Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications – Page 17

Cat Lake First Nation is ready to take on Doug Ford’s government over unsustainable mining development – by Matteo Cimellaro (National Observer – November 27, 2023)

November 30, 2023

https://www.nationalobserver.com/

When the chief of Cat Lake First Nation gave a button to Ontario’s minister of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development, he apologized. “This is what the activities up until now have amounted to,” said Chief Russell Wesley to Greg Rickford. “I told him: ‘It’s on. I’m sorry, but it had to come to this and here’s a button.’”

The button, presented by Wesley to Rickford, was displayed Wednesday in a Cat Lake First Nation press release. It shows lynx standing tall over a caricature of Ontario Premier Doug Ford on a bulldozer. The art is a dig at Ford’s promise to develop mining in the North, even if he had to “hop on a bulldozer myself.”

Australians confident in the future of idled White River gold mine – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – November 27, 2023)

November 30, 2023

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

More gold, more mines to be discovered at Sugar Zone, says Silver Lake Resources

Australian miner Silver Lake Resources is keeping the faith in its idled Sugar Zone gold mine, north of White River.

At its Nov. 25 AGM, the company regards Sugar Zone to be in its relative infancy and believes there’s “significant runway” to prove up more gold while they take a year of down time to tune up the mine’s performance.

Electra Battery Materials waiting on funders to help launch Temiskaming cobalt refinery – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – November 23, 2023)

November 27, 2023

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Toronto plant developer looks to lock up US$60 million to start supplying North American battery manufacturers

Electra Battery Materials will continue to hold off on completing the last phases of construction its Temiskaming cobalt refinery until it can secure the remaining US$60 million to finish the job.

“We’ll be very careful before we press start,” said Trent Mell, the company’s president-CEO in a recent conference call and webcast on its third-quarter performance. Most of the refinery’s remaining equipment, ordered and fabricated overseas, has arrived on site but won’t be installed until project financing comes through.

Crumbling graphite price puts Hearst-area mine development on hold – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – November 21, 2023)

November 22, 2023

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Zentek delays stock market listing, exploring partnerships while waiting for markets to improve

Last spring’s “soaring demand” for graphite has apparently crash-landed to earth. The optimism expressed last May by Zentek, a Guelph-based graphene technology, to develop its graphite deposit near Hearst has dramatically waned as the market for graphite and battery metals “has deteriorated significantly.”

In a news release, Zentek management said its plans to bring its highly pure Albany graphite deposit, near Constance Lake First Nation, into future production, are on hold. In May, Zentek transferred its Albany deposit to a new subsidiary, Albany Graphite Corp., with big plans to raise project financing for a potential mine through a non-brokered private placement and to get the company listed on a Canadian stock exchange.

NWT & NUNAVUT MINING: Going underwater to mine Ekati diamonds with vehicles – by Jill Westerman (NNSL.com – November 21, 2023)

November 22, 2023

https://www.nnsl.com/

With approximately 165 million carats of diamonds still underground at the former Ekati diamond mine, its new owner, Burgundy Diamonds, is looking to extend the mine’s life by implementing a never-before tried method of kimberlite extraction.

“Not all of those (carats) will be recoverable. But even if we did get a big chunk of those carats, it potentially could extend the life of the asset for many, many years to come,” said Kim Truter, CEO of Burgundy Diamond Mines.

Canada Has A New $250 Coin Made Of Pure Silver & It’s A Monochromatic Dream – by Mike Chaar (MSM.com – November 2023)

November 20, 2023

https://www.msn.com/

The Royal Canadian Mint has introduced a brand new $250 coin made up of one kilogram of pure silver. The Silver Maple Leaf coin is a 2024 release featuring a completely monochromatic look. The new coin is valued at $250 but costs a whopping US$2,098.40 to purchase, which is fair considering it is, in fact, a kilogram of pure silver.

“An elegant showpiece and an exquisite example of world-class craftsmanship, your coin has been meticulously crafted in 1 kilogram of 99.99% pure silver,” the Royal Canadian Mint wrote on its website. On the coin’s reverse, a silver maple leaf designed by Canadian artist Lilyane Coulombe can be seen with intricate formations within to create a pulsating effect along with an engraving of the 250-dollar value.

Nipigon lithium companies look to partner for exploration and production – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – November 15, 2023)

November 17, 2023

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Rock Tech, Imagine Lithium see ‘synergies’ in teaming up to feed proposed North Shore refinery

Some consolidation could be in the cards for two lithium explorers near Lake Nipigon. Rock Tech Lithium, the promoter of a lithium refinery on the north shore of Lake Superior, has inked a memorandum of understanding with its exploration neighbour, Imagine Lithium, to team up and collectively bring their properties into production.

That partnership could come in the form of a merger and acquisition arrangement, a commercial partnership, and joint development of their respective projects.

Northern Road Link over a decade away from completion – by Nicole Stoffman (Timmins Daily Press – November 17, 2023)

November 17, 2023

https://www.timminspress.com/

Concerns raised over impact on wildlife of $1billion project

Concerns about Caribou herds, and sturgeon were conveyed at a public information session for the Northern Road Link on Monday, Nov. 13 at the Best Western Hotel in Timmins. “There’s calving areas and two different herds going through there,” Woodhouse said. “They are very sensitive to noise and sound and any disturbance.”

Qasim Saddique, project co-lead, answered that Caribou monitoring has been ongoing through a collaring program. While collaring, they will take a sample, and if a collared animal dies, they go back and investigate.

Mining the Northwest: Dryden Gold is ready to go public with its story – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – November 14, 2023)

November 14, 2023

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

With high-grade expectations at the Dryden Gold Project, local exploration company looks to list on the TSX-Venture

A privately owned exploration company with a high-grade property and a Dryden post office box will be entering the market in December. Dryden Gold announced it’s making preparations for an IPO (initial public offering) some time next month to raise $5 million, of which $2.9 million will go into the drill bit for its 2024 exploration drilling program. The company intends to list on the TSX-V under the proposed ticker of DRY.

In assembling a 48,000-hectare property 30 kilometres east of Dryden, the company’s story is that past mining efforts at the turn of the last century barely scratched the surface of this area’s high-grade gold potential.

Sudbury’s Frontier Lithium secures $2 million to advance its processing technology – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – November 10, 2023)

November 14, 2023

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Mining company scouring the region for site to place its lithium refinery

Despite some unexpected freakish fall weather, Sudbury’s Frontier Lithium had its day in the sun yesterday. The junior exploration company was the recipient of a $2-million grant from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund (NOHFC) to further test out its lithium processing technology to complement its future mine project in northwestern Ontario.

Before touring Frontier’s new corporate headquarters, now under construction in the Val Caron industrial park, Premier Doug Ford, flanked by three Northern Ontario cabinet ministers, endured buffeting winds and a hail storm at an outdoor news conference, prompting Frontier’s president-CEO, Trevor Walker, to extend a “warm, Northern welcome to our premier,” eliciting a chuckle from chilled onlookers.

Ford in Sudbury to announce $4.1M for five mining projects – by Len Gillis (Sudbury.com – November 9, 2023)

November 10, 2023

https://www.sudbury.com/

Major announcement is $2.1 million for Frontier Lithium to develop a new lithium extraction method at its big deposit in Northwestern Ontario

Ontario Premier Doug Ford was in Sudbury with three of his cabinet ministers Nov. 9 to announce more than $4 million from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to boost five mining supply and service projects.

The announcement was made amidst a cold and blustery late afternoon snow and hail outbreak at the Frontier Lithium yard in the Val Caron industrial park. Premier Ford was accompanied by Mines Minister George Pirie, Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Minister Vic Fedeli, and Northern Development Minister Greg Rickford.

Pine Point Mining Ltd. says new lead-zinc mine on course for 2029 opening – by Amanda Rumbolt (NNSL.com – November 9, 2023)

November 10, 2023

https://www.nnsl.com/

The proposed lead-zinc mine at Pine Point is moving along as planned, according to the company behind the new project. Town council received an update during its council meeting on Oct. 30 from Andrew Williams, the environmental manager for Pine Point Mining Limited (PPML).

PPML is a joint venture between Osisko Metals and Appian Natural Resources Fund. Appian announced it had purchased a 60 per cent stake in the project for $100 million over four years this past February. Williams’ presentation to council indicated that the mine’s life is expected to be 12 years with construction scheduled to begin in late spring of 2028. Operations are expected to begin one year later and is set to last until 2040.

Report identifies ‘generational gap’ within mining ranks on adapting to new tech – by Casey Stranges (Northern Ontario Business – November 9, 2023)

November 9, 2023

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Northern workforce boards say industry, schools and government need to play catch-up on industry upskilling

A large segment of the mining industry’s workforce is in danger of being left behind by new, high-tech changes in the field. That’s one of the findings in Balancing the Potential Impact of New Innovations and Technologies, a recent report by Workforce Planning for Sudbury & Manitoulin and the Labour Market Group in North Bay.

According to the paper, changes in the sector are forcing Northern Ontario’s aging labour pool to adopt new skills to stay competitive.

‘Waiting on government is not a strategy,’ says NW Ontario mine developer – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – November 11, 2023)

November 7, 2023

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Frontier Lithium ramps up pressure on Ottawa to deliver on Berens River bridge and road project

Federal funding appears to be slowly rolling out for the Berens River road and bridge in northwestern Ontario. The long-awaited infrastructure project is a vital link that would connect seven remote First Nations to the provincial highway system for the first time and allow Frontier Lithium, a Sudbury mine developer with two massive lithium deposits, to finally get its product to market.

Indigenous Services Canada told Northern Ontario Business on Friday that more than $7.7 million of the $9.5 million for the design of the bridge and road project has been released with $1.8 million scheduled for released in the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

Persevering with economic development objectives key to success – by Rick Garrick (Anishinabek News – November 1, 2023)

November 7, 2023

https://anishinabeknews.ca/

SAULT STE. MARIE — Five Nations Energy Inc. CEO Pat Chilton stressed the importance of persevering with economic development objectives on the second day of the inaugural annual Anishinabek Nation Economic Development Opportunities Forum 2023.

Chilton highlighted how the three James Bay First Nations of Fort Albany, Kashechewan, and Attawapiskat persevered with their concept of building a transmission line on the James Bay coast to get rid of diesel-operated generators in the communities even though the federal and provincial governments and Ontario Hydro said it was not possible during his keynote at the Forum, which was held by the Anishinabek Nation Economic Development Department from Oct. 24-26 at the Quattro Hotel and Conference Centre in Sault Ste. Marie.