Barrick CEO Bristow signals some regret on missing out on Kirkland Lake acquisition – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – May 8, 2025)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Barrick Mining Corp. chief executive Mark Bristow is signalling some regret that he didn’t buy Canadian gold miner Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd., a multibillion-dollar transaction that would have given the company a much bigger footprint in its home market and a lower risk profile.

Toronto-based Barrick’s shares have underperformed some of the company’s peers over the past few years, in part because of its exposure to risky jurisdictions outside of Canada. Its Malian operations, which accounted for about 15 per cent of its production, were shut down in January, amid a dispute with the West African country over dividing the economic spoils. Mali also jailed four Barrick executives and has an outstanding arrest warrant on Mr. Bristow.

Read more

Opinion: What about processing in this nuclear boom? – by Shaun Spelliscy (Northern Miner – May 9, 2025)

https://www.northernminer.com/

A few months ago, I joined a group of farmers discussing Saskatchewan’s modular nuclear reactor proposal. I supported the idea but raised a simple question: Where will Saskatchewan source the fuel? One farmer shot back, “Are you stupid? We have some of the world’s largest uranium reserves right here in the Athabasca Basin.”

What Farmer Jed didn’t realize is that a Candu nuclear reactor isn’t a coal locomotive. Uranium must be processed before it can be used as fuel. While Saskatchewan mines the raw material, Ontario reaps the economic rewards by refining and manufacturing Candu reactor fuel.

Read more

The underappreciated valor of Canada’s mining industry – by Staff (Canadian Mining Journal – May 5, 2025)

https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/

In recent years, the mining industry has faced substantial criticism on both national and international fronts. Critics often highlight environmental concerns, casting the sector in a negative light, while overlooking its crucial role in sustaining Canada’s high standard of living.

This portrayal is not only unfair but also undermines the efforts of thousands of dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to mitigate the environmental impacts, particularly those involved in reclamation work.

Read more

Indigenous leaders call on Ford to halt mining bill, consult – by Jessica Smith Cross (The Trillium – May 6, 2025)

https://www.thetrillium.ca/

The bill would give ministers the power to exempt projects from legal requirements

Indigenous leaders are warning the Ford government that its failure to consult their people on its mining legislation could prompt “a confrontation on the ground.”Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler was at Queen’s Park Monday to watch the debate over Bill 5, the Protecting Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act.

“It’s very concerning to hear some of the responses from the government, from the MPPs from the Conservative side, talking about how they see our territory as their land, as their resources,” Fiddler told reporters.

Read more

Agnico Eagle calls for Canadian Arctic strategy amid US threats – by Divya Rajagopal (Reuters – May 2, 2025)

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/

Agnico Eagle Mines, Canada’s biggest gold miner, wants the new government to develop a formal Arctic strategy in response to US President Donald Trump’s threats to make Canada its 51st state, the company’s Chairman Sean Boyd said.

Earlier this year, Agnico overtook Barrick Mining’s market capitalization to become the world’s second-largest gold miner, just below Newmont Corp, the largest extractor of bullion by production and market capitalization.

Read more

OPINION: Gold is rising. Canada has gold. Why aren’t we doubling down on this? – by Heather Exner-Pirot (Globe and Mail – May 6, 2025)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Heather Exner-Pirot is the director of energy, natural resources and environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.

The Trump administration has thrown the global financial system into chaos with its tariff threats. Few sectors have been spared, save one: gold. The precious metal has emerged as a preferred safe haven for investors. Gold has been regularly hitting record prices, including new highs last month of US$3,500 an ounce.

Canada, as the world’s fourth largest producer of gold, has benefited from this trend. For several months now, the commodity has surpassed passenger vehicles as the country’s second largest export. In December, Canada’s monthly mineral product exports hit the $10-billion mark for the first time ever, with gold accounting for more than half.

Read more

‘Greater Sudbury has the winning hand,’ mayor says – Take our poll – by Mary Katherine Keown (Sudbury Star – May 3, 2025)

https://www.thesudburystar.com/

The world needs Sudbury’s critical minerals and the city must take full advantage of its opportunity, Paul Lefebvre says

The horizon looks very promising for Greater Sudbury, Mayor Paul Lefebvre told a packed house on Thursday. As the aromas of chicken parmesan and pasta sauce wafted through the upper hall at the Caruso Club, the audience — mostly members of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce and the regional business community — turned towards the podium, where Lefebvre stood for the annual State of the City address.

The mayor’s speech was uplifting and optimistic. He said Greater Sudbury is poised for great outcomes. After decades, we are finally starting to realize our potential, he said.

Read more

Agnico Eagle podcast spotlights Nunavut’s people, environment and mining – by Henry Lazenby(Northern Miner – May 2025)

https://www.northernminer.com/

Agnico Eagle Mines (TSX, NYSE: AEM), generating about one-fifth of Nunavut’s gross domestic product, launched The Arctic Edge podcast series on Thursday. This series aims to show listeners the realities about the Territory and Canada’s North, Agnico chair Sean Boyd tells The Northern Miner.

Hosted by journalist Hannah Thibedeau, the series includes interviews with Inuit leaders, politicians, business executives and military figures. The first two episodes are available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, with an Inuktitut edition due later.

Read more

OPINION: Donald Trump’s Ukraine minerals deals looks to be more about oil and gas than rare earths – by Eric Reguly (Globe and Mail – May 3, 2025)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

On the morning of Pope Francis’s April 26 funeral, U.S. President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, sat alone on two red chairs, facing one another, in the largely empty St. Peter’s Basilica. At the time, the topic of the impromptu mini-summit amid the baroque opulence of the Vatican was not known.

Less than a week later, all became clear. The two leaders were wrapping up the fraught Ukraine-U.S. minerals deal, discussions of which had sometimes been ill-tempered and explosive since Mr. Trump’s election campaign in the fall. On Thursday, in his evening address from Kyiv, Mr. Zelensky said, “In fact, now we have the first result of the Vatican meeting, which makes it truly historic.”

Read more

Explainer: What is the Ring of Fire and when will it be developed? – by Jim Moodie (Sudbury Star – May 5, 2025)

Project Location & Study Area (CNW Group/Webequie First Nation and Marten Falls First Nation)

https://www.thesudburystar.com/

One analyst calls this part of Northern Ontario ‘the most important mining discovery in Canadian history’

It spans an area of Ontario bigger than Quetico Provincial Park — itself nearly as big as Algonquin Park — but few people have visited and you won’t find it easily on a map. Tip: if you Google Winisk River Provincial Park, that will at least get you in the right neighbourhood.

As murky as it might be geographically, however, geologically and economically it has been thrust under a spotlight — particularly of late, as both Queen’s Park and Ottawa look to parry U.S. trade moves and build domestic might going forward. The Ring of Fire has become a household name, and a source of superlatives.

Read more

Rio Tinto weighs up rare earths market – by Kristie Batten (Mining.com – May 1, 2025)

https://www.mining.com/

Rio Tinto is weighing a move into rare earths and other critical minerals as it responds to shifting global market dynamics and trade tensions. Following the company’s annual general meeting in Perth on Thursday, chief executive Jakob Stausholm said the board had discussed rare earths this week and would take a “serious look” at their potential role in Rio Tinto’s portfolio.

Stausholm said that as the company continues to optimize its iron ore operations in the Pilbara and advances developments like the Simandou iron ore project in Guinea, it’s also reshaping its aluminum, copper, and lithium businesses to support the energy transition.

Read more

Mining In Canada: Critical Minerals Exploration – Revival of Thompson nickel belt: Drilling into Manitoba’s untapped potential – by Misty Urbatsch (Canadian Mining Journal – May 1, 2025)

https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/

Misty Urbatsch is the CEO, president, and director of Core Nickel Corp.

Core Nickel Corp. (CSE: CNCO) is quickly gaining traction as an emerging exploration company targeting high-grade nickel sulfide systems in northern Manitoba. Since listing in late 2023, the company has raised $3.9 million in capital, secured nearly $0.5 million in non-dilutive government funding, launched multiple drill programs, and initiated airborne surveys across key assets — all while firmly establishing itself in the globally significant Thompson Nickel Belt.

The company’s exploration efforts are centered on the Thompson Nickel Belt, the world’s fifth-largest nickel belt and a globally significant source of high-grade nickel sulfide. Though more than five billion lbs. of nickel have been mined from the region, large portions of the belt remain underexplored using modern geological and geophysical techniques.

Read more

Opinion: Oil and gas, not cars, still pay Canada’s bills, and critical metals are soon to follow – by Patricia Mohr (Financial Post – May 2, 2025)

https://financialpost.com/

Energy exports are almost two and a half times the value of exported cars, and critical minerals are coming on fast

Times haven’t changed as much as many people seem to think. Canada’s vast resource potential still generates both big economic opportunities and important diplomatic leverage in our relations with the United States and others. With our small domestic consumer market, we still owe much of our prosperity and influence to the export of commodities and resource-based manufactures.

Despite recent rhetoric, Canada has long been and still is an “energy super-power.” We are the world’s fourth-largest producer of crude oil and a trusted member of the West’s nuclear-fuel supplier group. With effective resource management and huge potential in liquefied natural gas (LNG), our global role in energy will only expand in coming years.

Read more

Casino Mining defends heap leach plan as distrust of gold extraction method lingers – by Gabrielle Plonka (CBC News North – May 01, 2025)

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

Company vice-president says Casino would have ‘significant differences’ from the Eagle gold mine

The heap leach facility at the Casino mine will be different from the one that failed last summer at the Eagle gold mine in the Yukon, according to the mining company. The Casino mine — which is still in the environmental assessment phase — is 300 kilometres northwest of Whitehorse via Carmacks, on what the company says is one of the largest copper-gold deposits in Canada.

Shena Shaw, Casino Mining’s vice-president of environmental and community affairs, gave a presentation at the Association of Yukon Communities’ annual general meeting on April 25.

Read more

Spotlight: Ontario projects to watch – by Staff (Northern Miner – May 1, 2025)

https://www.northernminer.com/

Ontario is among the world’s top 10 mining jurisdictions and is rich in base and precious metals as well as a suite of critical minerals. Here’s a look at eight companies with interesting projects to watch.

Canada Nickel

Canada Nickel expects to receive final permits and make a construction decision on its Crawford nickel sulphide project before the end of this year.

Crawford, 42 km north of Timmins, contains the second-largest nickel reserves in the world with 1.72 billion proven and probable tonnes grading 0.22% nickel, 0.013% cobalt, 0.014 gram palladium per tonne, 0.009 gram platinum, 6.44% iron, 0.57% chrome and 1.61% brucite.

Read more