Aboriginal and Inuit Mining and Oil/Gas – Page 210

Harper’s cabinet mulls massive Chinese resource project in Arctic – by Bob Weber (The Canadian Press/Globe and Mail – December 28, 2012)

December 28, 2012

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.

Another massive Chinese-owned resource project is before Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s cabinet.

Some time in the new year, four federal ministers are to decide how to conduct an environmental review for the Izok Corridor proposal. It could bring many billions of dollars into the Arctic but would also see development of open-pit mines, roads, ports and other facilities in the centre of calving grounds for the fragile Bathurst caribou herd.

“This is going to be the biggest issue,” said Sally Fox, a spokeswoman for proponent MMG Ltd., a subsidiary of the Chinese state-owned China Minmetals Corp., formerly called Minmetals Resources Ltd.

It would be hard to exaggerate the proposal’s scope. Centred at Izok Lake, about 260 kilometres southeast of Kugluktuk, the project would stretch throughout a vast swath of western Nunavut. Izok Lake would have five underground and open-pit mines producing lead, zinc and copper. Another site at High Lake, 300 kilometres to the northeast, would have another three mines.

MMG also wants a processing plant that could handle 6,000 tonnes of ore a day, tank farms for 35 million litres of diesel, two permanent camps totalling 1,000 beds, airstrips and a 350-kilometre all-weather road with 70 bridges that would stretch from Izok Lake to Grays Bay on the central Arctic coast.

Ring of Fire: Can struggling First Nations benefit from mineral bonanza? – by Heather Scoffield (iPolitics – December 26, 2012)

December 28, 2012

http://www.ipolitics.ca/

FORT HOPE FIRST NATION, Ont. — Roland Okeese is watching with keen interest as mining companies from around the world stake claims in the area around his remote northern Ontario reserve.

The 36-year-old father of six and grandfather of two is in his prime — strong, healthy and hopeful for a new career supporting the mining activity in the Ring of Fire. For Okeese and so many other community members, however, the path from here to there is difficult.

Okeese knows the wild country well. He’s good with a power saw. He has a few months’ experience doing contract work for Noront Resources. But for much of his adult life, he was wrestling with an addiction to the prescription painkiller OxyContin. He didn’t graduate from high school. And his formal training is minimal.

“I’d like for the (mining) to happen. I’d choose to be working,” he said defiantly, recognizing that some in his community don’t share his view. “But I don’t have the skills.” It’s a problem that needs to be resolved soon if a local workforce is to benefit fully from the mining activity poised to take off in the Ring of Fire.

Indeed, there is a newly formed consensus among federal and provincial officials, native communities and major companies that aggressive training programs need to be set in place now.

[Ring of Fire] Resource development could help peel away ‘layers and layers of trauma’ – by Heather Scoffield (The Canadian Press/Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal – December 27, 2012)

December 27, 2012

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

The people at Cliffs Natural Resources have been around, and know the challenges of mining in difficult conditions.
But this is a first: the multinational has had to extend deadlines on its environmental assessment process in Northern Ontario’s Ring of Fire because of a suicide crisis.

Another young man took his life a couple of weeks ago, prompting a spiral of despair in Neskantaga First Nation. Twenty young people in the small community of about 300 were put on suicide watch. The chief and council went to ground.
And the chances of them completing their feedback on time for Cliff’s environmental assessment terms of reference faded to zero.

“Neskantaga asked for some extra time on that, and given the circumstances, we figured that was right to do,” Bill Boor, Cliffs’ senior vice-president of global ferroalloys, said in a telephone interview. “We’ve been clear with people that we’re going to be the operator of this project long-term, assuming it goes forward. We plan to be there for a long, long time.”

“We kind of balance our interest in holding to a schedule with a very high level of interest in making sure we’re doing it right. And it’s not to our benefit to be solely schedule driven.”

It’s a small delay, but it comes at a time when Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made it a priority to ramp up the pace of mining and energy extraction.

The challenge of our time [First Nations Poverty] – Thunder Bay Chronicle Editorial (December 23, 2012)

December 27, 2012

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

ANOTHER protest by First Nations has led to another round of accusations and counter-accusations. Chiefs and band members say government is ignoring treaty obligations and violating traditional lands. The federal government insists it is acting on a number of fronts to improve the lot of First Nations. Canadians from all walks of life share a variety of opinions, some of them valid while others repeat old misconceptions.

The Idle No More movement follows other native protests rooted in similar claims and counter-claims. Some of these protests have led to violent confrontations; others have simmered for years.

In general, the efforts of reasonable First Nation leaders has led reasonable Canadian and provincial government leaders to act on legitimate grievances and legislate improvements. And yet, conditions on many First Nations remain impoverished and relations with most governments remain strained.

This situation has endured for decades and is both a stain on Canada’s name and a sign that something isn’t working. In this modern country with a solid Charter of Rights and Freedoms, how can there not have been a solution to this by now? Either the First Nations are right and governments are failing them badly, or governments are doing their best but cannot have the conversation that First Nations want to hear.

Crown has to respect treaty rights: Wabauskang Chief Leslie Cameron – by Jon Thompson (Kenora Daily Miner & News – December 24, 2012)

December 27, 2012

http://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.com/

Facing a lawsuit that could threaten its Phoenix Mine at Red Lake, Rubicon Minerals is not only vowing to fight back in court but to work with Wabauskang First Nation, who launched the suit on Thursday.

Based on an Ontario Superior Court of Justice decision that could redefine harvesting rights in the province, Wabauskang has asked a provincial court to either suspend or entirely cancel the approval of Rubicon’s closure plan, the primary authorization that will allow the company to begin production. The case, known as the Grassy Narrows Trappers’ Decision, found only the federal government can alter treaty agreements. The province has appealed that decision.

“We would rather not go to court, but until Canada and Ontario fulfill their responsibilities to us, we have no choice,” said Wabauskang Chief Leslie Cameron, arguing the province has unlawfully delegated its consultation responsibilities to the company. “Rubicon talks about their consultation, but where’s the government’s consultation? Ontario relied on Rubicon. That’s not right.”

Cameron compared her community’s case to that of Wahogshig First Nation’s case against Solid Gold Resources, which that First Nation argued in court on the same day Wabauskang filed its suit. She said Wabauskang will be closely watching the decision on Wahogshig, which is expected in mid-January 2013.

First Nation clashes with Red Lake gold miner – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – December 21, 2012)

December 21, 2012

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.

A small northwestern Ontario First Nation community is threatening legal action against a Red Lake gold miner which is advancing a high-grade deposit toward an early 2014 startup.

Wabauskang First Nation Chief Leslie Cameron said negotiations for a benefits agreement are not going well between his community of 300 and Rubicon Minerals over its Phoenix Gold project.

The band has instructed its lawyers to file a lawsuit at the Ontario Superior Court opposing Rubicon’s project. While the band is frustrated with the pace of development by the Vancouver-based miner, it has an even bigger bone to pick with the federal and provincial governments.

In a Dec. 17 news release, the band said it has repeatedly reminded and complained to Queen’s Park and Ottawa of its “constitutional obligations to consult and accommodate,” with First Nations on mining and exploration projects. But the band said both levels of government have ignored them and foisted those duties onto the mining companies.

NEWS RELEASE: Wabauskang First Nation Files Lawsuit Against Ontario and Rubicon

December 21, 2012

Wabauskang First Nation
Treaty 3
December 20, 2012

Wabauskang First Nation’s lawsuit opposing Rubicon Mineral’s proposed Phoenix Mine at Red Lake, Ontario has been filed at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

“We will oppose Rubicon’s mine until our Treaty rights are respected,” said Wabauskang Chief Leslie Cameron. “We would rather not go to court, but until Canada and Ontario fulfill their responsibilities to us, we have no choice.”

Wabauskang’s lawsuit asks the court to either suspend or entirely cancel the approval of the closure plan, which is the primary authorization that will let Rubicon go into production. The lawsuit relies on last year’s court win by Grassy Narrrows First Nation in Keewatin, where the court found that only the federal government can justify an infringement of Treaty rights.

“We know that Ontario has been informing companies that any authorizations they get in the Keewatin lands may not be valid because the court has found that Ontario doesn’t have jurisdiction to issue authorizations. We think Rubicon’s closure plan is an example of an authorization that will ultimately be cancelled by the court.”

Ring of Fire mining prospects empower Canada’s most disenfranchised natives – by Heather Scoffield (Canadian Press/Global News -December 20, 2012)

December 20, 2012

http://www.globalnews.ca/

MARTEN FALLS, Ont. – For Christmas, Chief Eli Moonias received a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey autographed by Wendel Clark. His remote northern Ontario community of Marten Falls got 50 turkeys and a visit from Santa, laden with children’s gifts.

And in March, the 61-year-old chief will be granted his wish of travelling to China – if he can get his passport in time. They’re all gifts from mining companies who need the chief’s support to develop what could be a world-class base-metal discovery.

Moonias’s community sits next to what has become known as the Ring of Fire. Marten Falls is a small, fly-in reserve — just three streets of houses for about 300 people at the junction of the Albany and Ogoki rivers. It’s in the middle of one of the only forests in the world that has never been touched by industry, an area that hosts six of Canada’s biggest rivers.

When trapping for furs lost its lustre several decades ago, nothing replaced it in Marten Falls. Unless the residents are working for the band office or a government-run social service, they’re almost certainly unemployed — and more often than not, addicted to prescription painkillers at the expense of putting food on the table for their families. Never have they felt more empowered.

“If you don’t reassure me, that’s when I say No,” Moonias says in an interview at the band’s resource office, wallpapered with maps and surveys. About 130 kilometres to the north of the reserve, multinational miner Cliffs Natural Resources wants to develop a huge chromite mine to make a key ingredient in stainless steel. The firm brought Marten Falls the Christmas turkeys.

Ring of Fire: Miles to Go Before We Dig – by Stan Sudol

January 8, 2013December 20, 2012

This column was published in the January 5 and 7 editions of the Sudbury Star:

http://www.thesudburystar.com/2013/01/05/accent–ring-of-fire—miles-to-go-before-we-dig

http://www.thesudburystar.com/2013/01/07/miles-before-we-dig

Intro

It may be a cliché, but over the past six months, how things have changed and how they’ve stayed the same in the Ring of Fire. There may be some ongoing activity or discussions behind the scenes, but without a doubt, the declining state of the global economy, First Nations issues and Ontario politics seem to have halted any progress on a varity of issues.

First let’s look at the fragile nature of the world economy. The U.S. is still struggling, Europe is worse, with skyrocketing unemployment rates in many countries and China’s past double-digit expansion is gone. It is estimated that their economy will “only” grow seven per cent this year.

The price of commodities and the value of resource companies have plummeted. Many mining projects are being put on hold or cancelled while layoff notices are being handed out. Funding for junior exploration companies – the source of future discoveries like the Ring of Fire – has become almost imposible to find putting many on life support.

The stock price of Cliffs Natural Resources has plummeted from US$100.00 per share a year and a half ago to a little under US$30.00 recently. Cliffs has publicly stated that they are looking for a partner to help develop their northern Ontario chromite deposits. Recently the company has put their Bloom Lake iron ore expansion project in Quebec’s Labrador Iron Trough on hold and stopped production at two of their U.S. iron ore mines.

Wabauskang heading to court to stop gold mine – by Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – December 18, 2012)

December 19, 2012

Northern Ontario’s First Nations Voice: http://wawataynews.ca/

Wabauskang First Nation is preparing to file a lawsuit to oppose Rubicon Minerals’ proposed Phoenix Gold Mine in Red Lake.

The Treaty #3 First Nation says it was left with no choice but to go to court after attempts to work with the company over the past year to address Wabauskang’s concerns failed to resolve the differences.

Wabauskang Chief Leslie Cameron pointed blame over the dispute directly at the federal government. Cameron said the government has passed its duty to consult First Nations onto Ontario and then onto mining companies. “The government has to deal with us directly,” Cameron said. “They can’t hide behind mining companies.”

Cameron said Wabauskang expressed its concerns with Rubicon’s Phoenix Gold Mine project right from the time the project was initiated. Despite those concerns, Ontario approved the mine’s process review in the fall of 2011.

“We didn’t want to go to court, so even though we don’t think Ontario had the authority to approve the mine, we tried to work with the company over the last year to resolve our concerns,” Cameron said. “We’ve been unsuccessful, so we’re forced to go to court to ensure that our interests are protected.”

Ex-Solid Gold CEO demands apology for being called ‘racist’ – by Jonathan Migneault (Timmins Daily Press – December 18, 2012)

December 19, 2012

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – The former president of a gold prospecting company has accused two local First Nations chiefs of making “slanderous and defamatory remarks” against him.

Darryl Stretch, the former president of Solid Gold Resources Corporation, has demanded Dave Babin, chief of the Wahgoshig First Nation, and Harvey Yesno, grand chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation issue a public apology for comments they made at a press conference in Sudbury in early November.

The Aboriginal leaders referred to Stretch as a “racist” and urged the provincial government to withdraw its support from “radical industry representatives” such as those headed by Solid Gold.

“In the event that you do not respond to this notice, I will take whatever action is available to me,” Stretch said in his letter to Babin and Yesno. Earlier this month, Solid Gold’s board of directors removed as the company’s president and chief executive.

Babin has said he has no plans to respond to Stretch’s request for a public apology. Solid Gold Resources has been engaged in an ongoing conflict with Wahgoshig since the First Nation succeeded in having an injunction imposed against the exploration company, preventing further drilling near the Aboriginal community until a resolution between the parties is reached.

NEWS RELEASE: Rubicon remains committed to further discussions with Wabauskang First Nation

December 18, 2012

TSX:RMX | NYSE.MKT:RBY

TORONTO, Dec. 17, 2012 /CNW/ – Rubicon Minerals Corporation (TSX: RMX | NYSE-MKT: RBY) (“Rubicon”) has learned via press reports that, on December 17, 2012, Wabauskang First Nation (“WFN”) instructed its lawyers to file a lawsuit related to Rubicon’s Phoenix Gold Project in Red Lake, Ontario. At this time, since it has received no notice from WFN, the details of its lawsuit are unknown to Rubicon.

By way of background, Rubicon has been engaged in discussions and consultation with WFN since January of 2009. As part its Closure Plan obligations, Rubicon confirmed its intention to continue to consult with WFN with respect to the Phoenix Gold Project.

Rubicon has, in good faith, met with the community representatives of WFN and other Aboriginal Communities to ensure their interests have been heard and incorporated into the planning process. Some of the efforts made by Rubicon with respect to WFN are as follows:

as noted above, discussed and consulted WFN directly since January 2009;
provided funding to WFN pursuant to its Consultation & Accommodation Protocol for environmental reviews, legal assistance, financial analyses, a traditional use study, travel, per diems and honorariums;
Read more

Mine CEO [Darryl Stretch] accuses chiefs of slander – by Jonathan Migneault (Sudbury Star – December 17, 2012)

December 17, 2012

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

The president of a gold prospecting company has accused two First Nations chiefs of making “slanderous and defamatory remarks” against him in the media.

Darryl Stretch, the president of Solid Gold Resources Corporation, has given Dave Babin, chief of the Wahgoshig First Nation, and Harvey Yesno, grand chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, until today to issue a public apology for comments they made at a Sudbury press conference on Nov. 7.

“In the event that you do not respond to this notice I will take whatever action is available to me,” Stretch said in his letter to Babin and Yesno. Babin has said he has no plans to respond to Stretch’s request for a public apology. The three parties have feuded over Stretch’s requests to do mining exploration on First Nation territory.

In March, Stretch told the Globe and Mail the Wahgoshig First Nation wanted his company to pay $100,000 to study whether its drilling would be on a burial ground.

“It’s not my obligation to go find arrowheads for those people, period,” Stretch told the Globe. “If they don’t like you, you don’t work. What kind of deal is that? Because I didn’t do it right, the way the Indians wanted me to? Because I didn’t give them money? Because I didn’t beg them for permission to go? It’s just ridiculous, the whole concept.”

NEWS RELEASE: Wabauskang First Nation Heads to Court Over Rubicon Mineral’s Phoenix Gold Mine Project in Red Lake

December 17, 2012

Wabauskang First Nation

Treaty 3
December 17, 2012

Wabauskang First Nation has instructed its lawyers to file a lawsuit at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice opposing Rubicon Mineral’s proposed Phoenix Gold Mine project in Red Lake, Ontario.

“This has been an extremely frustrating process for our First Nation from day one,” said Wabauskang Chief Leslie Cameron. “Despite our concerns that the entire process review was deeply flawed, Rubicon refused to withdraw its mine application last fall and Ontario approved it over our objections. We didn’t want to go to court, so even though we don’t think Ontario had the authority to approve the mine, we tried to work with the company over the last year to resolve our concerns. We’ve been unsuccessful, so we’re forced to go to court to ensure that our interests are protected.”

Relying on last year’s court win by the Grassy Narrows First Nation in Keewatin, Wabauskang has consistently taken the position that only Canada, not Ontario, can justify an infringement of its Treaty rights. Wabauskang has also repeatedly complained to both Ontario and the federal government that constitutional obligations to consult and accommodate have been wrongly delegated to mining companies. Both Ontario and Canada have ignored Wabauskang’s concerns.