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Canada Mining – North of 60

Retired general urges rejection of Chinese takeover of Arctic gold mine – by Robert Fife and Steven Chase (Globe and Mail – November 30, 2020)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

A former commander of Canadian troops in Afghanistan is urging the federal government to reject a takeover of an Arctic gold mine by a Chinese state-owned enterprise.

Retired major-general David Fraser said this rejection should form part of a strategic rethink aimed at keeping China out of Canada’s Far North.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet recently ordered a formal national security review of the proposed acquisition of Toronto-based TMAC Resources Inc. by Shandong Gold Mining Co. Ltd., a Chinese state-owned conglomerate and one of the world’s largest gold producers.

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New diamond and gold deposit found in Nunavut shows similarities to world’s richest gold mine, researchers say – by Brooklyn Neustaeter (CTV News – November 29, 2020)

https://www.ctvnews.ca/

TORONTO — A group of Canadian researchers, who discovered diamonds in a small rock sample found in an unrealized gold deposit in Nunavut, say their findings hint at the possibility of new deposits in the area that are similar to the world’s richest gold mine.

According to a press release issued in October, the new research “fills in blanks” about the thermal conditions of Earth’s crust three billion years ago.

The findings are set to be released in two studies at the virtual fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union between Dec. 1-17.

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Investment in mineral exploration in territories largely declining – by Blair McBride (Yellowknifer – November 14, 2020)

https://nnsl.com/yellowknifer/

The NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines is concerned over the ongoing decreases in mineral exploration expenditures in the North, which is expected to decline by about half from 2019 to 2020 and reach the lowest level in 20 years in the NWT.

Statistics from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) show that in the NWT, expenditures are expected to drop by 54 per cent, from $79.8 million in 2019 to $36.6 million in 2020. The figures for 2020 cover the period until September. The expenditures are the costs of searching for and appraising mineral deposits.

The 2020 level is the lowest for the NWT in the last 20 years, according to a summary graph based on NRCan that the Chamber published on Thursday. The last time exploration expenditures dropped to a comparable level was in 2009, when they came to $44 million. They peaked at $194 million in 2007.

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Yukon panel tackles contentious issue of reforming mining laws – by Dave Croft (CBC News Yukon – November 10, 2020)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/

An independent panel has begun working on recommendations for how the mining industry should be run in the territory. It’s released the results of a public consultation it did earlier this year.

That included more than 90 meetings, many written submissions, and thousands of comments on a survey, said Michael Pealow, the facilitator of the Mineral Development Strategy process.

The process came out of an agreement between Yukon’s 11 self-governing First Nations and the Yukon government, Pealow said.

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Northern Canada emerging as a new gold mining and exploration hotspot – by Vladimir Basov (Kitco News – November 10, 2020)

https://www.kitco.com/

According to Wikipedia, “Northern Canada, colloquially the North, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories (NWT), and Nunavut.”

With a total population estimate of 126,566 as of Q3 2020, the North already producing approximately 27 times more gold per capita than, for example, Ontario, the largest gold producing province or territory in Canada.

Nunavut is third largest Canadian gold producing province / territory with 465 koz of gold mined in 2019 and Yukon is eight with 84 koz. The North is a home to the great Klondike Gold Rush from the late 1800s that engulfed the Yukon Territory.

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Russia preparing to beat Canada in race for Arctic resources – by Eugene Gerden (Resource World Magazine – November 9, 2020)

https://resourceworld.com/

Russia plans to beat Canada and the US in the race for Arctic hydrocarbon resources by establishing control of over 60% of them via recognition of its right to the Lomonosov Ridge by the special UN Commission which may take place as early as 2021.

According to earlier statements by Dmitry Medvedev, a member of the Russian Security Council, Russia is planning to “more vigorously defend its claims for the development of Arctic mining fields” amid the attempts of rivals to limit its access to these resources.

Needless to say, the main interest of Russia in the Arctic is related to the Lomonosov Ridge, an underwater ridge of continental crust under the Arctic Ocean that spans 1,800 km from the New Siberian Islands over the central part of the ocean to Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and which, in addition to Russia, could also be considered as an attractive region by Canada and Denmark.

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Nunavut should take another look at uranium policy, MLA John Main says – by Jim Bell (Nunatsiaq News – November 5, 2020)

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If you thought the demise of the controversial Kiggavik uranium project in 2016 put a lid on the Nunavut uranium debate, think again.

John Main, the MLA for Arviat North–Whale Cove, said on Monday in a member’s statement that it’s time for the Government of Nunavut to take another look at the uranium policy statement it issued in 2012.

“I think we should consult Nunavummiut about whether they support uranium mining or not, and whether we should be talking about this matter, and if Nunavut should have that,” Main said.

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Clyde River mayor braces for legal action over iron mine expansion – by Derek Neary (Nunavut News – November 4, 2020)

https://nunavutnews.com/

Jerry Natanine prevailed in a high-profile 2017 Supreme Court case to prevent offshore seismic testing, and he says he’s prepared to use the legal system again, if necessary, to stop Baffinland Iron Mines from building a railway.

“Absolutely, I’m prepared to go to court,” Natanine says. “They’re just walking all over us.”

The mayor’s primary concern is for wildlife, particularly caribou, in relation to the proposed 110-km railroad that would stretch from the Mary River mine to Milne Inlet.

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Canadian miner Nevsun Resources settles with African workers over case alleging human-rights abuses – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – October 29, 2020)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Canadian base-metals miner Nevsun Resources Ltd. has reached a settlement with a trio of Eritrean workers who had sued the company for alleged human-rights abuses during the construction of a mine in the African country.

The development comes in the wake of a Supreme Court of Canada ruling earlier this year that Nevsun could be sued in Canada for alleged infractions abroad – a landmark decision that broadened liability for all Canadian corporations with international operations.

“This settlement speaks to the incredible courage of the mine workers who came forward with their horrific experiences,” Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary-General of Amnesty International Canada, said in a release.

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OPINION: The case for greater federal investments in northern mining infrastructure – by Brendan Marshall (Nunatsiaq News – October 23, 2020)

https://nunatsiaq.com/

Brendan Marshall is the vice-president for economic and northern affairs for the Mining Association of Canada.

The old expression “If it isn’t grown, it’s mined,” is taking on new meaning as the supply of minerals and metals critical to 21st century products takes on geopolitical importance.

As demand for mined materials continues to grow, there is increasing focus on what are referred to as “critical minerals”—vital in aerospace, defence, telecommunications, computing, and an array of clean and medical technologies such as solar panels, electric car batteries, ventilators and rapid testing kits.

Canada can play a larger role in this market, particularly given our leadership in sustainable mining practices and high environmental standards, and this opportunity is particularly relevant to mining in the North.

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Misgoverning the Canadian Arctic – by Sergiy Slipchenko (Excalibur – October 24, 2020)

https://excal.on.ca/

York University’s Community Newspaper

The Canadian Arctic region has been often overlooked by the federal government in favour of more populated provinces, despite the importance and potential it holds. In 2020, a year where the COVID-19 pandemic has taken precedence over every other issue, this is more true than ever.

The Canadian North has often been put aside in the national agenda despite making up 40 per cent of Canada and is home to more than 100,000 residents. While the federal government has done extensive extraction of raw materials in Northern Canada, it is far behind when it comes to developing communities, infrastructure, and defence in the region.

Professor Gabrielle A. Slowey, a political science professor at York, neatly summarized Canada’s ventures in the north.

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Mountain Province’s diamond output up despite virus disruptions – by Cecillia Jamasmie (Mining.com – October 16, 2020)

https://www.mining.com/

Canada’s Mountain Province Diamonds (TSX: MPVD), which holds a 49% stake in the remote Gahcho Kué mine, saw production at the operation jump by 30% during the third quarter from the previous three months as crews adjust to covid-19 protocols.

The company churned out a total of 9.88 million tonnes of ore and waste material in the three months to Sep. 30, compared to the 6.84 million tonnes mined during the second quarter of the year.

The figure, however, is about 16% lower than the 11.7 million tonnes the Northwest Territories diamond mine produced in the same period last year.

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Ottawa orders security review of Chinese state-owned Shandong’s bid for Canadian miner TMAC Resources – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – October 16, 2020)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Ottawa is ordering a formal national security review of state-owned Chinese miner Shandong Gold Mining Co. Ltd.’s proposed acquisition of TMAC Resources Inc., injecting more uncertainty into a deal that had already generated a national debate about sovereignty in Canada’s Far North.

In May, Shandong proposed an all-cash acquisition of TMAC for $1.75 a share, valuing the Toronto-based junior gold miner at $207.4-million, or about 4 per cent more than its market price at the time. Shareholders of TMAC voted overwhelmingly in favour of the deal in June and it received regulatory approval in China.

The enhanced security review by the federal government, which comes at a time of increased tension between China and Canada, raises doubts about whether the transaction will be successful, and at the very least pushes out the timeline for it to close to the first quarter of next year.

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Slave Geological Province Corridor to go ahead after First Nation leaders pull brakes over summer (CBC News North – October 14, 2020)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/

The government of the Northwest Territories and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation have “reset” their relationship and have agreed to move forward with the $1.1-billion Slave Geological Province Corridor project.

The project in part would see a 413-kilometre, two-lane, all-season road built between mineral-rich areas northeast of Yellowknife and western Nunavut.

The idea is to create new economic opportunities that benefit both territories. The road would connect Nunavut to Canada’s highway system and link up to a potential deep-water port on the Arctic Ocean.

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Environmental, human rights questions shadow Hope Bay mine sale – by Derek Neary (Nunavut News – October 13, 2020)

https://nunavutnews.com/

TMAC Resources negotiated a mineral exploration agreement with land claims organization Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and a series of deals with the Kitikmeot Inuit Association (KIA), including a 20-year Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement in 2015.

“All those agreements will stay in place” if Shandong Gold Mining buys out TMAC Resources, said Alex Buchan, TMAC’s vice-president of corporate social responsibility.

Asked whether the change in ownership at the Kitikmeot’s Hope Bay gold mine would open the door to renegotiating the KIA’s agreements as the Qikiqtani Inuit Association did in 2018 with Baffinland Iron Mines and again earlier this year with an Inuit Certainty Agreement – commanding a rising royalty rate, more jobs and training and even daycare provisions for workers’ children – Buchan tapped the brakes on such an idea.

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