British Columbia Mining – Page 80

Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan Speech – by British Columbia Premier Christy Clark (Sept/22/11)

October 20, 2011

This Speech was given to the Vancouver Board of Trade on September 22, 2011

Check against delivery

Thanks, Dave, for the introduction.

I’d like to acknowledge my caucus members in attendance, as they stand up – please give them a warm round of applause. Iain Black is here today as well.

And most importantly I want to acknowledge all the job creators in the room and that’s you.

You know, my grandfather was a member of the trade delegation that went to Japan with this Board of Trade in 1954. I found this wallet of his from the trip when I was cleaning out some boxes in my garage a couple months ago. He worked for a B.C. small business, Nelson Brothers Fisheries. He was the production manager and he went on this trade mission that flew through Anchorage, Alaska and then on to Japan.

The whole point was to reach out to open new markets and create new jobs in British Columbia. I am really proud he did that, and that the Board of Trade had the foresight to lead that mission in the 1950s. Fifty-seven years later, I am standing here before the same organization to talk about the same thing – new markets, new opportunities and good jobs for families.

NEWS RELEASE: MINING ASSOCIATION OF BC WELCOMES NEW “CANADA STARTS HERE: THE BC JOBS PLAN”

October 20, 2011

22 September 2011 – Vancouver – The Mining Association of BC commends the provincial government’s Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan released today.

Of particular importance to the BC mining sector, the BC jobs Plan proposes a commitment of almost $24 million to natural resource ministries with a goal of reducing the time it takes to get decisions on approvals and permits. The Premier emphasized that this plan could be implemented without compromising BC’s strict environmental standards.

The plan also promises that, in collaboration with the private sector, BC will see eight new mines in operation; nine upgrades and expansions to currently operating mines; and, mining permit backlog (Notices of Work) will be reduced by 80 percent within twelve months noting that once the backlog is dealt with, there will be a new sixty day turnaround to process Notices of Work for mines.

“The mining industry is very encouraged to see government investing in its internal resources which allow private sector economic activity to occur,” said John McManus, Chair of the Mining Association of BC.

AME BC NEWS RELEASE: Mineral Explorers Applaud BC Jobs Plan

October 20, 2011

Vancouver, BC – September 22, 2011 – Today the Association for Mineral Exploration BC (AME BC) applauded the release of Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan. In particular, AME BC thanked the provincial government for its commitment of $24 million toward reducing the time it takes to get decisions on approvals and permits for natural resource sectors. This will be done without compromising British Columbia’s world class safety and environmental standards or the requirement to consult with First Nations. The government has stated that once the permit and approval backlog is reduced, the target for turnaround on new “notices of work” for mines will be 60 days.

“Based on high commodity prices, our natural mineral potential, and proximity to Asian markets, BC is experiencing a modern-day gold rush built on safe, responsible and successful exploration,” said Gavin C. Dirom, President and CEO of AME BC. “There are more than 350 mineral exploration projects and 20 major mine projects active in BC. In 2010, we saw a doubling in exploration expenditures, up from $154 million in 2009 to $322 million as well as seeing almost $1.5 billion spent in construction and development of new mines or expansions. These new mines potentially represent the creation of 10,000 new jobs over the next ten years.”

Minister Oliver says mine approval process to get better – by Peter Koven (National Post – October 14, 2011)

October 14, 2011

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper. pkoven@nationalpost.com

TORONTO – Federal Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver says improvements to Canada’s endless regulatory approval process for new mines are “achievable” under the government’s current mandate.

Speaking to reporters after a presentation at the Toronto Board of Trade Thursday, Mr. Oliver expressed confidence he can eliminate duplication in federal and provincial reviews of projects, but warned it will be an extremely difficult process.

“We have to work with the provinces, so we can agree on a case-bycase basis whether it makes sense for one or the other to take over the review, or if there’s some way we can work together to avoid duplication,” he said.

One of the biggest frustrations for mining companies in Canada is that project approvals can be delayed for months because the federal and provincial governments are out of sync and are doing the same tasks.

Rio Tinto hiring hundreds of workers in Canada because of modernization projects – by Ross Marowits, Canadian Press (Winnipeg Free Press – September 27, 2011)

September 28, 2011

The Winnipeg Free Press is the oldest newspaper in western Canada and has the largest readership in the province of Manitoba.

MONTREAL – A couple of years after it laid off 14,000 workers around the world, global mining giant Rio Tinto has launched a mini hiring spree in Canada, mainly due to its modernization projects.

The Anglo-Australian company is actively searching to hire more than 210 workers for mining and manufacturing in alumina, aluminum, iron ore, diamonds and titanium dioxide.

“We launched the campaign to help our ongoing recruitment efforts for our modernization and expansion projects,” Rio Tinto spokesman Bryan Tucker said in an email. Rio Tinto employs more than 13,000 people at 35 sites in Canada.

The company has turned to Facebook and YouTube, posting a four-minute promotional video showing operations such as the Diavik Diamond Mine, Iron Ore Company of Canada, Rio Tinto, Fer et Titane, and Rio Tinto Alcan.

NEWS RELEASE: MINING ASSOCIATION OF BC WELCOMES NEW “CANADA STARTS HERE: THE BC JOBS PLAN”

September 23, 2011

Thursday, 22 September 2011

Vancouver –The Mining Association of BC commends the provincial government’s Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan released today.

Digging in: Beating the bad rap [British Columbia mining] – Peter Koven (National Post – July 27, 2011)

July 27, 2011

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper. Peter Koven is their mining reporter.

For all the criticism that British Columbia’s mining industry receives, Jim O’Rourke will tell you that it is a good place to do business.

He should know. Mr. O’Rourke is the chief executive of Copper Mountain Mining Corp., which is holding the grand opening of its namesake mine in B.C. next month. It is the most promising new operation to open in B.C. in years. He was also involved in a number of prior B.C. projects, including the Endako mine in the 1960s and the Gibraltar mine in the 1970s.

“The whole Copper Mountain project went very well. From the time of buying the mine, completing our preliminary assessment in the first year, we went right into the feasibility study and met all of our targets over the past four years,” he says. “I think things have gotten a little more complicated [in B.C.] but, overall, it went well.”

PwC NEWS RELEASE: BC mining companies are riding the wave of strong demand and high commodities prices: PwC report

May 11, 2011

Revenues and earnings reached near record highs in 2010

VANCOUVER, May 10, 2011 — According to a new report from PwC, British Columbia’s mining companies have rebounded from the global economic slowdown, turning in near-record results for revenues, net income and cash flows during 2010. Overall the industry’s aggregate pre-tax net earnings were $3.7 billion in 2010, up by 65% from $2.3 billion in 2009.

“The 2010 financial performance of the BC mining sector was outstanding, driven by strong coal and metals prices and a lot of hard-working people in the industry,” said Michael Cinnamond, leader of PwC’s BC mining industry practice and co-author of the report. “The PwC report shows that just about every aspect of the BC mining sector has done better than expected. Many of the positive trends we saw last year have continued into the first quarter of 2011.”

Gross mining revenues increased 13% to $7.9 billion in 2010, approaching the historic high of $8.4 billion in 2008. The Canadian dollar strengthened in 2010, creating an estimated aggregate negative impact of $856 million on gross revenues, excluding the impact of any hedging.

NEWS RELEASE: Canada maintains number-two spot for exploration in 2010

February 10, 2011February 7, 2011

Metals Economics Group’s 21st Corporate Exploration Strategies study

U.S. dollar currency is used throughout this press release

Worldwide nonferrous exploration budgets by region, 2010
(more than 2,200 companies’ budgets, totaling US$11.5 billion)

(Note: The annual budget totals for Canada, Australia, and the United States
are typically much larger than those of most other countries; as a result,
MEG treats these countries as individual regions in its CES studies.)

Vancouver, British Columbia, January 24, 2011 – Canada maintained the regional number-two spot for planned exploration spending in 2010, attracting 19% of worldwide nonferrous exploration allocations. According to Metals Economics Group’s Corporate Exploration Strategies (CES), Canada has held second place for nine years since overtaking Australia in 2002. (Metals Economics Group’s study covers expenditures for precious and base metals, diamonds, uranium, and some industrial minerals; it specifically excludes iron ore, aluminum, coal, and oil and gas.)

Four provinces—Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia—accounted for more than three-quarters of the $2.2 billion in planned Canadian nonferrous exploration spending in 2010. Of the 710 companies that planned to explore in Canada in 2010, 90% were based in Canada, together contributing 79% of the planned Canadian nonferrous exploration total. Worldwide, Canadian-based companies accounted for more than half of the 2,200+ active explorers covered by the 2010 edition of CES, and together accounted for 41% of the 2010 global exploration budget total.

Mining and Aboriginal Communities: Building Stronger Relationships – by Pierre Gratton

January 30, 2011

This speech was given by Pierre Gratton, President & CEO of the Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC), at the BC Natural Resource Forum on January 13, 2011

“Fifteen years ago, there were fewer than twenty agreements between mining companies
and Aboriginal communities in Canada. Today, there are almost 200, and many more are
being negotiated.” Pierre Gratton, President & CEO of MABC. (Jan/13/11)

New Partnerships New Markets

Thank you for that kind introduction. It’s an honour and a pleasure to be a keynote speaker at the 8th BC
Natural Resource Forum in Prince George. Opportunities in the mining and supporting industries are really
starting to pick‐up in PG, the northern supply centre for our sector. It has taken time, but with the Endako
expansion, the major growth in the northeast coal block, Mt. Milligan, Red Chris on the horizon and a
resumption in exploration activity, there is lots to be excited about.

I have been asked to speak to you today about mining and Aboriginal partnerships. As I do so, I want to turn the clock back to look at where we’ve come from, then look at where we are and where we need to go.

The New Face of Mining

Before I became President of MABC, I served as Vice President of Sustainable Development and Public Affairs for The Mining Association of Canada. While working for MAC, I witnessed and participated in a
transformation that has taken place and continues to take place across the mining sector. It is clear to me that we are on a path from which there is no turning back – the path of sustainable development.

Mining Crucial to British Columbia’s Success – Randy Hawes, B.C. Minister of State for Mining

January 30, 2011January 30, 2011

The following speech was delivered by Randy Hawes, British Columbia’s Minister of State for Mining, at the opening of AME BC Roundup 2011 conference in Vancouver on January 24, 2011.

“British Columbia is the first province in Canada to share direct provincial tax revenue
generated from new mines or mine expansions with First Nations. This only applies to
new mines and expansions. Resource revenue sharing will not cost the industry a cent.
This is a commitment to sharing revenue that the province will receive from new mine
developments.” (Randy Hawes – B.C. Minister of State for Mining – Jan/24/11)

This year’s theme, “exploring today for tomorrow’s resources,” is particularly apt. After spending $154 million on exploration in 2009, that figure more than doubled to $322 million in 2010.

This represents the third-highest total ever and a 109% increase on 2009. In 1999, the figure was just $25 million. This is an extraordinary turnaround and is indicative of a reinvigorated and optimistic mining industry.

It also underlines the importance the mineral industry is playing in the province’s economic recovery. Exploration investment is a key indicator of mining’s future and this suggests a very bright future indeed.

Perhaps the greatest indicator of mining’s excellent health is the development of new mines. The mining industry invested over $1 billion last year, expanding existing operations and developing new mines in B.C. Major mine expansions at Endako, Gibraltar, Highland Valley Copper, Wolverine and others underline the attractiveness of operating in British Columbia.

Mapping the Economic Potential of Canada’s North – Chapter 3: Metal and Non-Metallic Mineral Mining

January 12, 2011January 3, 2011

The Conference Board of Canada is the foremost independent, not-for-profit applied research organization in Canada. It is not a government department or agency and conducts, publishes, and disseminates objective and non-partisan research on economic trends, as well as organizational performance and public policy issues. Click here for Mapping the Economic Potential of Canada’s North.

Please note that charts and maps are omitted from this posting.

The metal and non-metallic mineral mining industry has a long history of providing wealth and employment to Canadians. From the Klondike gold rush in the late 1800s, to the large-scale development and production of potash in Saskatchewan, to diamonds in the Northwest Territories, the industry has maintained its lustre on the global stage.

The industry has endured many boom-bust cycles in its history. In the 1960s, metal and non-metallic mineral mining directly accounted for over 2 per cent of the Canadian economy; by 2009, the industry’s share had shrunk to 0.5 per cent. But the situation is expected to turn around in the coming years as mining continues to be developed— particularly in Canada’s North.

The metal and non-metallic mineral mining industry
has a long history of providing wealth and employment
to Canadians.

Even in 2009—the worst year for mining in recent history—the industry contributed $6.5 billion to the
Canadian economy (in real terms) and continued to export a diverse variety of resources. There are many
spin-off benefits not included in the $6.5 billion: construction, transportation, utilities, warehousing, and
communications are some of the other industries that benefit directly from the development and production
of a single mine.

News Release: Conference Board of Canada – Mining And Related Support Industries Offer The Greatest Economic Potential For Northern Canada

January 12, 2011January 3, 2011

Ottawa, December 17 —The natural resources sector – and the industries that support it – provide the strongest potential for Northern Canada’s future economic development, The Conference Board of Canada concludes in a study for its Centre for the North, released today.

This report, Mapping the Economic Potential of Canada’s North, is one of a series of foundational studies for the Centre for the North. It is intended to provide a launch pad for further inquiry into the future economic development potential of the North.

“The economic potential of Northern Canada is highly dependent on its mining and oil and gas resources,” said Len Coad, Director, Environment, Energy and Technology Policy, The Conference Board of Canada. “These primary industries also drive growth in other sectors of Northern economies, including communication, electricity and transportation infrastructure, and commercial services. They can contribute to the prosperity of northern communities by providing jobs and supporting local businesses.”

The Conference Board uses the Northern Development Ministers Forum’s definition of the North as the basis for this research. Based on this definition, the North comprises the three territories and the northern parts of seven provinces – 80 per cent of Canada’s land mass in all, but it makes up less than seven per cent of the population. This study identified a collection of seven key industries—oil and gas, mining, forestry, fishing, utilities, construction, and tourism.

The Renaissance of Mining in British Columbia – by Pierre Gratton

November 3, 2010November 3, 2010

This speech was given by Pierre Gratton, President & CEO of the Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC), at the Vancouver Board of Trade Lunch on May 12, 2010.

“The Northwest Territories, where there are three major diamond mines, in the last 12 years have generated $600 million in Aboriginal business revenues, increased Aboriginal secondary school enrollment from 36 to 56 percent and reduced Aboriginal recipients on social assistance by 50 percent.” – Pierre Gratton, MABC President and CEO

“Whereas many industry sectors do not see aboriginal people as a workforce, consumers or partners, the mining sector has been on the leading edge of aboriginal inclusion efforts in employment, partnerships and business development for thirty five years.” Kelly Lendsay, President and CEO of the Aboriginal Human Resources Council

The Renaissance of Mining in British Columbia

Good afternoon.

Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge the Coast Salish First Nations whose traditional territory we are on today, and to thank the Vancouver Board of Trade for providing the Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC) with this opportunity to discuss the state of our province’s mining industry.

I wish to also thank my colleagues on the executive committee, board of directors and staff at MABC, who work tirelessly on behalf of the mining industry, along with friends and colleagues at AME BC and the Mining Suppliers Association of BC. Special thanks go to members of the Mining Week Committee for their hard work planning and organizing this week’s events.

Mining Week, a tradition for the past 103 years, celebrates the role this industry plays in making British Columbia a great place to live, work and play. This year we’ve partnered with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum and its annual conference to reach out to a broader industry and public audience. We’ve also expanded our activities, with events taking place in many communities across the province.