money.

GEOFF CANDY: Is there any way to get the world economy better – one gets the sense that we’re almost at an impasse at this stage?

Honourable Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Announcement in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut (August 23, 2012)

August 29, 2012

Our Government believes strongly that our activities in the Arctic must be informed
by and must add to our scientific knowledge of the region. … And that’s why today
I’m delighted to announce that our Government is committing significant funding over
the next six years starting this year to begin the construction process for the
Canadian High Arctic Research Station here at Cambridge Bay.

The Canadian High Arctic Research Station will also enhance Canada’s visible presence
in the Arctic. In this way, science and sovereignty are entwined, and the important work
now being done out of Resolute Bay on the continental shelf will dovetail with the
research to be undertaken here. … My friends, the North is Canada’s inheritance and
Canada’s future. (Prime Minister Stephen Harper)

Cambridge Bay, Nunavut – August 23, 2012

Thank you very much. Thank you. And a special thanks to everybody, special thanks particularly to Connie Kapolak for hosting us here at the Kiilinik High School. We appreciate the use of these wonderful facilities.

Greetings to everyone, to territorial commissioner Elias, to Premier Aariak, to Minister and MLA Peterson, obviously to my colleagues, to Minister Duncan, to Senator Patterson, to Yukon MP Ryan Leef, to Mayor Gillis and also to the president, I gather, of NTI is here, also President Evalik and all of your colleagues from the Kitikmeoq Inuit Association.

Honourable Prime Minister Stephen Harper Delivers Remarks in Norman Wells, Northwest Territories (August 22, 2012)

August 29, 2012

Norman Wells, Northwest Territories – August 22, 2012

Bonjour, tout le monde. Greetings, everyone. Thank you very much, everyone, for that warm Northern welcome. Thank you, Peter, for that introduction. That is the second time, as I say; it’s just confirming rumours about me.

That’s all I can say. I guess, Peter, all I can say is as Environment Minister, any day there’s a park announcement is a good day. I think that’s right, and congratulations for the work you’ve done on this.

Greetings also to my other colleagues, John Duncan, hardworking Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, who I know has been involved in this as well, Leona Aglukkaq is here, Minister of Health and Minister for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Member of Parliament Ryan Leef.

Many others who have helped to make this park a reality are also here today: of course, Premier McLeod, Minister Milton Berger from the territorial government, Mayor Johnson, elder Mundo, Grand Chief Andrew, President Campbell, President MacAuley, and of course, Ethyl Blondin-Andrew and Rick Hardy who accompanied me yesterday on a little bit of a tour.

It’s Game On for Rare Earths in Greenland: Rick Mills – by Sally Lowder (The Critical Metals Report – August 28, 2012)

August 29, 2012

http://www.theaureport.com/

Far from icebound, Greenland is wealthy in rare earth elements, precious metals and oil. Already, says Aheadoftheherd.com owner Rick Mills, companies are beginning to outline major discoveries at just pennies a share. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Read more in this exclusive interview with The Critical Metals Report.

The Critical Metals Report: Let’s start by talking about growth in developing nations, where populations are starting to demand the good things in life that we in the developed world have long enjoyed. That means continued growth in the commodity markets, specifically in mining. What are the implications of that?

Rick Mills: Easy and cheap access to basic materials like food, fiber, energy and minerals has driven recent growth in global prosperity. Throughout history, supply shortages in these materials have led to prices high enough to support further increases in production. We have always counted on supply eventually exceeding demand and forcing prices to drop.

Now, we are seeing a paradigm shift. Scarcity, jurisdictional risk and energy costs may result in declining production. Remember, margins, not price, motivate investment. As the cost of production increases, margins might not be sustainable.

Siemens looks to Canada to boost growth – by Pav Jordan (Globe and Mail – August 29, 2012)

August 29, 2012

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

German engineering conglomerate Siemens AG is betting on strong growth in Canada in coming years, underpinned by the stability of its resource-focused economy and a pending free-trade agreement with Europe, chief executive Peter Loescher said in an interview on Tuesday.

Mr. Loescher, accompanied by Canada head Robert Hardt, said growth will come from across the company’s $3-billion worth of operations in Canada, divided into health care, industry, infrastructure and cities and energy. Siemens Canada, with particular focus on business with the mining and oil sectors, has turned in double-digit growth in recent years, the executives said.

Siemens is looking for ways to maintain growth and fill its order books even as its chief market, the European Union, struggles with a recession and growth slows in other key markets, from China to the United States.

The Munich-based company said in reporting its fiscal third quarter on July 26 that orders came in 23 per cent lower than in the year-ago period.

Media ignore German coal plants, tout propaganda film ‘Fuel’ – by Dr. Kelvin Kemm (Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow – August 28, 2012)

August 29, 2012

The Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT) is a conservative Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization whose stated mission is to promote free market solutions to environmental problems.(Wiki) http://www.cfact.org/

Dr. Kelvin Kemm is a CFACT scientific advisor. He holds a PhD in nuclear physics, is currently CEO of Stratek and lives in Pretoria, South Africa.

While Germany builds 23 new coal plants, the media gush over “Fuel,” in which super rich celebrities tell the rest of us to turn the lights off and do without!

It is amazing how biased the international media is when it comes to reporting on energy generation, specifically electricity.

In mid-August, Germany opened a new 2200MW coal-fired power station near Cologne, and virtually not a word has been said about it. This dearth of reporting is even more surprising when one considers that Germany has said building new coal plants is necessary because electricity produced by wind and solar has turned out to be unaffordably expensive and unreliable.

In a deteriorating economic situation, Germany’s new environment minister, Peter Altmaier, who is as politically close to Chancellor Angela Merkel as it gets, has underlined time and again the importance of not further harming Europe’s – and Germany’s – economy by increasing the cost of electricity.

Ontario’s History from a train seat: my last nostalgic trip on the fabled northlander – by Ron Brown (Toronto Star – August 29, 2012)

August 29, 2012

The Toronto Star has the largest circulation in Canada. The paper has an enormous impact on federal and Ontario politics as well as shaping public opinion.

Ron Brown is a Toronto-based freelance travel writer and author of several books including “The Top 115 Unusual Things to See in Ontario” recently featured on the Star’s “Summer Reading” page.

When the province’s Minister of Northern Development, Rick Bartolucci, shocked northeastern Ontario with the news that he was cancelling the fabled Northlander train, as a travel writer I realized that I needed to embark on one last ride. For the Northlander is to Ontario what VIA Rail’s popular Canadian is to the country. Both offer an unobstructed cross section of the geography and the history of our land.

And so it was on a sunny day in late August day that I lined up at Union Station’s Gate 19 to board a legend. That the line extended the entire length of the departure room gave lie to Premier McGuinty’s assertion that the Northlander is poorly used. Ahead of me were two senior ladies en route to Cochrane, the end of the line, who would never consider a cramped 12 hour bus ride, Mr. McGuinty’s alternative. Behind me stood two Mennonite couples, their religion eschewing the car.

Gliding out of the station’s dark train shed, the history and geography lessons begin. We pass Toronto’s rapidly changing inner industrial area, the revitalized Distillery District followed by the West Don Lands reclamation project.

Three main [Quebec] parties missing the mark – by Peter Hadekel (Montreal Gazette – August 28, 2012)

August 28, 2012

http://www.montrealgazette.com/index.html

Reading the economic platforms of the three main provincial parties is an exercise in frustration. None has a clear strategy for dealing with the pressing issues facing Quebec, like massive public debt, low productivity growth and the demographic crunch hitting the workforce.

All seem to ignore the fact that the economy has slowed to a crawl, with the prospect that government revenue in the second half of the year will come in below expectation. The Liberals have been riding their promise of creating 250,000 net jobs during a new mandate. It’s a target that’s not out of line with past performance, but one that looks much harder to achieve now that the economy has stalled.

They have been notably vague on how they’ll get there, at a time when the manufacturing industry continues to struggle and service industry growth is flattening out. The party is relying on demand for natural resources to drive employment in the mining sector, but much will depend on the future path of commodity prices.

The Liberal plan talks about opportunities to create jobs in clean technology and green industries, but the specifics aren’t clear.

NEWS RELEASE: New Naats’ihch’oh National Park Strikes Reasonable Balance

August 28, 2012

(Yellowknife, August 24, 2012) The Chamber of Mines supports the Prime Minister’s announcement this week to create the new Naats’ihch’oh National Park Reserve in the western Northwest Territories as a reasonable and balanced approach by the Government of Canada.

“The Chamber of Mines strongly supports the development of park boundaries based on the exclusion of resource-rich areas with significant mineral potential so that northerners and all Canadians can take full advantage of future economic opportunities,” said Chamber President Pamela Strand. “It’s those non-renewable mineral resources that are the anchor of the NWT’s economy, and will provide socio-economic opportunities for future generations. They also need protection albeit for development.”

The Mineral and Energy Resource Assessment undertaken by the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) as part of the park establishment process documented many areas of high and moderately-high mineral potential within the Mackenzie Mountains Cordillera, the region that surrounds and includes the Naats’ihch’oh Park Reserve area. The GSC identified very high potential for a variety of mineral deposit types including SEDEX, carbonate-fault related, intrusion, and disseminated gold. Several mineral deposits have already been discovered within the area, including Lened, Mactung and Howard’s Pass. We are pleased that the GSC’s work has been taken into account by Parks Canada in recommending various boundary options and by the Government of Canada in making the final boundary decision.

NEWS RELEASE: KWG Files for Aggregate Permits [Ring of Fire railroad right-of-way]

August 28, 2012

TORONTO, ONTARIO – (Aug. 28, 2012) – The KWG Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE:KWG) (“KWG”) subsidiary Canada Chrome Corporation has filed applications with the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) for thirty-two aggregate permits at sites that are located within the mineral claims covering the company’s 308 kilometre-long railroad right-of-way. The sites were identified and investigated by Golder Associates during initial assessment work conducted for engineering feasibility studies as previously reported. The sites are located along the proposed route for KWG’s railway to the Ring of Fire region, and may provide material for the construction of the planned railbed. An environmental assessment and consultation with affected parties have not yet been concluded.

“In our meetings with Matawa First Nations Management Inc. officers and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency to review our draft Project Description, we have indicated our preference that the consultation requirements and protocols be developed in their entirety by the affected First Nations, to ensure the adequacy of the process,” said KWG President Frank Smeenk. “To make that exercise meaningful, we felt that the physical consequences of the development should be described as fully as possible within the regulatory framework. For that reason we have prepared and filed preliminary aggregate borrowing plans to enable a relatively more informed determination of consultation requirements.”

Canada Chrome Corporation has also made application to MNR under the provisions of the Public Lands Act, for the grant of title to the lands it has tentatively designated as the “Port of Koper Lake” at the northern terminus of its right-of-way.