Archive | Abitibi Greenstone Belt

[Alexandria Minerals Proxy Fight] How a penny stock miner came to face a multimillion-dollar problem – by Jennifer Wells (Toronto Star – July 18, 2018)

July 18, 2018 in Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canadian Media Resource Articles, Gold and Silver, Junior Exploration Sector

https://www.thestar.com/

It’s tough to get anyone to pay attention when you’re running a four-cent stock. But then the name Sprott Inc. shows up. And Institutional Shareholder Services. And Glass Lewis. And Joe Groia, the lawyer. And Navigator, the crisis management firm. And a wagonload of mud slinging. And a full-on proxy fight with a voting deadline of this week.

All of which leads the reasonable person to ask: what the heck is going on here? The company in question: Alexandria Minerals Inc., a penny miner with dreams of gold. The agitator: geologist and ousted CEO Eric Owens, who founded the company more than a decade ago.

Owens found himself turfed from the firm in February four days after he publicly announced his intention to call a shareholder meeting to remove three board members, in what the chairman of the board calls a “costly and distracting proxy fight.” Continue Reading →

The odds are stacked against gold juniors like never before: Abitibi Royalties CEO – by Valentina Ruiz Leotaud (Mining.com – July 14, 2018)

July 16, 2018 in Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canadian Media Resource Articles, Gold and Silver, Quebec Mining

http://www.mining.com/

Huge hurdles are stacked against gold juniors in the quest to become a mine, says Abitibi Royalties’ CEO Ian Ball.

Ball, who spoke to MINING.com in March at PDAC in Toronto, was former President of McEwen Mining before moving onto Abitibi Royalties four years ago. During Ball’s tenure as CEO, the company’s stock has increased 3.1 times in value going from $3.27 per share to $10.44.

Ball sees a lot of headwinds in the industry. He does not see a significant gold price moves to the upside. Average gold grade is declining, which requires larger plants and more capital to move ore. Regulations are becoming more stringent. Productivity improvements are still lagging. Continue Reading →

Osisko Mining shareholders vote in favour of controversial stock-options package – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – June 29, 2018)

July 3, 2018 in Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canadian Media Resource Articles, Gold and Silver, Quebec Mining

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Osisko Mining Inc.’s shareholders voted in favour of a controversial stock-options package Friday, while its chief executive officer says the company intends to move away from options as a form of compensation over time.

Ahead of Friday’s annual general meeting, proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) advised shareholders of the junior mining company to vote against the package, citing concerns over its excessive cost, and criticizing the lack of performance-based criteria for receiving the options.

At Osisko, options are widely granted to officers, directors and employees, and often make up the lion’s share of compensation. For example, CEO John Burzynski made $3.15-million, with about $2.1-million in options, a $500,000 salary and a $590,000 bonus. Independent director Sean Roosen was paid $743,000 last year, $688,000 in options and a $55,000 cash fee. Continue Reading →

[Quebec Mining] Urban Barry gold camp gold explorers merge – by Esmarie Swanepoel (MiningWeekly.com – June 19, 2018)

June 19, 2018 in Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canadian Media Resource Articles, Gold and Silver, Quebec Mining

http://www.miningweekly.com/

TSX-V-listed junior Bonterra Resources and Metanor Resources have struck a merger agreement to create an advanced Canadian gold exploration and development company.

Under the terms of the agreement, Bonterra will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares in Metanor for C$0.73 in equity consideration, at an exchange ratio of 1.6039 Bonterra shares, for each Metanor share.

Following the acquisition, Bonterra shareholders will hold some 58% of the combined company with Metanor shareholders holding the balance. Continue Reading →

Osisko builds critical mass in Quebec – by Trish Saywell (Northern Miner – May 17, 2018)

May 18, 2018 in Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canadian Media Resource Articles, Gold and Silver, Junior Exploration Sector, Quebec Mining

http://www.northernminer.com/

In the first five months of the year, Osisko Mining (TSX: OSK) released resource estimates for two projects in Quebec while keeping in step with an ambitious drill program that is the largest of its kind in Canada.

Earlier this month, Osisko unveiled its first resource estimate on its 100%-owned Windfall deposit, 115 km east of the town of Lebel-sur-Quevillon. Windfall is one of the highest-grade resource-stage gold projects in Canada.

The company outlined an indicated resources of 2.38 million tonnes grading 7.85 grams gold per tonne for 601,000 ounces of contained gold and inferred resources of 10.61 million tonnes grading 6.7 grams gold for 2.28 million oz. of gold, using a cut-off grade of 3 grams gold per tonne. Continue Reading →

Orefinders pick up former northeast gold mine – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – April 4, 2018)

April 4, 2018 in Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications, Gold and Silver, Junior Exploration Sector, Kirkland Lake, Ontario Mining

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Gold explorer building stable of northeast properties with McGarry Mine acquisition

There’s new ownership coming for a former gold mine in the Kirkland Lake area. Toronto’s Orefinders Resources announced April 3 that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Kerr Mines (formerly Armistice Resources) to acquire the McGarry Mine and Barber-Larder properties.

Under the deal, Orefinders will issue 8 million common shares to Kerr. The shares are subject to a lock-up agreement with Kerr and are scheduled to be free trading over a two-year period.

The McGarry property is in Virginiatown, between Kirkland Lake and the Quebec border, and spans 2.4 kilometres on the Cadillac Larder Lake Break, considered one of the world’s most prolific gold structures. It’s located next to the Kerr-Addison Mine, which once produced more than 12 million ounces of gold over a 58-year period ending in 1996. Continue Reading →

Roundup 2018: Osisko’s Roosen on tackling ‘tough’ markets – by Matthew Keevil (Northern Miner – January 25, 2018)

January 25, 2018 in Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canada Mining, Gold and Silver, Zinc, Lead and Tin

http://www.northernminer.com/

VANCOUVER — Sean Roosen’s Osisko group of companies is among a rare breed of mining-focused entrepreneurial firms that have flourished over the past decade despite frigid capital markets and low commodity prices.

The group emerged as a major financial player following the $4.3-billion sale of Osisko Mining’s flagship Canadian Malartic gold mine in mid-2014 and now provides alternate capital funding to explorers and miners via stream financings, equity placements, and related partnership models.

On Jan. 23, Roosen took the stage at thee Association for Mineral Exploration’s (AME) annual Roundup conference to discuss the state of capital markets, and the challenges the mining industry must overcome to combat falling discovery rates and a lack of interest from generalist investors. Continue Reading →

Legendary Timmins Dome underground operations ended Dec. 31: ‘It’s just amazing what this mine has done for the community’ – by Maija Hoggett (Northern Ontario Business – January 2, 2017)

January 2, 2018 in Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications, Gold and Silver, Goldcorp Inc., Ontario Mining, Timmins

Legendary Dome Mine Timmins Ontario (Wiki Photo)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

The final day of 2017 marked the end of an era at a Timmins mine. More than 100 years after the Dome underground mine started, work permanently ceased on Dec. 31.

Goldcorp Porcupine Gold Mines (PGM) announced the closure, which directly affects about 140 people, in August. To mark the end of the historic operation, mine general manager Marc Lauzier said each crew enjoyed cake, a photographer took keepsake photos for interested crew members, and the workers received a memento to bring home.

“I couldn’t be prouder of our crews; they’ve done a phenomenal job, they’ve kept their heads up right until the end, and the morale is actually better than it could be,” Lauzier said. Continue Reading →

Orefinders consolidates prospective Shining Tree district, in Ontario’s famed Abitibi – by Henry Lazenby (MiningWeekly.com – December 1, 2017)

December 1, 2017 in Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canadian Media Resource Articles, Gold and Silver, Junior Exploration Sector, Ontario Mining

http://www.miningweekly.com/

VANCOUVER (miningweekly.com) – TSX-V-listed Orefinders Resources has entered into agreements for a series of three acquisitions of adjoining properties from two individual landholders and from private company Premet.

Orefinders said in a press release on Thursday that it views the Shining Tree District as a significantly underexplored and a not well understood region of Ontario’s Abitibi, which holds great potential for a district scale mining camp.

Orefinders’ Shining Tree consolidated land package now includes 67 claims and 14 patented leases covering over nearly 2 348 ha, which makes the company a significant mineral landholder in the region. Continue Reading →

Wallbridge pushing for early production at Fenelon: Quebec property showing good results, say executives – by Karen McKinley (Northern Ontario Business – November 24, 2017)

November 24, 2017 in Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications, Gold and Silver, Quebec Mining

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

A Sudbury-based junior mining company says it is feeling so confident over a Quebec gold property, a production decision could be made by late 2018. Wallbridge Mining presented their latest findings and core samples from their Fenelon property at a special presentation of the Sudbury Prospectors and Developers Association, Nov. 21.

The talk by senior geologist Attila Pentek and exploration vice-president Joshua Bailey was a comprehensive history of the property, the geology of the deposits, initial test drills and preliminary assay results of core samples, and timelines on production plans.

Fenelon is located 150 kilometres north of Val d’Or, an area Bailey described as being largely overlooked by prospectors. Exploring the property was part of a valuation strategy by the company, which met the investment criteria for a number of reasons. Continue Reading →

Gowest aims to unlock refractory gold potential of legendary Timmins Camp – by Henry Lazenby (MiningWeekly.com – November 14, 2017)

November 24, 2017 in Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canadian Media Resource Articles, Gold and Silver, Junior Exploration Sector, Ontario Mining, Timmins

http://www.miningweekly.com/

VANCOUVER (miningweekly.com) – Little-known exploration and development company Gowest Gold is preparing to become the newest gold producer in the legendary Timmins Gold Camp, which, since its discovery in the early 1900s, has produced almost half of all the gold mined in Canada.

The TSX-V-listed company is moving its North Timmins gold project – host to the Bradshaw deposit – through the permitting process, with a view to start commercial production during the first quarter of 2019. It expects to ship first ore to a nearby plant before the end of the year as part of a 30 000 t bulk sample.

Gowest CEO Gregory Romain told Mining Weekly Online in an interview that the company is unlocking an opportunity in the Timmins Gold Camp by being one of the first to look into the potential of developing the refractory and sulphide ores in the region, something most other district participants overlooked in their quest for the “low-hanging fruits” that made the region famous. Continue Reading →

Excerpt from J.P. BICKELL: The Life, the Leafs, and the Legacy – by Jason Wilson, Kevin Shea and Graham MacLachlan

October 3, 2017 in Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Art, Books, Music and Photography About Mining and Northern Topics, Canadian Mining History, Gold and Silver, Northern Ontario History, Ontario Mining, Timmins

To order a copy of “J.P. BICKELL: The Life, the Leafs, and the Legacy”: https://www.dundurn.com/books/JP-Bickell

Jason Wilson is a bestselling Canadian author, a two-time Juno Awards Nominee, and an Adjunct Professor of History at the University of Guelph. He has performed and recorded with UB40, Ron Sexsmith, Pee Wee Ellis, and Dave Swarbrick. Jason lives in Stouffville, Ontario.

Kevin Shea is a renowned hockey historian and bestselling author of fourteen hockey books. He is the Editor of Publications and Online Features for the Hockey Hall of Fame, a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs Historical Committee, and a founding member of Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer. Kevin lives in Toronto.

Graham MacLachlan is a relative of J.P. Bickell who has an extensive business background in international trade that is equalled by his involvement in hockey in the IIHF, the WHL, Hockey Canada, Hockey Alberta, and Hockey Calgary. Graham lives in Calgary, Alberta.

OVERVIEW

He stayed out of the spotlight, but Leafs fans know J.P. Bickell cast a long shadow.

A self-made mining magnate and the man who kept the Maple Leafs in Toronto and financed Maple Leaf Gardens, J.P. Bickell lived an extraordinary and purposeful life. As one of the most important industrialists in Canadian history, Bickell left his mark on communities across the nation. He was a cornerstone of the Toronto Maple Leafs, which awards the J.P. Bickell Memorial Award to recognize outstanding service to the organization.

Bickell’s story is also tied up with some of the most famous Canadians of his day, including Mitchell Hepburn, Roy Thomson, and Conn Smythe. Through his charitable foundation, he has been a key benefactor of the Hospital for Sick Children, and his legacy continues to transform Toronto. Yet, though Bickell was so important both to Toronto and the Maple Leafs, the story of his incredible life is today largely obscure. This book sets the record straight, presenting the definitive story of his rise to prominence and his lasting legacy — on the ice and off. Continue Reading →

Quebec Snapshot: Nine juniors with active exploration and development projects – by John Cumming (Northern Miner – September 27, 2017)

September 28, 2017 in Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canadian Media Resource Articles, Gold and Silver, Quebec Mining

Global mining news

Quebec has proven to be a hotbed for junior mining company activity and perennially one of the industry’s favourite jurisdictions in which to operate. Gold remains the target of interest, but the province’s rich mineral endowment means juniors are also on the hunt for silver, platinum group metals, copper, lead-zinc, nickel, iron ore, rare earth elements, graphite and lithium.

ALEXANDRIA MINERALS

Toronto-based, Eric Owens-led junior Alexandria Minerals (TSXV: AZX) is in the midst of a 30,000-metre, mid-year drill campaign at its Orenada gold property, situated on the Cadillac Break geological structure, immediately southeast of the city of Val-d’Or, Quebec.

Alexandria’s near-term goal is to expand the deposit to the east and west — especially the deposit’s Zone 1 — with an eye to completing a resource estimate before year-end. As of 2009, Orenada had a near-surface resource of 4.3 million measured tonnes grading 1.36 grams gold per tonne (189,000 contained oz. gold), 6 million indicated tonnes of 1.01 grams gold and 4.7 million inferred tonnes. Continue Reading →

Excerpt from J.P. BICKELL: The Life, the Leafs, and the Legacy – by Jason Wilson, Kevin Shea and Graham MacLachlan

September 25, 2017 in Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Art, Books, Music and Photography About Mining and Northern Topics, Canadian Mining History, Gold and Silver, Northern Ontario History, Ontario Mining, Timmins

To order a copy of “J.P. BICKELL: The Life, the Leafs, and the Legacy”: https://www.dundurn.com/books/JP-Bickell

Jason Wilson is a bestselling Canadian author, a two-time Juno Awards Nominee, and an Adjunct Professor of History at the University of Guelph. He has performed and recorded with UB40, Ron Sexsmith, Pee Wee Ellis, and Dave Swarbrick. Jason lives in Stouffville, Ontario.

Kevin Shea is a renowned hockey historian and bestselling author of fourteen hockey books. He is the Editor of Publications and Online Features for the Hockey Hall of Fame, a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs Historical Committee, and a founding member of Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer. Kevin lives in Toronto.

Graham MacLachlan is a relative of J.P. Bickell who has an extensive business background in international trade that is equalled by his involvement in hockey in the IIHF, the WHL, Hockey Canada, Hockey Alberta, and Hockey Calgary. Graham lives in Calgary, Alberta.

OVERVIEW

He stayed out of the spotlight, but Leafs fans know J.P. Bickell cast a long shadow.

A self-made mining magnate and the man who kept the Maple Leafs in Toronto and financed Maple Leaf Gardens, J.P. Bickell lived an extraordinary and purposeful life. As one of the most important industrialists in Canadian history, Bickell left his mark on communities across the nation. He was a cornerstone of the Toronto Maple Leafs, which awards the J.P. Bickell Memorial Award to recognize outstanding service to the organization.

Bickell’s story is also tied up with some of the most famous Canadians of his day, including Mitchell Hepburn, Roy Thomson, and Conn Smythe. Through his charitable foundation, he has been a key benefactor of the Hospital for Sick Children, and his legacy continues to transform Toronto. Continue Reading →

OPINION: The Richmont gold deal: A sign of things to come? – by Andrew Willis (Globe and Mail – September 18, 2017)

September 18, 2017 in Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canadian Media Resource Articles, Gold and Silver, Ontario Mining

https://beta.theglobeandmail.com

In mining circles, the Ontario town of Wawa on the shores of Lake Superior is suddenly a hot place to do business.

Wawa, home to 3,000 souls and an enormous Canada Goose sculpture, is the closest place to buy groceries if you work at the Island Gold mine, a property that has yielded 430,000 ounces of gold for owner Richmont Mines Inc. and holds something like another 1.7 million ounces of the precious metal.

Proven reserves in politically stable jurisdictions are near the top of the shopping list for acquisitive mining companies. And Wawa is the model of stability in comparison to many of the places Canadian mining companies do business, such as Tanzania, which recently hit a Barrick Gold Corp. subsidiary with an absurd $190-billion (U.S.) tax bill – that’s billion with a “B” – as part of an ongoing dispute over three mines, or even Greece, where the government in dragging its feet on permits for properties owned by Eldorado Gold Corp. Continue Reading →