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Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications

A Hallelujah moment for Marathon mine builder as last permit arrives – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – May 26, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Gen Mining’s regulatory path to build $1-billion open-pit is clear, only last of construction financing remains

It’s been a long time coming. Marathon mine builder Generation Mining has snagged the last provincial permit that finally clears the regulatory path for construction of its $1-billion copper-palladium open-pit near the north shore of Lake Superior.

The Toronto company said last week that it received the Environmental Compliance Approval for industrial sewage works from the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks. The permit covers the water management and discharge during the construction phase of the project.

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Watch: Vale video provides details on dismantling of Superstack – by Len Gillis (Sudbury.com – May 22, 2025)

https://www.sudbury.com/

Project is expected to begin by mid-summer and last for roughly five years

A newly produced video by Vale Base Metals has provided details for the plan to dismantle Sudbury’s Superstack this summer. The stack became operational in 1972 and is regarded as an engineering marvel, said the video. The whole idea of the stack — built to a height of 1,250 feet — was to disperse sulphur dioxide emissions over a wider area of Northeastern Ontario, in response to growing voices of concern and dissent over the smelter pollution being produced by Inco (International Nickel Company) at the time.

In later years, Vale, the new owner of the company, launched the Clean AER (Atmospheric Emissions Reduction) Project at a cost of more than one billion dollars. The project was completed in 2018.

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‘This is not us together, this is Ontario by itself,’ says Wabun tribal council executive director – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – May 22, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Jason Batise: Indigenous blowback from Bill 5 might set back First Nations’ relations with mining industry

Under the right conditions, $3 billion in capacity-building funding from Queen’s Park would be welcomed by First Nations, said Wabun Tribal Council executive director Jason Batise, “but in this case, the nations can’t be bought that way.”

While the Ford government’s messaging this week — to triple funding through the Indigenous Opportunities Financing Program and expand the eligibility to include critical minerals, energy and pipeline development — was intended to be a positive one, the signal ultimately fell flat with Indigenous leaders, like Batise.

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Turbulence in global titanium supply (The Oregon Group – May 14, 2025)

https://theoregongroup.substack.com/

Titanium market faces supply disruptions and regional deficits

Titanium, prized for its strength and versatility, is essential across advanced defense, aerospace, automotive, medical, and industrial sectors. From everyday pigments to jet engines, the titanium dioxide (TiO₂) market was valued at US$24 billion in 2024, with a projected CAGR of 3.7% from 2023-2030. The US, EU, UK, Canada, Australia and Japan all classify titanium as a critical mineral.

The titanium market now faces supply disruptions and regional deficits as geopolitical challenges and rising defense industry demands increase pressure. Growth in Chinese dominance of global pigment markets has also driven supply deficits of high value titanium dioxide minerals such as rutile. The largest global producers of titanium metal and pigments are feeling the strain—creating a clear market opportunity for new entrants and strategic investments in new long-term sources of titanium feedstocks.

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Glencore and Vale each win mine rescue district honours – by Staff (Sudbury.com – May 14, 2025)

https://www.sudbury.com/

Annual district mine rescue competitions were held last week for both the Onaping and Sudbury mining districts, teams now advance to the all-Ontario competition to held in Timmins in June

Vale and Glencore are sharing the honours for the 2025 Ontario Mine Rescue district competition winners for Sudbury and Onaping districts respectively, said a news release issued Tuesday. The annual mine rescue district competitions, held last week, produced new winning teams in all of the mining districts across the province.

Those teams will advance to the provincial competition to be held in Timmins in June. Every team that participated in the district contests had to respond to a mock emergency. Teams were judged on how quickly they responded, how well they performed first aid and how they resolved the overall emergency.

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Mining the Northwest: Orla spends to elevate Musselwhite to ‘next level’ production – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – May 14, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Vancouver miner invests $115 million to upgrade, expand and lengthen mine life of northwest operation

Vancouver’s Orla Mining is delivering as originally advertised when it comes to investing and rebuilding in its latest catch at the Musselwhite Mine.

The upstart mid-tier gold company is investing $115 million into the remote northwestern Ontario underground operation to plunk into mine development, procure new equipment, and launch an aggressive round of exploration drilling this year.

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Timely government permitting factors into McEwen Mining’s upsized gold production plans – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – May 12, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Timmins miner eager to tap into robust Grey Fox deposit sooner than later

How keen are Ottawa and Queen’s Park in working together to accelerate the approvals process that puts more mines into production? McEwen Mining will find out in the months to come. The Toronto gold company has high hopes for its Grey Fox deposit, east of Timmins, which CEO Rob McEwen called a “cornerstone asset for us for years to come,” in a May 7 news release.

The Timmins-area miner recently released the latest batch of high-grade drill hits from an ongoing exploration program at Grey Fox that bolstered management’s confidence that the high-grade deposit only stands to get bigger.

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Canada is not for sale — And neither is Neskantaga First Nation, says chief – by Jon Thompson (Ricochet Media – May 12, 2025)

Front

‘This is a genocide:’ no clean water, healthcare as drug pandemic rages

Neskantaga First Nation Chief Gary Quisess is only six weeks into his first term, and is facing simultaneous crises in his community and in Thunder Bay. But he left home and travelled to Queen’s Park today to call out what he describes as “genocide” buried in new provincial environmental legislation.

Ontario’s proposed Bill 5, the Protect Ontario By Unleashing Our Economy Act, would allow the province to designate “special economic zones” that would qualify to bypass environmental regulations and speed up development. It is expected to be in force as early as September, and Premier Doug Ford intends to name the proposed Ring of Fire mineral development as the first such site.

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Greater Sudbury mayor focused on critical minerals – by Jenny Lamothe (Sudbury.com – May 8, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Mineral processing, a home permitting boom and push to grow the city’s population emphasized in State of the City address

It was the city’s Latin motto, Aedificemus, that gave rise to the theme of Mayor Paul Lefebvre’s annual State of the City address, which he translated as “Come, let us build together.” Hosted by the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, the May 1 speech was the mayor’s third address since he was elected in 2022.

A packed house heard the mayor speak to the economic progress and vision for the city, and saw the first ever showing of the artist rendition of the new downtown events centre facade.

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As mining goes deeper, new technology needed to avoid collisions – by Len Gillis (Sudbury.com – May 4, 2025)

https://www.sudbury.com/

Mining safety conference delegates learn that modern mining techniques require better sensor and alarms to avoid collisions between miners and machines underground

With mining operations in Canada going deeper underground in many cases, new challenges arise for communications, situational awareness for miners and the ability to avoid collisions.

That was part of the presentation by Chao Yu, the founder and CEO of LoopX, a Waterloo- and Sudbury-based technology company specializing in AI (artificial intelligence) and robotics. Yu was one of the speakers at the 27th annual Workplace Safety North mining safety conference held in Sudbury this past week.

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BACK ROADS BILL: The rise and fall of the Adams Mine landfill project – by Bill Steer (Sudbury.com – May 3, 2025)

https://www.sudbury.com/

In northern Ontario, a rusting gate marks the entrance to what was once poised to become Canada’s largest landfill. The story of the Adams Mine is one of environmental activism, political maneuvering, and a community that refused to back down.

Globally, certainly in Canada, not many NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) stories have two books written on them, so this story is worth looking into. The back roads often take you to living history, and historic stories sometimes have multiple interpretations.

The story of Adam’s Mine, 10 km southeast of Kirkland Lake, is one of them. Highway #650 ends about six kilometres from the last house and the Ontario Northland Railway tracks. Here, there are sturdy but rusting yellow gate posts surrounded by huge granitic rocks, presenting a formidable barrier to entering.

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Alamos Gold sees mine expansion on the horizon at Dubreuilville – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – May 1, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Toronto gold miner takes big-picture outlook at Island Gold after first quarter results fail to impress markets

Completion of the multi-million-dollar expansion at Alamos Gold’s Island Gold mine, outside Dubreuilville, is on track for the first half of 2026.

The gold potential at the prolific high-grade underground mine is key to the Toronto company’s three-year strategy to become a million-ounce-per-year producer, combining its mines in Northern Ontario and Mexico with another on the way in Manitoba.

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A respected figure on the Thunder Bay mining scene receives his due – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – April 28, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

John Mason is one of the four award recipients feted by Northwestern Ontario Prospectors Association

One of Thunder Bay’s best known “mining people” was recently honoured by his peers at the Northwestern Ontario Prospectors Association awards.Retired provincial geologist and city economic developer John Mason was named the recipient of the Dan Calvert Distinguished Service Award.

Mason was one of four recipients during the association’s annual awards ceremony at the Ontario Prospectors & Explorers Symposium on April 15 in Thunder Bay.

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Northern Prospectors Association supports proposed mining legislation – by Brad Sherratt (Kirkland Lake Northern News – April 21, 2025)

https://www.northernnews.ca/

The president of the Northern Prospectors Association says his organization is supportive of legislation that was introduced by the province, legislation that is designed to speed up the process for mineral development and resource projects.

On April 18, the Ford government introduced the “Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025.” According to a media release from the province, if passed, the legislation would cut the red tape and duplicative processes that have held back major infrastructure, mining and resource development projects, including in the Ring of Fire.

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BACKROADS BILL: Cycling through Cobalt’s mining legacy – by Bill Steer (Village Report – April 19, 2025)

https://www.villagereport.ca/

In the heart of Northern Ontario lies a town with a story etched into rock. Once a booming silver capital, today Cobalt is drawing attention for its rich heritage—and a new idea to explore it by bike

Cobalt has been a target or source of a number of Back Roads Bill stories. Why? Through AI it said, “Back Roads Bill, through Village Media, often explores Cobalt and its history, particularly focusing on its artistic and environmental connections. He has documented the town’s rich history, including the influence of artists who were drawn to Cobalt and its landscape, as well as the impact of mining on the environment.”

Hmmm… AI knows everything, right? There was a literary review, could this be true? Most recently, there was the story of how artists once looked at the silver town through their creative eyes in Cobalt artists and the environment (check the archive of Back Roads Bill’s work for Village Media at the bottom of this column). and a podcast on the same.

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