Aboriginal and Inuit Mining and Oil/Gas – Page 128

Nunavik women say family demands keep them from jobs at mines – by Sarah Rogers (Nunatsiaq News – September 17, 2015)

September 17, 2015

http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/

“They want to make sure that their children are cared for”

KUUJJUAQ — Consultations with Inuit women across Nunavik earlier this year found that — not surprisingly — they face the same barriers to seeking and securing employment in the mining sector as other Aboriginal women around the world.

And one of those challenges is balancing work with home and family life in a job that demands that workers be away from home for extended periods of time.

Over the last year, the Kativik Regional Government has worked alongside the region’s Kautaapikkut mining roundtable, a body launched last year to encourage Inuit employment in Nunavik’s mines and mor specifically, to look at the under-employment of women.

Together men and women make up 15 per cent of all Nunavimmiut working at the region’s two mines.

But fewer than half of all Inuit working at the region’s two operating mines are women; about 44 per cent at Glencore Raglan’s nickel operation, and about 20 per cent at Canadian Royalties’ Nunavik Nickel.

Noront CEO outlines big plans in the Ring of Fire (Northern Miner – September 16, 2015)

September 16, 2015

The Northern Miner, first published in 1915, during the Cobalt Silver Rush, is considered Canada’s leading authority on the mining industry.

VANCOUVER — Noront Resources (TSXV: NOT; US-OTC: NOSOF) has emerged as a leader across the Ring of Fire region in the James Bay Lowlands of Northern Ontario, and it has a long-term plan in the works it hopes will establish a world-class nickel sulphide and chromite camp in the region.

The company is knows it won’t be a quick process, but a commitment to social license and First Nation partnerships could lead to successes where larger companies have failed.

Noront made headlines in late March when it acquired 103 claims in the Ring of Fire from beleaguered U.S. base-metal miner Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF) for US$20 million. The deal was financed via a US$22.5-million loan agreement that saw Franco-Nevada (TSX: FNV; NYSE: FNV) pick up a 3% royalty on the Black Thor chromite deposit and a 2% royalty on Noront’s properties in the region with the exception of its advanced-stage Eagle’s Nest nickel platinum group metals project.

“We’d always had our eye on consolidating the Ring of Fire because we view it as an emerging camp. I mean you have a greenstone belt with a big ultramafic complex that seems to be chalk full of discovery potential,” said president and CEO Alan Coutts during an interview.

Fortescue Metals inks deal with Australian Aboriginal Mining – by Anne Lu (International Business Times – September 16 2015)

September 16, 2015

http://www.ibtimes.com.au/

Fortescue Metals Group Limited inked an Iron Ore Sale and Purchase Agreement with Australian Aboriginal Mining Corporation Pty Ltd on Monday, the companyannounced in a statement.

The five-year deal will allow the indigenous-owned AAMC to transport up to two million tonnes of iron ore yearly from its Pilbara mining operation through Fortescue’s world-class port or rail facilities. Fortescue can then purchase the iron ore or sell it on behalf of AAMC.

The agreement will help create Australia’s first Aboriginal owned and operated iron ore mine.

“Today’s agreement underlines very clearly Fortescue’s commitment to provide meaningful opportunities for Aboriginal business development. The company is focused on building up Aboriginal communities through full economic participation rather than passive welfare,” said Fortescue CEONev Power.

Indeed, the company’s Billion Opportunities program has awarded more than AU$1.8 billion in contract value to Aboriginal businesses and joint ventures. Fortescue’s workforce is 13 percent Aboriginal.

N.W.T. draft plan for protected areas has Chamber of Mines up in arms – by Guy Quenneville (CBC News North – September 16, 2015)

September 16, 2015

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/

Draft target of 40% will damage territory’s already struggling minerals industry, says chamber vice-president

The N.W.T. and Nunavut Chamber of Mines says it is “deeply concerned” with an “outrageous” suggestion from the N.W.T. government that as much as 40 per cent of land in the territory be set aside for conservation, but the government says that worry is premature.

“We appreciate their concerns. The document is stamped ‘DRAFT,'” says Michael Miltenberger, minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Miltenberger’s department circulated a draft plan on N.W.T. conservation areas earlier this month to environmental groups (the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Tides Canada), aboriginal groups, the chamber of mines and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

The plan proposes “a target of 40 per cent in conservation areas in the N.W.T.” Miltenberger says only half of that land would be shut off to companies; the other half, only potentially so.

AUDIO: [De Beers and Attawapiskat] After the Last River screens at Bay Street Film Festival in Thunder Bay (CBC News Thunder Bay – September 10, 2015)

September 10, 2015

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/

Movie highlights relationship between First Nation and mining company in northern Ontario

The Bay Street Film Festival kicks off Thursday through Sunday in Thunder Bay. One highly-anticipated film screens Thursday evening after receiving a great deal of attention during production.

After the Last River tells the story of the Attawapiskat First Nation’s experience with the nearby De Beers diamond mining company in northern Ontario.

The small community near James Bay garnered international attention for its’ social issues through the grassroots Idle No More campaign.

Vicki Lean, the film’s director, said there’s not enough discussion about how mining companies and small communities can impact each other.

Public fears put uranium mining on same path as shale gas in Quebec – by Ross Marowits (Canadian Press/CTV News – September 8, 2015)

September 8, 2015

http://www.ctvnews.ca/

MONTREAL — Fears about radioactive contamination may close the door to uranium mining in Quebec just as public angst shelved shale gas extraction in the province in 2011. “Like shale gas, it touches a sensitive chord in Quebec,” says Ugo Lapointe of MiningWatch Canada, which opposes mining of the metal that fuels nuclear power plants.

Hundreds of municipalities have joined First Nations to oppose uranium mining, worried that it could threaten their health, harm natural environments and ruin traditional hunting and fishing.

Quebec’s environmental regulation agency (BAPE) has concluded there is no “social acceptability” for uranium mining to proceed at this time. After a year of study, a three-person panel said that it would be premature to authorize development of Quebec’s uranium industry.

While uranium mining has made substantial progress, especially in containing waste, there are still many uncertainties and “significant gaps in scientific knowledge of the impacts of uranium mining on the environment and public health,” it said in a lengthy report.

PRESS RELEASE: Northern Superior Initiates Final Preparations for Trial Against the Ontario Government: October 5th, 2015

September 8, 2015

SUDBURY, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – Sept. 8, 2015) – Northern Superior Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE:SUP) (“Northern Superior” or the “Company”) is now in the final phase of preparation for the trial of its lawsuit against the Ontario Government, scheduled to start October 5th, 2015. Following a busy summer of preparing and processing legal documents and organizing witnesses, several key steps have either been completed, or are in the process of being completed, in preparation for the trial.

Of particular importance was establishing Northern Superior’s quantum of economic damages resulting from the alleged acts and omissions of the Government of Ontario (“Ontario”) which Northern Superior claims caused it to lose access to further explore and develop the Company’s Thorne Lake, Rapson Bay and Meston Lake properties, located in northwestern Ontario.

Northern Superior retained NERA, an international economic consulting company specializing in damage assessment and business related valuations, to assist in determining a fair and defensible value for the damages suffered by Northern Superior (see Northern Superior press release, May 11th, 2015). This report was submitted on time, as have all of Northern Superior’s documents to the Ontario Government, on July 21st, 2015.

Subsequently, Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. (” RPA”), the Ontario Government’s expert witness on this matter, had an opportunity to respond to the NERA report. The Court set a date of August 28th for this purpose.

KGHM, Metis Nation strike Victoria Mine agreement – by Staff (Sudbury Star – September 4, 2015)

September 4, 2015

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

The Metis Nation of Ontario and KGHM International Ltd. announced Thursday a deal covering development of the Victoria Mine project in Sudbury.

The memorandum of understanding will guide their working relationship as the mine is being prepared for a 2017 opening.

“This agreement is very important to the Metis people because it guarantees that Metis rights will be protected and the Metis way of life in the Sudbury area is being respected,” Metis Nation of Ontario chair France Picotte said in a release.

“We are pleased to continue working with KGHM. Agreements like this one are another benefit that we see coming from the MNO-Ontario Framework Agreement, which was first signed in 2008 and renewed this past year.”

In 2012, KGHM announced plans to spend $750-million to redevelop Victoria Mine near Worthington. One of Sudbury’s oldest and most prolific mines, Victoria would employ more than 200 full-time workers by the time it goes back into full production in 2017. It would produce copper and nickel.

OPG partners with First Nation for $300M project – by Alan S. Hale (Timmins Daily Press – August 28, 2015)

August 28, 2015

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

SMOOTH ROCK FALLS – Nearly 30 years of work by the members of the Taykwa Tagamou First Nation culminated in a ceremony held along the bank on the New Post Creek north of Smooth Rock Falls on Thursday morning.

The location is the future site of the Peter Sutherland Sr. Generating Station, which is a joint project between Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and a band-owned company, Coral Rapids Power. Although construction began on the $300 million hydroelectric dam months ago, the official announcement of the project was an emotional one for the First Nation members; some of whom have worked for decades to make it a reality.

“It took a big team to put this together. We had to push hard for it, and sometimes it nearly went off the rails. But we had a dream, and it is now a reality,” said band councillor and former chief Peter Archibald, who has worked on the project since 1979. “When this started, I had long hair that was black. Look at me now — falling out and white!”

Once completed, the new dam will produce 28 megawatts of power; enough to power 1,000 to 2,000 homes. The construction of the dam is expected to create 220 construction jobs.

NEWS RELEASE: Wataynikaneyap Power Signs Partnership Agreement with FortisOntario and RES Canada

August 27, 2015

www.wataypower.ca

(August 27, 2015 – Thunder Bay) Wataynikaneyap Power achieved a new milestone today by signing a Partnership Agreement with FortisOntario Inc., and Renewable Energy Systems Canada Inc. (“Fortis-RES Partnership”) to expand grid connection to sixteen (16) remote First Nation communities in Northwestern Ontario.

“Our people’s vision is to own, control and benefit from major infrastructure development in our homelands. Through this partnership, we are changing the landscape of how First Nations can do business into the future,” says Margaret Kenequanash, Chair of Wataynikaneyap Power. “Together we have reached a major milestone towards getting our communities off diesel generation, and improving the socio-economic situation for everyone’s benefit.”

Wataynikaneyap Power, owned by 20 First Nation communities, holds a majority interest in the project, which is mandated and supported by community leadership.

The Hon. Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Energy, will attend today’s press conference along with several other key provincial dignitaries. “We acknowledge the ongoing commitment from the Province of Ontario to connect remote First Nations to the provincial grid, and thank Minister Chiarelli and his colleagues for their continued strong support,” says Kenequanash.

Nunavut mine owner eyes open pit satellite for Meadowbank (Nunatsiaq News – August 21, 2015)

August 21, 2015

http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/

AEM believes Amaruq gold deposit, at two million ounces and growing, might extend Meadowbank’s lifespan

Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. will study the possibility of transforming its promising Amaruq project, now estimated at two million ounces of gold, into a satellite open pit connected to Meadowbank, the company said Aug. 19.

“This rapidly growing deposit remains a focus for the company given its economic potential, partly due to its close proximity to Agnico Eagle’s nearby Meadowbank mine and mill,” the company said in a news release.

The company said in June that drill teams had continued to find high-grade samples at its new Amaruq site that “exceed our expectations.”

Right now, the Meadowbank mine and mill, which started up in 2010 to become Agnico Eagle’s biggest gold producer, is expected to churn out gold bars until the third quarter of 2018.

But there’s now a possibility that an operation at Amaruq, about 50 kilometres from the existing mine and mill, could extend Meadowbank’s lifespan beyond that date.

Opinion: Put the brakes on mineral development – by Stewart Phillip and Rob Sanderson (Vancouver Sun – August 19, 2015)

August 20, 2015

http://www.vancouversun.com/

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip is president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. Rob Sanderson is second vice-president of Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska and co-chair of the United Tribal Transboundary Mining Work Group.

This month marks the one-year anniversary of the Mount Polley tailings dam failure, Canada’s worst mining disaster.

That catastrophe in central British Columbia, which unleashed 24 million cubic metres of mine contamination into nearby lakes and waters, served as a wakeup call for everyone who values clean water, wild salmon, fishing and tourism, and ways of life intrinsically tied to pristine lands.

For First Nations and Alaska Native tribes, in particular, Mount Polley was a lightning rod. The disaster brought us together as never before. Alaskans have a clear stake in what’s happening in neighbouring B.C.; at least 10 large mines in the transboundary region have the very real possibility of tainting Alaska’s downstream waters and the billion-dollar seafood and tourism industries these rivers sustain. More so, these developments have the potential to harm our shared rivers, our coastal waters, and the salmon our cultures rely on.

[Canadian Election] Confronting the Aboriginal question – by Irvin Studin (National Post – August 19, 2015)

August 19, 2015

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper.

The second, growing risk, concerns Canada’s ability to exploit natural resources
and to deliver on major infrastructure projects of national consequence. Growing
lack of clarity on the Crown’s duty to consult and fiduciary requirements,
regular threats of litigation and extremely long turnaround times will make
governments and industry alike increasingly diffident in betting on Canadian
resources and undertaking large-scale national building projects. (Irvin Studin)

Irvin Studin is editor-in-chief and publisher of Global Brief magazine, and president of the Institute for 21st Century Questions.

Apart from the recent Liberal announcement in Saskatoon on First Nations education, the Aboriginal question has not yet really entered the lexicon of the federal election. It should very soon, as it’s by far the most complex and consequential one for Canada today and for the foreseeable future.

What is the Aboriginal question that our leaders must address? On the one hand, it is about how to lift Canada’s indigenous people from the posture of being the losing parties — strategically speaking — in Canadian history to one of being co-equals in Canadian governance this century. On the other hand, it is about ensuring that the Canadian state remains coherent and governable, even as this transition to Aboriginal co-equality takes place.

New Grand Chief stepping back from Ring of Fire – by Alan S. Hale (Timmins Daily Press – August 18, 2015)

August 18, 2015

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

MOOSONEE – The Grand Chief-elect of the Mushkegowuk Council, Jonathan Solomon, is vowing to consult with the people and chiefs of the council’s member communities more than his predecessor did.

That is likely to please those who thought Grand Chief Lawrence Martin made too many promises and announcements on important issues without seeking enough input from the communities. It is not likely to please proponents of the already stalled Ring of Fire development.

Back in February, Martin stated his support for a proposed energy and railway corridor running across Mushkegowuk territory from Moosonee to the chromite mining development located 600 kilometres northwest of Timmins.

According to Solomon, that announcement “blindsided” many people within the Mushkegowuk Council, and that under his leadership, they would be stepping back from that commitment.

“I need to step back and review everything,” said Solomon.

B.C. First Nations and Alaskan Natives Join Forces to Fight Border Mines – by Judith Lavoie (Desmog Canada.com – August 12, 2015)

August 14, 2015

http://www.desmog.ca/

A powerful alliance of B.C. First Nations and Southeast Alaska natives has been forged in the aftermath of the Mount Polley dam collapse and tribes, who have not worked together for generations, are aiming to put the brakes on B.C.’s border mining boom.

Tears flowed after a May meeting in Vancouver when Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) president Grand Chief Stewart Phillip and vice-president Bob Chamberlin agreed to support the newly formed United Tribal Transboundary Mining Work Group in its bid for Alaskan — and particularly tribal — input into B.C.’s decision-making process on mines along the Southeast Alaska border.

“We are bringing together the tribes from both sides of the border and building a relationship. We can make more noise together than when we are separated by a border that has not been part of our tradition,” said Mike Hoyt, leader of the Teeyhittaan clan from the Stikine River.

It was a historic meeting that could be a catalyst for change, according to Phillip.

“It was very significant, coming together with our brothers and sisters in Alaska. I think it was a long time coming,” he said.