Aboriginal and Inuit Mining and Oil/Gas – Page 218

Province looking for First Nation input on Ring of Fire infrastructure – by Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – August 9, 2012)

August 9, 2012

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

The coordinator of Ontario’s Ring of Fire Secretariat insists the province is committed to working with First Nations on establishing how the north will develop alongside the massive mining projects proposed for the Ring of Fire.

In an interview with Wawatay News, Christine Kaszycki emphasized that the provincial government is thinking of long-term infrastructure needs as it analyzes how best to develop the Ring of Fire. Kaszycki said discussions between the province and First Nations on regional infrastructure planning will begin sometime in the next few months.

“There are a number of initiatives Ontario has put on the table, including regional infrastructure planning and regional environmental monitoring, where the discussions need to include groups of communities,” Kaszycki said.

She said that in her view infrastructure needs includes roads as well as transmission lines to connect communities to southern electricity grids. Kasycki’s pledge to involve First Nations in determining infrastructure needs for the region comes as conflict over the process of developing the Ring of Fire continues to grow.

Mining Companies Feel Heat in the Ring of Fire – by by Tim Groves (The Dominion – August 8, 2012)

August 9, 2012

http://www.dominionpaper.ca/

Assembly of First Nations backs evictions from northern Ontario

TORONTO—In late July, hundreds of First Nations chiefs from across the country backed a moratorium on mining and development in an area of Northern Ontario known as the “Ring of Fire.” They also called for the eviction of companies operating in the mineral rich area, which has been described as “Ontario’s oil sands”.

The province has called the Ring of Fire “one of the most promising mineral development opportunities in Ontario in almost a century.” The area contains the largest chromite deposits in North America, as well as gold, nickel, copper, platinum and palladium. Opening the area to development has become a major focus for the Dalton McGuinty government.

The moratorium demand and eviction notices were voted on by the hundreds of First Nations chiefs gathered in Toronto for the Assembly of First Nations’ (AFN) Annual General Assembly. The AFN is the largest First Nations advocacy organization in the Canada.

“It is solidarity,” said Sonny Gagnon the Chief of Aroland First Nation, whose community would be impacted by the development. “We need the support. If and when we need to go on the land to enforce the evictions notice…we will have 633 First Nations that will be behind us.”

Why not extend aboriginal rights to aboriginal peoples? – by Cecil Chabot (Toronto Star – August 9, 2012)

August 9, 2012

The Toronto Star, has the largest circulation in Canada. The paper has an enormous impact on federal and Ontario politics as well as shaping public opinion.

Cecil Chabot is a PhD candidate at the University of Ottawa and a member of the International Centre for Northern Governance and Development at the University of Saskatchewan.

Northern Ontario First Nations are preparing 30-day eviction notices for mining companies operating in a mineral-rich zone known the Ring of Fire. Will their action win support among the 64 per cent of Canadians who think “aboriginal peoples receive too much support from Canadian taxpayers”?

According to Ipsos Reid president Darrell Bricker, that negative sentiment is a sign of Canadians’ frustration with the “ongoing inability to get started in modern society that exists within the aboriginal communities.”

When Kashechewan and Attawapiskat make the news, other Canadians get a glimpse of the young and expanding aboriginal populations who live on the front line of that frustration. But few of us have sustained contact with these communities. As a result, “Canadians seem as oblivious to the plight of aboriginal people as they are to their own vulnerability should aboriginal anger boil over into insurrection,” says defence expert Douglas Bland. His 2010 novel Uprising is about just such an insurrection.

First Nation demands to be consulted on chromite project – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – August 2012)

August 8, 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.

The road to the Ring of Fire has hit an enormous speed bump. What looked on paper to be a straight-forward road easement application by Cliffs Natural Resources to an Ontario mining tribunal to cross the claims of KWG Resources, has hit a snag that could slow development in the James Bay region.

Neskantaga First Nation, a remote community southwest of the Ring of Fire chromite camp, has given the Ontario Lands and Mining Commissioner something to think about in applying for legal standing at a July 5 hearing.

The First Nation wants to be a participant to challenge the Cliffs road application and make the larger case that they have treaty and Constitutional rights to be consulted and included in resource development. The commission adjourned after two days to consider whether Neskantaga has status to be a participant in the proceedings.

“You can’t continue until it’s decided who has status at the hearing,” said KWG vice-president Bruce Hodgman. He doesn’t expect a fast resolution anytime soon and expects this preliminary issue could go on for “months” before the commission even starts the formal hearing.

NEWS RELEASE: PR Associates President recognized for leadership in fostering Aboriginal business

August 8, 2012

July 26, 2012, Vancouver, BC – Robert Simpson, president of PR Associates, a national public relations firm, has been selected by the Industry Council for Aboriginal Business (ICAB) as a recipient of the Champion for Aboriginal Business award. Robert is being recognized for his work and mentorship with the Tahltan Nation, including development of the Tahltan National PR Communications (TNPRC) joint venture established with the Tahltan Nation Development Corporation (TNDC).

The ICAB Recognition Awards honour individuals and corporations that demonstrate leadership in developing Aboriginal/non-Aboriginal business relationships, and driving lasting, positive change. The Champion for Aboriginal Business award recognizes a non-Aboriginal individual who has demonstrated and established standards of practice that have resulted in the development of an Aboriginal/non-Aboriginal business relationship.

“Robert has a genuine desire to develop business relationships that benefit Aboriginal communities and to build capacity through mentorship, education and training. The Tahltan National PR Communications partnership is an example of this commitment, which enhances the public relations and communication capabilities of the TNDC in the interests of the Tahltan people,” said Bill Adsit, president and chief executive officer of the TNDC, the economic arm of the Tahltan Nation.

New [Quebec/Cree] accord hailed as model for first nations negotiations – Montreal Gazette Editorial (Vancouver Sun – August 2, 2012)

August 7, 2012

The Vancouver Sun, a broadsheet daily paper first published in 1912, has the largest circulation in the province of British Columbia.

Guest editorial from the Montreal Gazette

Matthew Coon Come has proven himself to be no pushover when it comes to defending the interests of his people.

Grand chief of Quebec’s Grand Council of the Crees and a former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, he has been an outspoken activist in the assertion of aboriginal rights, gaining an international reputation for his efforts in the process.

Therefore it was saying something when Coon Come effusively hailed as a landmark achievement the agreement signed last week between the Quebec government and the Cree Grand Council on resource development, land management and regional governance in the James Bay territory.

The deal covers an area of 330,000 square kilometres, roughly the size of Italy. As a result of it, the municipality of James Bay will cease to exist and be replaced by a regional authority jointly governed by aboriginal and non-aboriginal residents of the territory.

Rethink Ring of Fire development: Greens – by Harold Carmichael (Sudbury Star – August 7, 2012)

August 7, 2012

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

The leader of the Ontario Green Party wants to see the Ring of Fire area in northwestern Ontario developed, but done so in an environmentally responsible manner that takes into account First Nation interests and gets the best bang for the buck.

“We are not opposed to development in the Ring of Fire, but we have concerns with the way the current government approaches it, and there’s even greater concerns with what Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak wants to do,” said Mike Schreiner, during a visit to Sudbury.

Schreiner said the Liberal government is not getting the job done with Ring of Fire in three areas : Development planning, First Nation involvement, and how the resource will be processed. He said the Conservatives would permit the mineral-rich Ring of Fire area to be developed too quickly and with little environmental oversight.

“Before any development takes place, we need to have comprehensive long-term land use planning in place that includes all groups and stakeholders,” he said.

The Ring of Fire and the oilsands – by Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – August 2, 2012)

August 4, 2012

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

Ontario’s Conservative leader made an excellent observation a few weeks ago when, after a visit to the Ring of Fire, he said the development is akin to being Ontario’s oilsands.

Tim Hudak took a lot of criticism for the comments. Environmentalists targeted his claims that the Ring of Fire should be developed as quickly as the oilsands. Mining supporters worried about Hudak’s comparison to a development viewed as environmentally devastating. But Hudak was right, and he should be given credit for vocalizing something many are thinking but few are talking about.

The Ring of Fire does have the potential to be Ontario’s oilsands. With hundreds of claims already staked in the region, an estimated $30 billion worth of chromite in the region and countless other mineral deposits alongside of it, the Ring of Fire truly will change northern Ontario forever.

Hudak obviously believes Alberta has done it right when it comes to oilsands development. “Sometimes we look (with) wonder and awe at what Alberta can do,” he said, following the visit. “We can do that in Ontario and we can do that with the Ring of Fire.”

Indigenous worker numbers skyrocket in mining – by Gian De Poloni (Australian Broadcasting Corporation News – July 31, 2012)

July 31, 2012

http://www.abc.net.au/news/

The number of Indigenous people working on major mining projects in Western Australia has skyrocketed over the past five years.

In the resource-rich Pilbara region, big companies like Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Chevron and Fortescue Metals are keen to hire as many Aboriginal people as they can, and they are keen to work. Brendon Kelly is a 40-year-old Indigenous man with five children living in Port Hedland.

BK, as he is known to his mates, decided three years ago he wanted to be a part of the biggest mining boom the country has ever seen. He undertook a course with Ngarda Civil and Mining, one of the largest Indigenous training groups, and now works as a drill and blast engineer at BHP’s Yarrie iron ore mine, about 200 kilometres north-east of Port Hedland.

“There are four Aboriginal people on our crew, it’s pretty multicultural out here on site at the moment,” he said. “It’s a really good thing, the more the better.” BK is urging others to consider getting training. “There’s better security and independence for yourself and your family,” he said.

Native Canadians Fear Mining Boom in “Ring of Fire” – by By Fawzia Sheikh (Inter Press Service News Agency – July 30, 2012)

July 31, 2012

http://www.ipsnews.net/

TORONTO, Jul 30 2012 (IPS) – With accusations that Canadian resource companies and government officials are disregarding the need for indigenous consent in development projects, First Nations leaders have lashed out by approving a resolution calling for a moratorium on mining development in the so-called Ring of Fire until proper consultation begins.

The Ring of Fire includes chromite, nickel, copper, platinum, zinc, gold and kimberlite deposits and is touted as the most promising mineral development opportunity in Ontario in nearly a century.

The resources are located 540 kilometres east of the city of Thunder Bay within the shared territories of a handful of Aboriginal communities around McFaulds Lake. The region is home to more than 100 bodies of water and four major rivers in the James Bay Lowlands in the northern part of the province.

“We haven’t had any meeting that is meaningful with the province,” Chris Moonias of the Neskantaga First Nation told 633 chiefs-in-assembly at the Assembly of First Nations annual conference from Jul. 17 to 19. “Right now, we’re being bullied by a mining company, a giant mining company and a desperate province.”

CSIS said to be probing financial links between First Nations, China – by Jen Gerson (National Post – July 25, 2012)

July 28, 2012

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

CALGARY — Canadian intelligence services appear to have probed financial links between First Nations groups and Chinese companies as scrutiny continues to mount on China’s interest in this country’s natural resources sector.

This week, Chinese oil company CNOOC Ltd. announced a $15-billion takeover bid for Calgary-based Nexen, a proposal that will have to pass scrutiny under the Canada Investment Act. The deal seems to be raising warning flags among politicians who fear the energy-hungry superpower’s influence in Canada’s oil patch. But scrutiny of China’s investment reach appears to stretch back several years.

Vancouver-based lawyer Merle Alexander said he was approached by Canadian Security Intelligence Service agents twice, in 2010 and in 2011, after presenting seminars on a memorandum of understanding signed between the Kaska Nation and Silvercorp., a B.C. company with Chinese links.

He said they identified themselves with CSIS badges and “appeared interested in determining whether there is direct involvement or influence between the Chinese government and First Nations governments,” he said.

Weenusk struggles to keep home lands free – Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – July 26, 2012)

July 27, 2012

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

Residents of Weenusk First Nation are fearing for the loss of their traditional lifestyles as Ontario gets set to release geological data on one of the province’s last pristine wildernesses.

The Ontario Geologic Survey (OGS) conducted aerial geological surveying over a broad section of untouched wilderness along the shore of Hudson Bay between November 2011 and February 2012.

Many people in Weenusk, a community of approximately 300, believe the release of the information will spur mineral exploration on much of the First Nation’s traditional territory, and in the process irrevocably alter a way of life that has been practiced since time immemorial.

“We want to keep the land free,” says George Hunter, a community member and former chief of Weenusk. “To us, freedom doesn’t have staked claims. The moment you have staked claims and private property, our true freedom is compromised forever.”

Legal fight tarnishing gold firm – by Ron Grech (Timmins Daily Press – July 26, 2012)

July 27, 2012

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – The president of Solid Gold Resources blames the ongoing conflict with Wahgoshig First Nation and the provincial government for his company’s plummeting stock values.

“It has completely destroyed it,” said Darryl Stretch. “It’s at three cents, which values my company at less than what it costs to put a shelf together these days. “When we came out with our IPO (initial public offering), it was at 25 cents… For the stock price to be at three cents is unreasonable and outrageous.”

Solid Gold holds claims within a 200-square-kilometre area outside the boundary of the Wahgoshig reserve. In January, the First Nation succeeded in having an injunction imposed against the exploration company to stop drilling in that area.

In February, Solid Gold filed a Leave to Appeal on the basis that “any consultation and accommodation required should have been completed (with Wahgoshig) by the Crown long before mineral claims were granted to Solid Gold,” said Stretch.

[Noront’s Leanne Hall – First Nations] Skilled Builder (CIM Magazine – June/July 2012)

November 3, 2015July 27, 2012

Founded in 1898, the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) is a technical society of professionals in the Canadian minerals, metals, materials and energy industries.

Leanne Hall, vice-president, human resources, Noront Resources Ltd.

When Leanne Hall takes on an assignment, she does two things: “I always look at it from the eyes of different stakeholders,” she says, “and I always try to leave places in a better position than where I originally found them.”

These approaches have shaped her career in human resources and corporate social responsibility, which is now focused on developing the workforce to support Noront Resources’ Eagle’s Nest mine, currently under development in northern Ontario. Prior to joining Noront, Hall headed Woodland HR Inc. in northern Alberta, where she seized on the skills shortage and the province’s privatization and expansion of its career and employment services to carve out a niche for herself. “At the end of 14 years, we had assisted over 20,000 people in northern Alberta with their career and employment goals,” she says.

Hall explains that she used a “grassroots” approach. It involved meeting one-on-one and asking people what they had always dreamed of doing, uncovering their skills and talents, developing a career plan, and matching them with employment that could fulfill those dreams. In an economy where cyclical oil prices hit hard at times, she says, it’s important to love what one does; that is what makes it possible to thrive. Having a career plan not only helps achieve this, it aids retention at companies that smooth their employees’ path to advancement.