Aboriginal and Inuit Mining and Oil/Gas – Page 189

Mathias Colomb Cree Nation issues second stop work order to Hudbay – by Ian Graham (Thompson Citizen – March 8, 2013)

March 20, 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. editor@thompsoncitizen.net

IAN@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET

Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (MCCN) at Pukatawagan announced March 5 that Chief Arlen Dumas would return to the Lalor Mine near Snow Lake to issue a second stop work order against Hudbay, which operates the mine. A previous stop work order from MCCN was issued to the company and the Manitoba government on Jan. 28.

“Both the province and Hudbay have failed to comply with the order and thus Chief Arlen Dumas is returning to issue a second order,” announced MCCN in a press release.

“This order is issued because: Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd. And affiliated companies have breached the traditional laws of Missinippi Nehethowak as represented by Mathias Colomb Cree Nation by constructing, operating, and extracting resources from Lalor Mine at Snow Lake without the express permission of the owners Missinippi Nehethowak as represented by Mathias Colomb Cree Nation,” read the stop work order presented on Jan. 28. “WARNING: The failure to stop work, the resumption of work without permission from the Missinippi Nehethowak as represented by Mathias Colomb Cree Nation is punishable by the laws of Mathias Colomb Cree Nation.”

No Confidence [Federal EA for Ring of Fire] – by Jeff Labine (tbnewswatch.com – March 19, 2013)

March 19, 2013

http://www.tbnewswatch.com/

Eli Moonias says he has no confidence in the federal government’s environmental review process.

The chief of Marten Falls First Nation said there appears to be no accountability for the damage caused by the Alberta oil sands and that’s why he doesn’t trust the federal government to do a thorough job in its assessment in the Ring of Fire.

“No one is accountable with what’s happening with the Athabasca River situation,” he said. “I’m told that the poisons that seep into the river are dangerous. It will destroy the river. It will destroy life there. I don’t have confidence in the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. I don’t trust them at all.”

He said people have told him that some of the dangerous chemicals being used in the tar sands will also be used in the Ring of Fire.

Although Moonias didn’t know the specific dangerous the supposed chemicals, he said he wants to find out. Moonias was one of many delegates at the annual Matawa First Nations gathering at the Valhalla Inn Tuesday.

The three-day meeting gives elders, chiefs and community members a chance to meet to discuss strategies as well as celebrate successes.

A brighter native future starts with development – by Duncan Hood (Canadian Business – February 18, 2013)

March 19, 2013

http://www.canadianbusiness.com/

Duncan Hood is the editor of Canadian Business.

Financial self-sufficiency must come first.

Are aboriginal Canadians holding the country hostage? There were times over the past few weeks when it felt like it. Especially when commuters were prevented from getting to work, or when Grand Chief Derek Nepinak of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs warned that the Idle No More movement was strong enough “to put a stop to resources development in Canada until we get what we need to break the chains of poverty.”

It’s tempting to see the ongoing protest as a simple us-versus-them situation, with aboriginal leaders such as Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence on one side and the rest of Canada on the other. But the current battle is actually much less defined—with both natives and non-natives in both camps.

Much of the battle is, in fact, taking place within the aboriginal community itself, between those who believe the solution to aboriginal poverty lies in the past, and those who believe it lies in the future. The first group is more conservative and wants to protect the land from development at all costs. They may not actually believe they can return to subsistence fishing, but they see heritage and tradition as trumping all other considerations, even if it means relying on the federal government for financial support indefinitely.

NEWS RELEASE: A WIN FOR MATAWA FIRST NATIONS CANADA AND CLIFFS LOSE DECISION ON MOTIONS IN LEGAL PROCEEDING

March 19, 2013

Chiefs Reiterate Their Demand For An Immediate Halt to the Current Environmental Assessment Process

THUNDER BAY, ON. MARCH 19, 2013. ‐ Matawa First Nations Chiefs welcome the decision by Madam Prothonotary Aronovitch of the Federal Court to deny motions filed by Canada and Cliffs in the Judicial Review (JR) proceeding that is examining the Environmental Assessment (EA) process in the Ring of Fire. The First Nations launched a legal challenge to the federal EA process for the Cliffs Chromite Project in early November 2011. Cliffs and Canada brought motions challenging some of the evidence of the First Nations in the case. On Friday March 15, 2013, Cliffs and Canada lost their motions on all counts. The Federal Court found that these motions caused “unnecessarily delay” in the proceeding. The court awarded costs to the First Nations, and set the case on an expedited schedule towards a hearing.

“Cliffs needs to halt the current EA process and negotiate an appropriate process with our First Nations. We believe the Court will agree with us on that too.” said Chief Roger Wesley of Constance Lake First Nation.

“What we have now is a paper-based EA process, run completely outside of the communities affected, with no meaningful involvement of First Nations, and is non-transparent. It needs to be made accessible, by holding hearings in the First Nations and using an independent panel. The First Nations have made it very clear that they are willing to negotiate the parameters for an effective EA process,” said Chief Sonny Gagnon of Aroland First Nation.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency decided on a Comprehensive Study EA process in 2011 for the Cliffs Chromite Project. The Matawa First Nations Chiefs have maintained that the process is on the wrong track and for two years have been demanding a better process.

Ontario’s right to issue mining permits upheld in Appeals Court – by Henry Lazenby (MiningWeekly.com – March 19, 2013)

March 19, 2013

http://www.miningweekly.com/page/americas-home

TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Ontario’s highest court – the Court of Appeal – on Monday overturned the decision of the Ontario Superior Court in the case ‘Keewatin versus Minister of Natural Resources’, giving the province the right to ‘take up’ treaty lands for settlement, mining, lumbering or other purposes.

In 2000, the Grassy Narrows First Nation applied for a judicial review to set aside all licences, permits, management plans and work schedules that Ontario had granted to forester Abitibi-Consolidated, now known as Resolute Forest Products Canada, in 1997.

The First Nation argued the province’s permitting of clear-cut operations in parts of the Keewatin portion of Treaty 3 territory, infringed on the provisions of the treaty they signed in 1873.

The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that the province did not need the federal government’s approval to take up the lands.

Goldcorp’s Red Lake gold mine, the largest gold mine in Canada, is located within the Keewatin lands and it was granted party intervener status on the appeals case, owing to its operations depending on licences issued by Ontario.

Project developer Rubicon Minerals on Monday said it had been notified of the court’s decision, which it saw as a “very positive” outcome, despite not being a party to the case.

MINING WATCH CANADA NEWS RELEASE: Algonquins of Barriere Lake Affirm Opposition to Copper One’s Rivière Doré Project and All Claim Staking and Mineral Exploration in their Territory

March 19, 2013

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Source: Algonquins of Barriere Lake

(Rapid Lake, Quebec) Today, the Algonquins of Barriere Lake are re-affirming their opposition to the proposed exploration activities of the junior mining company Copper One (TSX-V: CUO) within their unceded traditional territory. Copper One’s Rivière Doré project is within the area of an existing co-management agreement that Barriere Lake signed with Quebec and Canada in 1991 (the Trilateral Agreement).

The Trilateral Agreement was negotiated in a spirit of coexistence with Quebec and Canada in order to share the responsibility and benefits of sustainably managing a portion of the Algonquins of Barriere Lake’s traditional territory. Mining was not a consideration in the agreement and there has not been a process established by which claim staking, mineral exploration or mining could be considered within our territory. Despite a well-established body of case law (for example the recent decisions in Ross River Dena Council and Wahgoshig First Nation) the Quebec government has not fulfilled its duty to consult, accommodate and seek our consent for claim staking or mineral exploration.

In the last decade, both Canada and Quebec have failed to uphold the spirit and letter of the Trilateral agreement. As a result the people of Barriere Lake have been forced to spend considerable resources and put themselves at risk of harm and legal retribution defending their land. The government owes the community the duty to consult and obtain the consent of Barriere Lake prior to any mineral exploration. As the duty rests with the government of Quebec, the community sees no reason to negotiate with Copper One, a private party that established an interest in Barriere Lake’s territory without consent.

Court overturns 2011 decision and rules province can grant logging permits in Grassy Narrows’ territory – by Alan S. Hale (Kenora Daily Miner and News – March 18, 2013)

March 19, 2013

http://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.com/

Grassy Narrows received a major setback in its pursuit of controlling logging within its traditional territory on Monday.

The Ontario Court of Appeal has decided the wording of Treaty 3 does not prevent the Ontario government from issuing logging licences within the band’s traditional territory; overturning a lower court’s decision from 2011 which ruled the province could not do so because it impinged on Grassy Narrows’ treaty-protected rights to hunt and fish.

“We’re quite disappointed in hearing that the appeal was allowed and it was not in our favour,” said Grassy Narrows’ Chief Simon Fobister. “We’re definitely going to have to sit down with our legal counsel, the band council and the trapper (who originally brought the lawsuit) to review the decision … We’ll have to weigh our options and decide if we are going to appeal this to the Supreme Court of Canada.

“We knew that (going to the Supreme Court) was going to end up being an option regardless of whoever won the case, and we’re going to be making that decision in the next little bit.”

Monday’s decision means the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has the sole jurisdiction to grant logging permits, including the one it granted to Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. (now called Resolute Forestry Products) in 1997 for a clear-cutting operation in the Whiskey Jack Forest inside Grassy Narrows’ territory, which caused the many years of litigation that lead to this point.

MINING WATCH CANADA NEWS RELEASE: Cliffs and Feds Causing Unnecessary Delays to Ring of Fire Court Case, Lose Bid to Exclude Expert Evidence

March 18, 2013

Monday, March 18, 2013 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

http://www.miningwatch.ca/

Ottawa – MiningWatch Canada was pleased to learn that on March 15 Cliffs Natural Resources and the federal government lost their bid to exclude expert evidence from a court challenge launched by Matawa Tribal Council. Matawa is challenging the federal government’s decision to conduct a bare-boned environmental review of Cliffs’ proposed open pit chromite mine, 350 km long access road into the Hudson Bay Lowlands and ferrochrome processing facility. Cliffs and the Attorney General of Canada took issue with affidavits from experts on wildlife, water quality and environmental assessment.

In November 2011 Matawa launched a legal challenge of the decision about how to review the massive project, arguing that the decision violated constitutional obligations to consult and accommodate the affected First Nations and that the federal government made errors in administrative law in making the decision.

MiningWatch has repeatedly echoed Matawa’s call for a negotiated joint review panel process that would give the project greater scrutiny, include greater First Nations and public participation and fully harmonise federal and provincial processes. Federal bureaucrats also recommended a different process but these recommendations also failed to sway decision makers.

The affidavits in question were from well respected experts in their fields. Professor Bob Gibson from the University of Waterloo is highly regarded for his publications and teaching about environmental assessment policy.

Shiny space rocks catch the eye of miners instead of Ring of Fire – by Wendy Parker (In Support of Mining Blog – March 2013)

March 18, 2013

http://insupportofmining.wordpress.com/

It’s a funny old world, isn’t it?

Seems everyone’s agog these days with the prospect of mining in space. Asteroids, Mars, the moon, the farthest spinning rock in the universe – you name it, and someone, somewhere, wants to spend huge sums of money to launch drill rigs into space, to extract gold, nickel, rare earths or whatever for hungry Earth-bound customers.

At the same time, the mining world seems distinctly ho-hum about Ontario’s far northern Ring of Fire mineral zone. Mention the region’s tasty potential – for chromite, nickel, copper, PGMs and more — and you’ll probably get a yes-but response that includes the slap of a rapidly closing wallet.

It may be the opportunity of a generation, but the Ring seems to have earned a reputation as a daunting target. Not a place where you want to spend a lot of money. At least not now. Maybe later. Maybe after others have made tangible commitments. Maybe after some of the problems have been ironed out.

At first glance, it’s easy to see why. In a March 7, 2013 piece in the National Post, Peter Koven enumerated some of the “staggering challenges” that impede progress in Ontario’s remote region, including “infrastructure, First Nations agreements, environmental compliance, transportation and more.” No roads, no electricity and no consensus on how development should go forward.

An advanced [mining] project moves forward [Northwestern Ontario] – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal (March 18, 2013)

March 18, 2013

Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

This is the seventh instalment of a multi-part series looking at the mining sector of Northwestern Ontario and the Ring of Fire.

Author Napoleon Hill, known for his writings on success, said that, “More gold has been mined from the thoughts of men than has been taken from the earth.”

While this may be true, a tremendous amount of gold has been mined out of the ground, but not without the thoughts and vision of the men and women who held firm in their commitment to stay the course of the long road from discovery to production.

Patience and persistence are essential virtues to anyone in the mining business. It can take years from the point of the initial period of exploration to construction of a producing mine. There are many challenges along the way and mining companies need to have a relentless but realistic optimism.

Osisko Mining Corp., the Montreal-based company founded in 1998 that is currently developing the Hammond Reef Gold Mine project 23 kilometres north of Atikokan, is one such company.

Osisko, whose motto professes a “fresh outlook on mining,” first became involved in the Atikokan project when it took over from junior mining company Brett Resources in 2010.

Canada aboriginal movement poses new threat to miners – by Julie Gordon and Allison Martell (Reuters Canada – March 17, 2013)

November 3, 2015March 18, 2013

http://www.reuters.com/

(Reuters) – An aboriginal protest movement that’s often compared with Occupy Wall Street has the potential to disrupt mining projects across Canada, threatening to undermine the country’s coveted reputation for low-risk resource development.

Idle No More, a grass-roots movement with little centralized leadership, swept across Canada late last year with the help social media. Protesters blocked roads and rail lines, and staged big rallies in the country’s largest cities to press a sweeping human rights and economic development agenda.

Mining companies are also in the movement’s sights as aboriginal bands seek to renegotiate old agreements and seize more control over mining developments, whether they are on lands designated as native reserves or not.

“We’ve existed in this territory for millennia. We don’t have a land claim – it’s beyond that, actually. Our rights exist throughout all of our territories,” Arlen Dumas, chief of the Mathias Colomb Cree Nation, said about the northern Manitoba land where HudBay Minerals Inc, a Toronto-based mid-tier miner, is building its Lalor project.

Protesters cut off access to the gold-copper-zinc mine for several hours in early March, demanding talks with the company on an ownership stake in the C$794 million ($773.84 million) project, which has started limited production.

Wasaya among companies examining airships for northern transportation – by Rick Garrick (Wawatay News – March 14, 2013)

March 18, 2013

http://wawataynews.ca/

As winter road seasons continue to become more unpredictable, a number of companies and governments are examining the possibility of transporting goods to remote communities by airships.

One of the companies involved in examining the use of hybrid airships for transport in northern Ontario is First Nations owned and operated Wasaya Airways.

“Our interest has always been to keep abreast of what is happening in the region so we are not left out,” said Wasaya Airways President and CEO Tom Morris.

Wasaya is working with a Toronto-based company, Solar Ship, to test a hybrid solar powered airship for use in supplying northern communities. “They’re not really balloons; it’s more like a solar ship,” Morris said about the hybrid airship being developed in Toronto.

Morris said the solar-powered emission-free airship could deliver materials and goods at a lower cost than other means of transport, but there are still a “lot of unknowns” about the project.

First Nations can’t do worse than Queen’s Park – by John R. Hunt (North Bay Nugget – March 15, 2013)

March 18, 2013

http://www.nugget.ca/

What is Bob Rae cooking up in the political kitchen? The experts in Ottawa may know. Ottawa knows everything but very little about Northern Ontario. What Rae is doing or reported to be doing will likely have a profound impact upon the North country.

I have found it very difficult to like him. When he was the NDP premier of Ontario he sent a pet hatchet man to my neck of the woods supposedly to save money. This socialist paragon closed the New Liskeard agricultural college, closed the Temiskaming Testing Laboratory in Cobalt and euthanized plans to locate 200 civil servants at Haileybury.

As first responder to the federal Liberals’ near death, he has applied expert political first aid. Soon he may make the Trudeau coronation almost respectable.

It is reported that at least one First Nations’ chief wants Rae to advise or consult on the best way for First Nations to get a decent piece of the pie when the Ring of Fire mining area is developed.

It is an outrageous thought but the native groups and Bob Rae may plan better than Ontario has in the past. I remember when Temagami had three sawmills and a copper mine nearby. Then came the Sherman mine at Temagami and its sister the Adams mine near Kirkland Lake. Now they have all gone.

Stepping stone: Aboriginal mining training program provides skill, confidence – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – March 2013)

March 15, 2013

Established in 1980, Northern Ontario Business provides Canadians and international investors with relevant, current and insightful editorial content and business news information about Ontario’s vibrant and resource-rich North. Ian Ross is the editor of Northern Ontario Business ianross@nob.on.ca.

An Aboriginal training program in northwestern Ontario is making strides to address a looming labour shortfall in the mining industry.

Optimism is peaking in the region that there will be a cluster of major mining camps developing over the next 10 years, but in the Thunder Bay area alone, the mining industry will require between 1,110 and 4,150 workers. Where those workers will come from is anyone’s guess.

One possible source for underground workers is from the Mining Essentials program being run through the Anishinabek Employment and Training Services (AETS) in Thunder Bay.

Mining Essentials is the only work readiness training program for Aboriginal people in Canada. It was developed in concert with the Assembly of First Nations and the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR), with curriculum input from educators and industry.

“Mining Essentials is a stepping stone to get entry level jobs,” said John DeGiacomo, the proposal and partnership development officer with AETS.

NEWS RELEASE: Report: NWT Diamond Mining Benefits Continue to Mount

March 14, 2013

For the full report, click here: http://www.miningnorth.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Measuring-Success-Diamond-Benefits-to-NWT-March2013.pdf

Yellowknife, NWT (March 13, 2013)Diamond mining benefits to the North continue to accumulate according to a report released by the Chamber of Mines. “Measuring Success: The Positive Impact of Diamond Mining in the Northwest Territories” describes a variety of benefits provided by the three NWT diamond mines – EKATI, Diavik and Snap Lake. These benefits include:

• Training: $11.4 million in cash and in-kind investments were invested with the NWT Mine Training Society between 2004 and 2012 to provide training to 1,400 northern residents, supporting a new generation of millwrights, electricians, mechanics, underground miners, process plant operators, and providing a base of skilled Northerners. The vast majority of these trainees are Aboriginal. The 3 mines recently committed an additional $6.6 million in financial
and in-kind support over the next 3 years to the Society.

• Jobs: Collectively, EKATI, Diavik, and the Snap Lake Mine are employing significantly more northerners than the companies had predicted. In 2011, the mines provided 1,541 northern jobs, or 403 more jobs than were predicted during the mines’ environmental assessments.

• Business spending: Combined, the three mines spent $12.8 billion from 1996-2011 to build and operate the mines. Of this, $9.25 billion (72%) was with northern companies, including over $4 billion with Aboriginal companies.