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Canada Mining – North of 60

Nunavut review board seeks comments on Baffinland production extension (Nunatsiaq News – January 14, 2020)

https://nunatsiaq.com/

The Nunavut Impact Review Board is accepting comments on Baffinland Iron Mines Corp.’s request to extend its production limit at its Mary River mine.

The board issued a call for comments from interested parties on Jan. 8. Comments will be accepted until Feb. 3. Baffinland requested this extension, to continue mining up to six million tonnes of iron ore per year through 2020, on Dec. 16.

This follows a production cap increase granted in 2018, up from the 4.2-million-tonne cap set in the project certificate amendment that allowed trucked shipping to Milne Inlet under the company’s “early revenue phase.” That two-year production cap expired on Dec. 31, 2019.

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EBERHARD (EBE) SCHERKUS (Born – 1952) – 2020 Canadian Mining Hall of Fame Inductee

The Canadian Mining Hall of Fame was conceived by the late Maurice R. Brown, former editor and publisher of The Northern Miner, as a way to recognize and honour the legendary mine finders and builders of a great Canadian industry. The Hall was established in 1988. For more information about the extraordinary individuals who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, please go to their home website: http://mininghalloffame.ca/

The remarkable success and longevity of Agnico Eagle Mines owes much to Eberhard (“Ebe”) Scherkus, a multi-faceted geologist and professional engineer with an impressive track record of achievement. He joined the company as a project manager in 1985, became chief operating officer (COO) in 1998, and was president and COO from 2005 until he retired in 2012.

During this period he transformed Agnico Eagle from a regional single-mine company into a top-performing global gold producer with nine mines in Canada, Finland and Mexico. He also earned a reputation as a generous career mentor, environmentally responsible industry leader, and a builder of bridges with Indigenous Peoples and other stakeholders in Canada and abroad.

Born in Germany, Scherkus came to Canada as an infant and was raised in Val-d’Or, Quebec. He earned his B.Sc. Geology from McGill University in 1975, and worked for several companies before joining Agnico Eagle. The company was then headed by legendary founder Paul Penna, who needed a technical team to turn around a struggling, low-grade open-pit mine with limited reserves.

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Agnico CEO Sean Boyd on succession planning, investing in the North, and working in -79C wind chill – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – January 2, 2020)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Whoever assumes the top executive spot at Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. will have a tough act to follow. Sean Boyd, 61, is by far the longest-serving senior gold executive in Canada – and arguably the most successful.

An accountant by training, Mr. Boyd was originally the company’s outside auditor, then its chief financial officer and, after the death of company founder Paul Penna, he became its chief executive in 1998.

In the two decades since, the Toronto-based miner has grown from being a small producer with a single mine in Quebec, into the world’s third-most-valuable gold company, with nine mines in three countries. Its share price has gone from $6 to $80.

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Open and shut cases: North: How do Canada’s mine openings compare with closures for 2019 and 2020? – by Greg Klein (Resource Clips – December 18, 2019)

http://resourceclips.com/

One indication of the state of mining involves the vital statistics of births and deaths—the new mines that arrived and the old mines that left. To that end we survey each Canadian region for some of the major gains and losses that occurred over the past year or are expected for the next.

The first of this multi-part series looks at the country’s three northern territories, with each distinct jurisdiction contributing to a study in contrasts.

Yukon

Yukon without mining? That might surprise people better acquainted with the territory’s past than its present. But such was the case for nearly a year, following the suspension of Minto, Yukon’s sole remaining hardrock mine up to 2018. Nevertheless operations returned to this fabled mining region in September as Victoria Gold TSXV:VIT celebrated Eagle’s debut. By late November the company reported 10,400 ounces of gold and 1,600 ounces of silver from the heap leach operation.

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Editorial: Dig deep for better understanding (Nunavut News – December 2, 2019)

https://nunavutnews.com/

Let’s face it, not all mining companies play nice. Some mines in Nunavut have made gestures of good faith such as Agnico Eagle delivering million dollar donations to community groups and education initiatives in Rankin Inlet and Baker Lake earlier this year.

But, at the end of the day, these mines are most concerned about the bottom line. This became abundantly clear when 586 contractors were laid off at Baffinland’s Mary River iron mine mere weeks before the holiday season due to “uncertainties” with the regulatory approval process for the next phase of the mine’s expansion.

As Baffinland looks to increase iron ore output from six million tonnes of ore to 12 and build a 110-km railway on Baffin Island, it has been consulting with affected communities. To make sure this communication is thorough and sufficient, it’s important that everyone takes their time.

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OPINION: Shining a little light on the Mary River process – by Ken Armstrong (Nunatsiaq News – November 26, 2019)

https://nunatsiaq.com/

Ken Armstrong is the President of the NWT-Nunavut Chamber of Mines.

The current impasse that phase two of the Mary River project finds itself in is of great interest and also concern to investors and industry watchers. We’d like to shine some light on three aspects of this process.

First, there has been recent criticism of Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. for positioning several buildings and construction materials, needed for the phase two railway expansion, before approvals for the railway are in place.

Operating in the North is challenging, with remote projects relying on limited transportation infrastructure and seasonal shipping windows. For northern resource projects, it is not uncommon to pre-position equipment at or near a project site in advance of receiving required permits.

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Government of Nunavut looks to mines for housing help – by Derek Neary (Nunavut News – November 24, 2019)

https://nunavutnews.com/

Should mining companies be constructing residences for their employees living in the North? Nunavut’s housing minister is turning to industry for assistance.

“We have no choice but to work in partnership with industry to resolve our housing challenges,” Patterk Netser said in the legislative assembly in February after Rankin Inlet North-Chesterfield Inlet MLA Cathy Towtongie pointed out that the Government of Nunavut’s 2017 memorandum of understanding with Agnico Eagle makes reference to housing as one of 10 priority areas for collaboration.

Netser told NWT and Nunavut Mining that a team from the Nunavut Housing Corporation met with representatives from Agnico Eagle and Baffinland Iron Mines to discuss Nunavut’s housing crisis earlier this year.

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Commission seeks public input for Dawson land use plan – by Dave Croft (CBC News North – November 21, 2019)

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

The Dawson Regional Planning Commission in Yukon is releasing its work to date for public feedback. The commission, which is developing a land use plan for the 39,854-square-kilometre area in west-central Yukon, held an open house in Dawson City last week, and another in Whitehorse on Wednesday.

Senior planner Tim Van Hinte said the commission staff have been collecting information on things like minerals, wildlife, protected areas and climate change in the area to be covered by the plan.

They have also been researching key planning issues and interests, he said. “We know there’s heavy mining activity in the Dawson region, there’s also a lot of important fish and wildlife resources,” said Van Hinte, at the Whitehorse open house.

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Nunavut miner calls for Arctic strategy – by Elaine Anselmi (Nunatsiaq News – November 22, 2019)

https://nunatsiaq.com/

Agnico Eagle CEO Sean Boyd says the federal government needs to make the case for investing in the North

On a damp day in downtown Toronto, the head Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. told 150 people, mostly in suits, that if the federal government believes in the future of the North, it needs to show it.

“I think the federal government should be prepared to send a message that the North is important,” CEO Sean Boyd told Nunatsiaq News after his speech at the Canadian Club of Toronto, a platform for public affairs discussion.

“It’s not just important for the people that live there, but it’s important for the rest of the country in terms of being able to develop businesses that benefit all of Canada, and you have to make those investments.”

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Nunavut gold miner scales back production forecast (Nunatsiaq News – November 20, 2019)

https://nunatsiaq.com/

TMAC Resources Inc. won’t meet its production target for 2019, following disappointing third-quarter results from its Doris gold mine in Nunavut’s Kitikmeot region.

“I am very disappointed to not be able to meet initial annual production guidance, but not so much so that we are going to deviate from the prominence of safety in the mine,” said Jason Neal, the company’s president and CEO, in a recent news release on Oct. 31, announcing the company’s third-quarter financial results.

The company now expects to produce between 140,000 and 150,000 ounces of gold this year, down from the previous target of 160,000 to 170,000 ounces. This reduced output will mean TMAC will be making less money, since its overhead for operating the mine remains the same.

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Intervenors weigh in on when to reconvene Baffinland hearing – by Elaine Anselmi (Nunatsiaq News – November 19, 2019)

https://nunatsiaq.com/

Regulatory talks about Baffinland’s proposed expansion of its Mary River mine should proceed “as soon as possible,” or face delays of up to one year, depending on which affected party you’re speaking to.

Intervenors recently submitted their comments on the matter to the Nunavut Impact Review Board, which must decide how to proceed after its hearing ground to a halt on Nov. 6, after Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. said that concerns raised by Inuit hadn’t been adequately addressed.

While agreeing there were unresolved concerns to be addressed, the Government of Nunavut said the hearing should be rescheduled for the first available date, “unless another party can substantiate why it should be delayed longer.”

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OPINION: Iron ore mining not for the faint of heart—it’s a tough business – by Gary Vivian (Nunatsiaq News – November 19, 2019)

https://nunatsiaq.com/

Gary Vivian is the President, N.W.T. and Nunavut Chamber of Mines.

It’s important that people understand that governments around the
world—both public and Indigenous—invite mining companies to come
and invest in order to do what those governments themselves cannot
do: that is to convert rock into training, into jobs, into business opportunities
and to generate revenues that can help benefit governments’ constituencies
and beneficiaries.

For example, in Alaska, government funding provided the port and
road for the Red Dog mine, which is owned by the Inupiat and
operated by Teck. The company pays off that road and port over
time with annual payments.

The N.W.T. and Nunavut Chamber of Mines was created over 50 years ago, and our vision is to work for “a strong minerals industry that benefits the peoples of the North.” From that perspective, we would like to offer the following thoughts and observations on the Mary River mining project.

The Mary River project is a game-changing opportunity for Nunavut and Nunavummiut. It provides an opportunity for longer term training, employment and sustained revenues for Inuit, Inuit associations and governments.

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Northern challenge: NWT prosperity depends on rebuilding investor confidence, miners warn – by Greg Klein (Resource Clips – November 8, 2019)

http://resourceclips.com/

What happens when a mining-based economy runs out of mines? The Northwest Territories risks finding out the hard way but the reason won’t be a lack of mineral resources. For too long, investors have been discouraged from backing territorial exploration.

That’s the message the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines delivered to the legislative assembly in Yellowknife last month. Now the industry group awaits a response, one backed with action, as the newly elected government prepares for its four-year term.

The territory’s three mines, all diamond operations, have passed peak production, facing closures over the coming decade. The NWT hosts only a few advanced projects, none comparing in potential economic clout with the big three. The problem contrasts with the NWT’s two northern neighbours, where the industry continues to thrive.

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Editorial: Mary River: if financial viability is a factor, then prove it – by Jim Bell (Nunatsiaq News – November 14, 2019)

https://nunatsiaq.com/

Nunavut’s system for regulating industrial development, born within the 1993 Nunavut land claims agreement, has likely never faced a greater test than the twisting, turning series of environmental and socio-economic assessments for the Mary River iron mine over the past 10 years.

This was on full public display in Iqaluit earlier this month, when the Nunavut Impact Review Board’s final public hearing on the $900-million railway expansion proposal from Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. imploded amidst a mood of confusion and incoherence. The final two days of that seven-day hearing, scheduled for Pond Inlet, were cancelled.

At the same time, the fate of Baffinland’s multibillion dollar, multigenerational iron mine is now shrouded in uncertainty. When this editorial was written, the review board had yet to decide on a motion from Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. that, if accepted, would delay proceedings for eight to 12 months.

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Baffinland lays off 586 contract employees, halts planned work – by Emma Tranter (Nunatsiaq News – November 14, 2019)

https://nunatsiaq.com/

Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. says it has laid off 586 contracted employees working at its Mary River mine. Of those contractors, 96 are Inuit and 490 are non-Inuit, the company said in an email to Nunatsiaq News.

No direct Baffinland employees are affected, Baffinland said. The layoffs come shortly after the Nunavut Impact Review Board’s decision on Nov. 6 to abruptly adjourn its public hearing on the company’s expansion plans.

“Due to the uncertainty of Phase 2 permit approvals, work associated with the 2019 Work Plan has been demobilized,” Salima Virani, a communications specialist for Baffinland, said in the email.

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