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Aboriginal and Inuit Mining and Oil/Gas

Ontario urged to get act together to save Ring of Fire development – by Maria Babbage (The Canadian Press/Globe and Mail – November 22, 2013)

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.

TORONTO — The Canadian Press – The finger-pointing has begun as governments and critics look to assign blame over a big mining company’s pullout from the Ring of Fire in northern Ontario, a massive mineral-rich area believed to have the economic potential of Alberta’s oilsands.

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. is suspending its operations indefinitely, saying it couldn’t keep spending money while the question of whether it would be able to build an all-weather road to the remote site remained in doubt. It’s a major setback for cash-strapped Ontario, which may not see the economic windfall the governing Liberals had promised anytime soon.

Greg Rickford, the federal Conservatives’ lead minister for the Ring of Fire, said he was surprised with the Cliffs decision, because the company was “very satisfied” with the federal government’s involvement in the project. But in some ways, it wasn’t that surprising, said the minister of state for FedNor, the economic development organization for northern Ontario.

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The Ring of Fire’s Future Is Now a Burning Question – by Sunny Freeman (Huffington Post – November 22, 2013)

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/

Mining giant Cliffs Natural Resources’ decision to halt work on the largest project in northern Ontario’s Ring of Fire region has aroused a sudden interest in the lumbering development.

The opposition at Queen’s Park pounced to lay blame on the province for the squandered opportunity.

Financial analysts scurried to advise clients on what it means for their shares. And usually blasé news outlets called on pundits to discuss whether the loss of the U.S. mining giant was a death knell for the much-hyped but little-understood development.

The biggest player in the Ring of Fire, a 5,000 square kilometre tract of land in Ontario’s Far North that is said to hold a potential $50 billion in mineral deposits, announced late Wednesday it is halting work on its $3.3 billion chromite project indefinitely, blaming, for the most part, an “uncertain timeline.”

If Cliffs’ decision to stop development is the death of that high stakes mining discovery, it was anything but a sudden one.

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First Nations protest mining on tradtional lands, in provincial parks – by Staff Writer (Winnipeg Free Press – November 22, 2013)

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/

Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs leader Derek Nepinak warned today that not one mine will open without First Nations consent.
The Grand Chief led a protest outside a provincial mining conference this morning to oppose mines in provincial parks and on lands claimed as traditional for First Nations.

“We are living in a day and age where new leadership is emerging and we are not going to sit back,” Nepinak said outside in -15 C temperatures.

As he has since Idle No More protests last winter, Nepinak struck a tone at odds with the conciliatory statements the public is used to hearing from indigenous leaders.

But he didn’t threaten any specific action either. Nepinak offered only general predictions and referred to actions that have already taken place in Manitoba, New Brunswick and other parts of Canada that have seen blockades rise against mining and resource extraction.

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Cliffs suspends Ring of Fire project in northern Ontario – (CBC News Thunder Bay – November 21, 2013)

http://www.cbc.ca/thunderbay/

Cliffs has ‘continued interest’ in the project and believes in the Ring of Fire region’s potential

A major U.S. player in northern Ontario’s Ring of Fire says it’s indefinitely suspending its chromite project in the mineral-rich area.

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. says its affiliate, Cliffs Chromite Ontario Inc., will not allocate additional capital for the project. The company blames an uncertain timeline and risks associated with developing infrastructure.

Company spokesperson Pat Persico said the decision affects about 14 staff in Thunder Bay and 17 workers at a camp in the Ring of Fire, located in the James Bay lowlands.

“We will be closing our Thunder Bay and Toronto offices,” she said. “We also have the exploration camp up in northern Ontario … we will … have to look at properly shutting down that.” A company press release said “we will be working with this talented team of professionals to explore other opportunities at Cliffs.”

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Silver Linings in Cliffs Ring of Fire Rumble – by James Murray (Netnewsledger.com – November 21, 2013)

http://www.netnewsledger.com/

Silver Lining in Chromite Storm

THUNDER BAY – Opinion – The announcement by Cliffs Natural Resources on the Ring of Fire should not come as a major shock to anyone who has been following the story. Cliffs has maintained for a long time that the project was in the feasibility stage.

There are several potential silver linings in all of this rumbling. First is it a surprise? Honestly no. This has been coming for a while with Cliffs Natural Resources.

Some of this is due to ham-fisted bungling on the provincial level starting at the very top of the political pyramid. The Premier has not taken this project as seriously as it should have been taken in the view of many.

Ontario has not taken the steps to ensure job training on a massive level was possible. The federal government has stepped up there, but Ontario didn’t.

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Mine firm says panel review error outrageous – by Terri Theodore (The Canadian Press/Global News – November 19, 2013)

http://globalnews.ca/toronto/

VANCOUVER – The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is reviewing a complaint from the company proposing a $1.5-billion mine in British Columbia’s Interior that a mistake was made in a joint environmental assessment of the project.

Taseko Mines Ltd. (TSX:TKO) said the error is so outrageous it’s nearly unfathomable.

In a letter to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, the company questioned why the panel conducting an environmental review on the proposed New Prosperity mine would use incorrect information for its final assessment.

On Tuesday, the agency confirmed that the information provided by Taseko was being reviewed by officials within the agency.

It didn’t say what action, if any, would be taken if Taseko’s claims are proven correct. Earlier this month, an agency panel released a report saying it didn’t believe Taseko’s design for the proposed copper and gold mine could avoid contaminating nearby Fish Lake. The survival of the lake is at the centre of the dispute.

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NEWS RELEASE: Anishinabek have treaty rights to share mining revenues

SUDBURY, ON, Nov. 19, 2013 /CNW/ – Anishinabek Nation citizens have a treaty right to share in Ontario’s $11 billion mining industry.

“We have determined that 60 per cent of mining resources in Ontario are located on our traditional lands,” says Lake Huron Regional Chief Isadore Day, Windawtegowinini. “Currently we receive no taxes or benefits from mining on our traditional to treaty territories. Municipalities get 15-22 per cent of the taxation mining revenue and we get nothing.”

Last year Ontario received $147 million from its 10 per cent mining tax, Chief Day told participants in a mining workshop attended by Chiefs and leaders from Lake Huron Regional First Nations.

Chief Day says that First Nations in Ontario should also get their fair share of procurement contracts and jobs related to mining activity on their traditional territories.

“The typical mine in Ontario spends 44 per cent of its annual sales on procurement. This represents a huge opportunity for us. Right now only 10 per cent of mining jobs are held by our people.”

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Four-Part Series on the Ring of Fire – by Stan Sudol (November 18, 2013)

 

Located 500 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, the Ring of Fire contains billions worth of chromite — among the best deposits in the world — plus nickel, copper, platinum group elements, gold, zinc and vanadium metals.

In 2007, an interesting mix of six geologists and junior mining executives – Richard Nemis, Mac Watson, Frank Smeenk, Neil Novak, John Harvey and Don Hoy – collectively discovered the geologically rich Ring of Fire. It is the most significant mineral discovery in Canada since the Sudbury Basin in 1883 and the Timmins gold camp in 1909. This four-part series was originally published in the Sudbury Star.

KWG: The Chromite Mouse That Roars [Part 1 of 4] (November 14, 2013)

http://republicofmining.com/2013/11/14/kwg-the-chromite-mouse-that-roars-by-stan-sudol-sudbury-star-november-13-2013/

Is Rail or Road the Best Choice for Ontario’s Ring of Fire? [Part 2 of 4] (November 15, 2013)

http://republicofmining.com/2013/11/14/is-rail-or-road-the-best-choice-for-ontarios-ring-of-fire-by-stan-sudol-sudbury-star-november-15-2013/

Ring of Fire’s Mineral Potential ‘Astounding’ [Part 3 of 4] (November 16, 2013)

http://republicofmining.com/2013/11/16/accent-rings-potential-astounding-by-stan-sudol-part-3-of-4-sudbury-star-novmeber-16-2013/

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NEWS RELEASE: Goldeye and Sandy Lake First Nation Sign Exploration Agreement


(L to R) Blaine Webster, President and CEO of Goldeye Explorations Limited and Chief Bart Meekis of Sandy Lake First Nation with signed Exploration Agreement.

 

Goldeye Explorations Limited (TSX VENTURE:GGY)(“Goldeye” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an exploration agreement (the “Agreement”) with Sandy Lake First Nation (“SLFN”) regarding Goldeye’s mineral exploration activities on its Weebigee Project at Sandy Lake (the “Project”) in the Red Lake Mining District, Northwestern Ontario. The mineral claims comprising the Project are located within SLFN’s traditional lands.

Blaine Webster, President and Chief Executive Officer of Goldeye comments, “This exploration agreement is a milestone in the relationship between Goldeye and Sandy Lake First Nation and provides a positive example for how exploration companies and First Nations in Ontario can work together for the mutual benefit of both parties. We look forward to working in a spirit of partnership with SLFN to advance the Weebigee Project and build value for Goldeye’s shareholders including SLFN.”

The agreement will strengthen the relationship between SLFN and Goldeye by, among other things, providing a framework for on-going dialogue and information sharing respecting the Project. The Agreement has an overall term of five (5) years, with an initial term of one (1) year renewable on the same terms for two (2) additional two (2) year terms.

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An Open Letter to the People of Northern Ontario – by Dr. Thomas F. Morris (November 18, 2013)

Dr. Thomas F. Morris is President & CEO, Northern Superior Resources which is currently suing the Ontario Government for $110 million.

As the head of a junior exploration company exploring for gold in the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, I have spent my entire career working in remote areas of the country and partnering with Aboriginal communities to develop social and economic opportunities through our exploration efforts for all to benefit from. There has never been a more exciting time to be part of Ontario’s mining sector, knowing how much untapped potential exists in this Province. Yet it is increasingly frustrating to see that this potential is being put at great risk by the Ontario Government’s mining policies and its unwillingness to effectively engage with Aboriginal communities.

No doubt, many of you have heard that my company, Northern Superior Resources Inc. (NSR) filed a lawsuit against the Government of Ontario to recover millions in damages suffered as a result of the Government’s failure to consult with certain First Nations. The Government of Ontario granted NSR rights to certain mineral claims near Sachigo Lake in Northwestern Ontario in 2005, an area known by the Government to fall within First Nation territory under the James Bay Treaty. NSR’s rights to these claims were renewed by the Government of Ontario on several occasions and continue to stand today.

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NEWS RELEASE: Northern Superior Resources Inc. Elaborates on Legal Action Against the Government of Ontario in an Open Letter to Stakeholders

 SUDBURY, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – Nov. 18, 2013) – Northern Superior Resources Inc. (NSR) (TSX VENTURE:SUP) CEO Thomas Morris today issued an Open Letter to stakeholders elaborating on the legal action against the Government of Ontario. NSR recently filed a statement of claim against the Ontario Government for $110 million in damages, as a result of circumstances leading to its inability to access its Thorne Lake, Meston Lake, and Rapson Bay gold properties in northwestern Ontario.

Thomas Morris, President and CEO of the Company comments: “Our relationships with many First Nations in other areas of Ontario and Quebec have been terrific, and we have always enjoyed building and developing these and other relationships. Had the Government of Ontario fulfilled its constitutional duty to consult with the local First Nation before NSR was evicted and exploration moratoriums and exclusion zones suddenly imposed, the situation that NSR finds itself in would never have come to pass.”

The Company respects the inherent right of First Nations to decide whether to allow exploration in their traditional territory, but points to the failure of the Ontario Government to ensure NSR would be able to exercise its rights to the mining claims obtained under the Mining Act. Ontario did not consult with any area First Nations and compounded their failure to consult by arbitrarily creating a mining exclusion zone approximately four times the size of Prince Edward Island (approximately 23,000 km2) adjacent to NSR’s claims. Subsequently, two other First Nations in the area asserted overlapping traditional interests in the area of NSR’s claims and have indicated under no uncertain terms that the area is subject to a moratorium on exploration and mining of any kind.

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Geology, habitats and plants throughout northern Ontario – by Andy Fyon (Onotassiniik Magazine – Winter 2013/2014)

http://onotassiniik.com

Andy Fyon is the Director, Ontario Geological Survey, Ministry of Northern Development and Mines

When you walk across the land or boat across the water, do you notice the range of plants growing on different types of land? For example, the plants that grow in muskeg areas are very different from those growing on bare rocky areas. This is a pattern repeated over and over.

While observing this, have you ever wondered if geology plays a role in controlling where different types of plants grow?

There is a strong link between Ontario’s geological history and the location of different types of plants. We know that geological forces shaped the land. And yes, geological forces also created habitats – special places where distinctive plants grow. Obviously, different habitats are home to different plants. So, the type of rock and the type of deposit left behind by glaciers are key factors in determining the distribution and types of some plants.

Ontario’s long and complex geological history created many different habitats that sustain different types of plants in different areas.

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Aboriginal group’s planned potash mine looks to markets to India – by Rachelle Younglai (Globe and Mail – November 16, 2013)

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.

A First Nations group in Saskatchewan is in talks to sell potash to the Indian government, a move that would help vault the aboriginal group into the fertilizer industry and transform its economy.

The Muskowekwan First Nation sits on 25,000 hectares of land in the southeastern part of Saskatchewan where big North American fertilizer producers Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. and Mosaic Co. are already operating mines.

Owning the land could make it easier for the First Nation group to build the mine and give the aboriginal group an advantage over other entrepreneurs hoping to get into the fertilizer business as demand increases from growing economies in Asia.

“It’s not easy to find a project with one land owner,” said Reginald Bellerose, the chief for the Muskowekwan First Nation. But the group has some big hurdles to clear before the mine would become a reality. One is finding financing for the $3-billion project.

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Miners say Anglo American departure casts pall on all of Alaska industry – by Yereth Rosen (Alaska Dispatch – November 10, 2013)

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/

When Mike Heatwole, vice president of corporate communications for the Pebble Limited Partnership, gave a status report of the controversial and beleaguered Pebble project to a friendly audience in Anchorage Thursday afternoon, he laced his speech with sadness and resignation.

“What a difference a year makes. If you think about it, what a difference a few months makes,” Heatwole told attendees at the Alaska Miners Association convention.

Heatwole’s company would build one of the world’s largest open-pit copper mines in the headwaters of Alaska’s Bristol Bay. He closed his presentation with a slideshow of smiling workers, in the company’s Anchorage office, in the field and elsewhere. All were laid off after Anglo American, the moneyed partner in the project, announced in September that it was abandoning Pebble and its investment in it.

The Pebble partners had planned to submit a formal mine plan by the end of the year, kicking off permitting applications, he said. Now, with Vancouver-based Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd as the only remaining partner, that timetable is unclear.

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Northern Manitoba chiefs representing First Nations on province’s new Mining Advisory Council – by Ian Thompson (Thompson Citizen – November 15, 2013)

The Thompson Citizen, which was established in June 1960, covers the City of Thompson and Nickel Belt Region of Northern Manitoba. The city has a population of about 13,500 residents while the regional population is more than 40,000. 

Several Northern Manitoba First Nation chiefs as well as mining industry representatives from companies such as Vale, Hudbay Minerals and San Gold are members of Manitoba’s new Mining Advisory Council which aims to help First Nations benefit from the development of new mines, Mineral Resources Minister Dave Chomiak announced Nov. 8.

“First Nations that want to participate will be partners every step of the way as new mines are brought on line and they will share in the benefits of resource development,” said Chomiak in a press release. “There will be new training opportunities, good jobs, revenue sharing and a range of social and economic benefits for First nations communities. This will also send an important message to those who want to invest in Manitoba’s mining sector that we’re open for business.

First Nations representatives on the Mining Advisory Council include co-chairs Chief Donovan Fontaine of Sagkeeng First Nation and Chief Ron Evans of Norway House Cree Nation, along with Chief Philip Buck of Mosakahiken Cree Nation, Chief Clarence Easter of Chemawawin Cree Nation, Chief Jerry Primrose of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, Chief Andrew Colomb of Marcel Colomb Cree Nation, Chief Gilbert Andrews of God’s Lake First Nation, Keewatin Tribal Council Tribal Grand Chief Irvin Sinclair and Opaskwayak Cree Nation Chief Michael Constant.

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