Thousand Bagger in Uranium Mining – by Tom Humphreys (The Big Score – February 24, 2024)

https://www.thebigscore.com/

Stephen B. Roman led Denison Mines from 8.5 cents to $87 per share in 13 years, tussled with prime ministers, and dominated the INSANE 20th century uranium business. This is his story.

Rage filled Stephen Roman’s stout frame as he stormed Canadian prime minister Lester Pearson’s office in 1965. Exploding over a ruined $700 million uranium contract, Roman hurled “son of a bitch” at Pearson, who would later quip that Roman was a relic, lagging “fifty years behind the apes.”

It wouldn’t be Roman’s last battle with a prime minister. His improbable rise from tomato picker to mining king is a tale of grit and the dramatic turns in 20th century uranium mining. Pope John Paul II even blessed Roman’s sprawling Toronto estate. Merging business, politics, and the biggest uranium mine, this is how Stephen Roman built an empire.

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Northwest First Nation wants to bring a stop to mine road construction – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – February 23,2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Cat Lake seeks injunction to halt First Mining Gold’s access road, pending judicial review

A northwestern Ontario First Nation in close proximity to First Mining Gold’s Springpole Project is heading to court, seeking to stop construction of an access road to the proposed mine site.

Cat Lake First Nation imposed a mining moratorium in 2023 on all mining-related activity within its traditional territory, which includes the Vancouver mine developer’s open-pit project.

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Critical minerals mining, conservation in Ontario’s Far North can go hand in hand: Mushkegowuk director – by Maija Hoggett (Northern Ontario Business/Timmins Today – February 22, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

The feasibility study approved for the James Bay national marine conservation area

KASHECHEWAN — The proposed national marine conservation area (NMCA) continues to make a splash on the James Bay coast. The feasibility study for the NMCA was formally accepted Feb. 21, allowing the project to move on to the next steps, which include negotiating with Parks Canada.

“We’re going to continue doing engagement on the feasibility study … that we have done, make sure everybody understands that has any questions. If there’s any changes to be done, we will alter and do some editing,” said Lawrence Martin, Mushkegowuk Council’s lands and resources department director.

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IAMGOLD boosts gold resources at Gogama mine project – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – February 20, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Construction wrapping up with first gold production at Côté deposit set for March

The future looks bright at IAMGOLD’s Côté Gold Project, an open-pit mine development outside Gogama that’s on track to start initial production next month. The Toronto gold company released an updated mineral estimate on Feb. 15 of its two deposits at Côté that shows there’s more gold to be mined at the open-pit mine development.

Côté is located roughly halfway between Sudbury and Timmins, just off Highway 144. The company maintains Côté is Canada’s soon-to-be third largest gold mine. Construction is almost at an end with first gold production beginning in March. The Côté operation will gradually begin the ramp-up toward full commercial production sometime this summer.

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Mines Minister calls for economic support for critical minerals – by Len Gillis (Sudbury.com – February 17, 2024)

https://www.sudbury.com/

George Pirie said investment and support of exploration and development of critical minerals mining is essential for the future economy of Northern Ontario

When it comes to critical minerals for the battery electric vehicle industry, Ontario Mines Minister George Pirie is telling people to stay away from Chinese-financed nickel, to stay away from cobalt from the Congo and to buy Canadian products. Pirie said he is taking that same message to Washington, D.C. when he visits the U.S. in April.

He was in Sudbury on Thursday at the Workplace Safety North forum on the safety of battery electric vehicles in mining. Pirie spoke at Cambrian College on the importance of the supply chain of Canadian minerals for the manufacture of batteries.

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Mining the Northwest: MineConnect makes inroads in northwestern Ontario – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – February 14, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

A 2020 rebranding and a pan-Northern approach has improved the visibility and diversity of mining supplier association

A regional mining supply industry association is making inroads into northwestern Ontario, an area that’s been gaining attention and investment for its gold and high-tech mineral potential.

Marla Tremblay, executive director of MineConnect, said in the past year they’ve tripled their membership from Thunder Bay and the northwest, and are working with the city’s economic development office to better promote the region and its suppliers to the world.

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Feds invest $5 million in Temiskaming cobalt processing plant – Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – February 9, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Refinery developer optimistic more government, private funding will arrive to finish construction

Ottawa is weighing into the processing of critical minerals with a $5-million investment in Electra Battery Materials’ cobalt refinery in Temiskaming, the first dedicated plant of its kind in North America.

The funding will go toward a restart of a construction project that was mothballed in 2023 and for other preparatory technical and processing work. In an interview with Northern Ontario Business, Electra CEO Trent Mell called today’s funding announcement “great news, but it is only a first step.”

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Canada Nickel looking to build two processing facilities in Timmins – by Maija Hoggett (Northern Ontario Business – February 8, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Toronto mine developer looks to break ground on zero-emission project in mid-2025

A Toronto nickel company is seeking to position Timmins as a global source of clean critical minerals. Timmins MPP George Pirie, the provincial minister of mines, was in town Feb. 8 for Canada Nickel’s announcement that it’s developing two processing facilities — one for nickel and another for stainless-steel and alloy production.

The facilities would be the downstream processing element for its proposed Crawford open-pit nickel mine.When complete, Canada Nickel CEO Mark Selby said the nickel processing facility will be the largest in North America, while the stainless-steel and alloy production will be the largest in Canada.

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State of Michigan could invest in Canadian mining company’s copper project – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – February 5, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Highland Copper in the running for US$50-million development grant

A Canadian company with a copper mine project in northern Michigan is in the running for a substantial subsidy from the State of Michigan.

Highland Copper Company announced the Michigan Economic Development Corporation has proposed a US$50-million grant for its Copperwood mine project in the Upper Peninsula. The money would come from the Strategic Site Readiness Program. But it’s not a done deal. Final approval still has to come from the state’s Application Committee in both the Michigan legislature’s house of representatives and senate.

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Attawapiskat member files UN human rights complaint over decades-long struggle for clean drinking water – by Isaac Phan Nay (Indigi News – January 25, 2024)

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Charles Hookimaw’s submission to the international organization aims to hold ‘Canada’ accountable: ‘It’s been dragging on too long’

An Attawapiskat member has submitted a 500-page human rights complaint to the United Nations over his First Nation’s lack of access to clean drinking water. For months, Charles Hookimaw has been working with lawyers to draft a document and recently mailed it to Geneva, where it is set to be considered by the United Nations’ Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

In the complaint, he details his community’s decades-long struggle with tainted water — and he’s hoping to speak on the matter before their permanent forum on Indigenous People. As “Canada” vies for a spot on the UNHRC, experts say the complaint could be a small step towards more equitable access to drinking water.

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Slowdown in financing affords opportunity for Thunder Bay mining company to gain ground – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – January 31, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Clean Air Metals on the hunt for ‘distressed’ mineral projects in northwestern Ontario

It’s a lousy financing environment in junior mining, but Thunder Bay’s Clean Air Metals sees a strategic opportunity to go big. The owners and mine developers of the Thunder Bay North palladium-platinum project are out to enlarge its mineral holdings and are scanning the North for acquisition targets and partnership deals.

Northwestern Ontario is the place to be, the company said in a recent news release. Given the significant nickel, copper and palladium group metals showings, it “remains one of the best places in the world to explore for this suite of metals.”

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Rural communities push back as mining claims surge – by Andrew Cruickshank (Cottage Life – January 31, 2024)

https://cottagelife.com/

Approximately 60 kilometres north of Ottawa, a small Quebec municipality is taking a stand against mining exploration in the area. After hearing feedback from locals, the municipality of Low, Que., decided during a January 8th council meeting to support its population in resisting mining development.

The decision came after the municipality noticed a “proliferation of mining claims on private land as well as on public land, on the territory of the Municipality of the Township of Low and neighbouring municipalities,” council said.

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Sudbury researcher predicts late 2024 construction for bio-mining innovation centre – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – January 31, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

MIRARCO Mining Innovation CEO confident on capital investment arriving for mine waste tech centre

A Canadian expert in the field of bio-mining hopes to break ground on a Centre for Mine Waste Technologies in Sudbury by the end of this year.

Nadia Mykytczuk, president of MIRARCO Mining Innovation, said she’s following an “aggressive timeline” in seeking to construct a $38-million innovation centre when she spoke before the provincial standing committee on finance and economic affairs in Sudbury, Jan.30, as part of the government’s 2024 pre-budget public hearings.

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Mining industry looks to newcomers to fill workforce gaps – Lindsay Kelly (Northern Ontario Business – January 29, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

New report from Mining Industry Human Resources Council offers insight into challenges, benefits of attracting immigrants to sector

Newcomers to Canada are choosing careers in mining at a lower rate than careers in other sectors, according to a new report from the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR). Yet it’s a demographic that could help alleviate widespread labour shortages in an industry that is predicted to need 80,000 workers by 2030 to meet demand, as older workers retire and demand for metals balloons.

The national organization, which works with industry to help identify labour market trends and develop solutions, presented its most recent findings during a Jan. 25 virtual presentation hosted by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum (CIM).

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Magna Mining drills to expand nickel resources at former INCO mine – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – January 29, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Canadian, U.S. government incentives look attractive to Sudbury mine developer

The global nickel price is slumping but Magna Mining isn’t breaking stride in making progress to bring two former Sudbury mines back into production. Magna Mining will be running two winter drilling programs at its Crean Hill and Shakespeare properties at the outset of what the local company anticipates will be an exciting year to make new discoveries on these brownfield properties.

With more than $15 million banked, Magna plans to do 25,000 metres of drilling this year, most of it at Crean Hill, a former INCO mine property containing nickel, copper and platinum group metals that the company acquired in November 2022.

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