Manitoba Mining

The Thompson Citizen, which was established in June 1960, covers the City of Thompson and Nickel Belt Region of Northern Manitoba. The city has a population of about 13,500 residents while the regional population is more than 40,000.  news@thompsoncitizen.net

On Aug. 6, 2008, an editorial appeared in this space headlined “Thompson’s summer of pause,” which started off by saying, “This might well be known as the summer of the pause in Thompson.” While the editorial mainly looked at some big-ticket capital construction projects that were behind schedule, it was also in a general way a commentary on the very different feel that summer had to the frenetic go-go boom spring and summer of 2007.

Then in 2008 as now there was a mood of watchful anticipation, mixed with a measure of uncertainty in the air, as Vale, as it is now known, was within weeks of its collective agreement expiring with United Steelworkers Local 6166 in mid-September.

In 2007, nickel briefly sold on the London Metal Exchange (LME) that May for a record high of $25.51 per pound. And in November 2007, Vale announced the $750-million expansion of its mining, milling, smelting and refining operations here, aimed at boosting Thompson production by about 36 percent over the coming decade. The cost of the refinery modernization project over five years was estimated to be about $116 million.

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The Thompson Citizen, which was established in June 1960, covers the City of Thompson and Nickel Belt Region of Northern Manitoba. The city has a population of about 13,500 residents while the regional population is more than 40,000.  news@thompsoncitizen.net

The NDP provincial government, through Dave Chomiak, Manitoba’s innovation, energy and mining minister, relatively quietly introduced The Thompson Nickel Belt Sustainability Act on June 2 during the fifth and final session of the 39th Manitoba legislature.

The bill received royal assent June 16 as the legislature rose for the summer awaiting the Oct. 4 provincial election. But the most important part of this very brief 1,200-words or so bill may yet be its last one-sentence section, Section 17, which reads: “This act comes into force on a day to be fixed by proclamation.” In other words, we have a law on the books, an act of the Manitoba government, with no force or effect at the moment.

The Thompson Nickel Belt Sustainability Act is by no means the first piece of legislation provincially or federally across the country to be approved through three readings and receive royal assent only to languish in limbo for an indeterminate time awaiting proclamation (perhaps) in whole or in part into law, and it won’t be the last.

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The Thompson Citizen, which was established in June 1960, covers the City of Thompson and Nickel Belt Region of Northern Manitoba. The city has a population of about 13,500 residents while the regional population is more than 40,000.  news@thompsoncitizen.net

It’s still hard to know at this point just what to make of the Thompson Economic Diversification Working Group (TEDWG), announced jointly May 18 in a news release from the City of Thompson and Vale. The company is funding the group, which is expected to last an initial 12 months for identification and implementation of a strategy to replace the smelter and refinery, scheduled to enter the history books by 2015.

The first public open house and meeting was held at the Letkemann Theatre June 22. Approximately two dozen folks attended and out of that number, maybe two or three were what we could call ordinary regular everyday citizens, as opposed to that inelegant term “stakeholder,” which really means, “I’m here because it’s part of my job to be here (that would, of course, include the two of us from the local media).”

Mayor Tim Johnston was there. Ditto deputy mayor Charlene Lafreniere and councillors Penny Byer and Dennis Fenske (who are also both Vale staff employees), and councillors Stella Locker and Erin Stewart.

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The Thompson Citizen, which was established in June 1960, covers the City of Thompson and Nickel Belt Region of Northern Manitoba. The city has a population of about 13,500 residents while the regional population is more than 40,000.  news@thompsoncitizen.net

Nearly a month after the City of Thompson and Vale sent out a press release announcing the formation of the Thompson Economic Development Working Group (TEDWG), Mayor Tim Johnston expressed disappointment at the perception that the creation of TEDWG means that the city is giving up any hope that the Vale smelter and refinery can be saved.

“I get very concerned when I see, hear, and read some of the inaccuracies and assumptions that the public makes, that in no way contribute to moving ahead in a positive manner,” he said as part of his mayor’s report at the May 30 meeting of city council. “All you have to do is pick up the phone or e-mail any member of council and you will get the position of the City of Thompson. In no way is this a concession, or the City of Thompson conceding what may or may not happen in 2015. It is proceeding based on what we are being told will happen in 2015.”

What the city is being told, of course, is that the smelter and refinery will be closed and demolished.

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The Thompson Citizen, which was established in June 1960, covers the City of Thompson and Nickel Belt Region of Northern Manitoba. The city has a population of about 13,500 residents while the regional population is more than 40,000.  news@thompsoncitizen.net

In late May, at the Canadian Institute of Mining (CIM) 2011 Conference and Exhibition in Montreal, Vale Manitoba Operations was awarded the John T. Ryan Trophy for the safest metal mines in Canada.

The award was given to the T-1 and Birchtree mines, based on having the lowest reportable injury frequency per 200,000 hours worked in Canada. The two mines were actually tied based on the award criteria.

“I could not be more proud of our employees for their performance in winning this award,” said John Pollesel, chief operating officer for Vale’s North Atlantic Base Metals operations. “It is because of our dedication to health and safety principles that we continue to be a national leader in this area.”

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The Thompson Citizen, which was established in June 1960, covers the City of Thompson and Nickel Belt Region of Northern Manitoba. The city has a population of about 13,500 residents while the regional population is more than 40,000.  news@thompsoncitizen.net

Lovro Paulic, General Manager, Smelter and Refinery
Vale, Manitoba Operations, Thompson

To the Thompson Citizen Editor:

Re: “Steve Ashton threatens Vale with provincial mining legislation on smelter and refinery shutdown,” Thompson Citizen online, May 20, 2011.

It was with disappointment that I read comments in the Thompson Citizen recently from MLA Steve Ashton criticizing the City of Thompson and Vale for their decision to launch a process designed to strengthen and diversify the city’s economic base.

It has been more than six months since Vale announced plans to transition its operations to mining and milling by 2015. It was a decision made after years of careful consideration and analysis. Now, it is time to move forward.

This is no longer a story about Vale – it is a story about Thompson and the need to ensure its prosperity for the future. Even in the face of fundamental disagreements, I think everyone would agree that working collaboratively to attract jobs and investment to Thompson is a good thing.

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The Thompson Citizen, which was established in June 1960, covers the City of Thompson and Nickel Belt Region of Northern Manitoba. The city has a population of about 13,500 residents while the regional population is more than 40,000.  news@thompsoncitizen.net

Minister says if 1956 agreement isn’t going to be relied on by company, then all bets are off

It’s been more than six months since Vale announced their plans to close their Thompson refinery and smelter by the end of 2015, and more than three months since a group of local stakeholders traveled to Toronto to present Vale senior management with their proposals to reverse that decision, or at least minimize its impact on Thompson.

What’s changed in that time? To hear Thompson MLA Steve Ashton tell it, nothing.

“We’re disappointed, provincially, and I’m certainly disappointed that Vale is still not addressing the direct issue,” said Ashton on May 20. “We continue to believe that the issue here is value-added jobs from the resource, and we certainly have not given up on the smelter and refinery.”

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The Thompson Citizen, which was established in June 1960, covers the City of Thompson and Nickel Belt Region of Northern Manitoba. The city has a population of about 13,500 residents while the regional population is more than 40,000.  news@thompsoncitizen.net

Vale Manitoba Mine Rescue teams show their stuff

They’re the elite: The best of the best. The miners who volunteer and train rigorously to go underground in hazardous conditions to rescue their fellow miners in the event of a fire, smoke, explosion or some unknown event, and restore the mine to a safe working condition, as Stu Waring, general manager for mining and milling, and the number two guy at Vale’s Manitoba Operations, describes the work they do.

The 2011 Provincial Manitoba Mine Rescue Competition was held May 27 and 28 at Vale’s Manitoba Operations in Thompson with the winning team this year from San Gold in Bissett. The event rotates to a different mine site in the province every year. Next year’s Manitoba Mine Rescue Competition will be held at Hudson Bay Mining & Smelting Co. Ltd. in Flin Flon.

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This article was originally published in the Thompson Citizen which was established in June 1960. The Citizen covers the City of Thompson and Nickel Belt Region of Northern Manitoba. The city has a population of about 13,500 residents while the regional population is more than 40,000.  news@thompsoncitizen.net

Vale’s continued lack of commitment to value-added jobs disappointing

Steve Ashton

Since 1956 the vision of the Thompson Inco operation has been clear. It was the first fully integrated nickel operation in the world.

The 1956 framework and the agreement signed by Inco and the Manitoba government specifically identified the fact Thompson would have a mine, mill, smelter and refinery. It outlined both the obligations Inco would have to support municipal services and various land allocations, including exclusive access to mineral leases in the Thompson area.

In the early days Inco provided many of the initial facilities and services for Thompson. Over time Inco also paid a grant-in-lieu of taxes to the City of Thompson and school board. This decreased over time as renewals were negotiated.

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This article was originally published in the Thompson Citizen which was established in June 1960. The Citizen covers the City of Thompson and Nickel Belt Region of Northern Manitoba. The city has a population of about 13,500 residents while the regional population is more than 40,000.  news@thompsoncitizen.net

Thompson deserves better

Niki Ashton

Six months ago Vale announced its intention to close the smelter and refinery in Thompson. This came just weeks after they received $1billion in unsecured loans from the federal government.

The City of Thompson came together with the Steelworkers and the province of Manitoba to develop solutions that would keep value-added jobs at Vale in Thompson. The solutions addressed the specific issues Vale had raised. The solutions included action by the federal government. Vale rejected these solutions without ever once proposing any solutions of their own.

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This article was originally published in the Thompson Citizen which was established in June 1960. The Citizen covers the City of Thompson and Nickel Belt Region of Northern Manitoba. The city has a population of about 13,500 residents while the regional population is more than 40,000.  news@thompsoncitizen.net

‘We believe our community will not recover from the loss of our jobs or any other related employment. We also believe this decision will change the landscape of our community forever’

Almost exactly six months after Vale’s announcement that they will close their Thompson smelter and refinery by the end of 2015, the company and other local stakeholders have begun to turn their attention to what they want the city to look like after that point.

In a joint May 18 news release from the City of Thompson and Vale, the two groups announced the formation of the Thompson Economic Diversification Working Group (TEDWG), which will be chaired by the city and will also include representation from local business and aboriginal communities. Vale is funding the group, which is expected to last an initial 12 months for identification and implementation of a strategy.

“What I want this working group to do is go out there and really drill down,” said Mayor Tim Johnston. “Go out there and get the details of some proposals – I want them to be really detailed, looking at what are real opportunities.”

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