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Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications

The Drift: Sudbury nickel, copper explorers making strides to turn projects into mines – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – June 9, 2023)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Magna Mining, SPC Nickel bring new ideas in finding new mineral zones around old mines

Two Sudbury junior miners are laying the groundwork for the next generation of nickel, copper and platinum group metal mines in the basin. Magna Mining is tapping the width and depth of a mineralized zone near the surface of its Crean Hill Project that could speed a former mine back into production.

The hometown junior miner sees open-ended potential in a footwall zone at the former Crean Hill Mine. The zone was originally discovered 15 years ago but never mined by a previous operator.

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Northern Ontario has big role in developing province’s EV industry: Fedeli – by Hugh Kruzel (Sudbury Star – June 7, 2023)

https://www.thesudburystar.com/

Cabinet minister speaks to Sudbury conference about the future of battery electric vehicles

The Ford government is committed to making the province a leader in manufacturing electric vehicles, Ontario’s minister of Economic Development has told a Sudbury conference. Vic Fedeli, the Nipissing MPP, also said Northern Ontario – with its abundant supply of critical minerals needed to produce battery electric vehicles – will play a big role making sure that happens.

“They need us now … here in Sudbury is the battery grade nickel … then look at The Ring of Fire,” Fedeli said while speaking to the BEV In-Depth conference, held last week at Cambrian College. “We will be pulling the minerals out of ground and processing them here. In the North. Absolutely in the North.”

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The Critical Minerals Crisis – by Jack Lifton (Investor Intel – June 6, 2023)

https://investorintel.com/

The Critical Minerals Crisis excerpt — “We are now at an inflection point for our society. If we can secure the supplies and the processing capacity for the minerals critical for the technologies we now take for granted in our daily lives, then our nations will flourish and grow.

If not, then our standard of living will decline, and those who have the critical minerals and the industrial bases to refine and fabricate them surge ahead of us. Our politicians and policymakers are woefully ignorant of this reality. This is the greatest danger of all to our lifestyle and security.” — Jack Lifton, Co-Founder & Co-Chairman, Critical Minerals Institute.

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[Saskatchewan] Cameco seeks to re-licence mines in the North – by Dan Jones (MBC Radio – June 7, 2023)

https://www.mbcradio.com/

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) is recommending that Cameco be issued licences for it’s Key Lake McArthur River and Rabbit Lake operations in northern Saskatchewan. The Commission is conducting public hearings in Saskatoon Wednesday and Thursday.

The Commission suggests a 20-year licence for Key Lake and McArthur River and a 15-year licence for Rabbit Lake. Technicians within the Commission said that there is operational uncertainty with Rabbit Lake as it is currently under care and maintenance, since 2016 and is expected to stay within that status for the near future.

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Could there be an ‘OPEC of lithium’? – by Ognjen Š. Miljanić (Green Biz – June 7, 2023)

https://www.greenbiz.com/

Chile plans to nationalize its vast reserves of lithium, an element essential for development of batteries and electric vehicles. That could force new public-private partnerships for leading suppliers Albemarle and SQM.

Chile’s government in late April announced plans to nationalize its lithium industry. Such a policy could have worldwide repercussions on the battery and electric vehicle industries. Under the proposal, the world’s largest lithium-producing companies — U.S.-based Albemarle and Chinese-dominated SQM — will be allowed to continue their current contracts, but will be forced into public-private partnerships upon their expiration.

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Unique approach gives mining companies a path to reconciliation – by Amanda Rabski-McColl (Northern Ontario Business – June 8, 2023)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Wabun Tribal Council provides industry with templated consultation solution to ‘build more mines faster’

Mining companies are being called on to do more. “Do the right thing because you want to, not because you have to,” said Nicole Charbonneau, a mining development advisor from the Wabun Tribal Council.

She presented the Wabun model of working with mining companies and First Nations at the opening day of the Canada Mining Expo in Timmins, June 7.

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Indigenous development groups kick off study for lithium processing plant – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – June 6, 2023)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Minodahmun Development and Three Fires Group shoulder their way into the BEV supply chain

Two Indigenous economic developments groups – one in northwestern Ontario and one in southwestern Ontario – are teaming up to break into the battery electric and lithium supply chain in a big way.

Greenstone-based Minodahmun Development LP it is teaming up with the Three Fires Group of Kettle Point to form a “Mines to Battery” partnership that involves advancing the concept of a lithium refinery. The two entities posted a joint news release on the partnership, June 6.

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Vale is ‘supplier of choice’ for automobile battery-grade nickel – by Len Gillis (Sudbury.com – June 6, 2023)

https://www.sudbury.com/

Company needs to keep up with the battery electric vehicle demand by expanding nickel and base metal operations in Sudbury by spending billions of dollars

Alfredo Santana, Vale’s chief operating officer for the company’s North Atlantic operations, told the Sudbury BEV In Depth conference last week that as his company has now become the nickel supplier of choice for the electric vehicle battery market, there will be an economic pay off with expansion of mining operations in Sudbury.

Santana was one of several speakers on the roster during the two-day conference held at Sudbury’s Cambrian College from May 31 to June 1.

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Battery electric vehicles transforming modern mining – by Hugh Kruzel (Sudbury Star – June 5, 2023)

https://www.thesudburystar.com/

Pace of change surprises observers, Sudbury conference hears

Traditionally, the mining industry has been slow – even loathe – to adopt change. However, the way the industry has taken to battery electric vehicles in the last three to five years represents nothing less than a paradigm shift, a Sudbury conference was told last week.

“We are changing how mining is done,” said Dale Rakochy of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions. “We realized we were checking off so many boxes with deploying EV technology,” Rakochy said.

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Canada’s Mediocracy – by Diane Francis (Diane Francis Substack – June 5, 2023)

https://dianefrancis.substack.com/

In January, most Canadians were embarrassed after their federal government announced that four Leopard tanks would be given to Ukraine as it fights for its very existence, as well as Europe’s. Four more came a month later, but these were measly gifts, considering that Canada is wealthy, home to the second largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world, and America has given disproportionately more to Kyiv.

It’s also fair to assume that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has not phoned President Joe Biden or NATO or Ukraine offering help along the way, or suggesting that Canada will ship substantially more energy to help reduce energy inflation and replace Russian fossil fuels. Trudeau has been in power since 2015 and yet to meet NATO military spending commitments.

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Risks involved in speed of nationwide EV rollout: Honda CEO – by Lindsay Kelly (Northern Ontario Business – June 1, 2023)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Sourcing critical minerals, EV affordability among issues for manufacturers and automakers, says Jean Marc Leclerc

In his keynote address to a rapt Sudbury audience, Honda Canada president-CEO Jean Marc Leclerc was polite but pointed in his message: in prioritizing speed over practicality in its push for a nationwide adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), Ottawa is putting in jeopardy the very goals it’s striving to achieve.

“While speed is important, it cannot be our only goal or measure of success,” Leclerc said during the 2023 BEV In Depth: Mines to Mobility conference taking place at Cambrian College on June 1. “Making the jump to EVs is, in a word, complex, with many risks involving consumers and stakeholders across the electrification supply chain.”

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Sudbury lithium mine developer looks for infrastructure funding to reach the EV market – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – June 1, 2023)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Frontier Lithium’s PAK Project has a 24 years of mining life, but it needs government to fund the path forward

Tucked up in a remote corner of northwestern Ontario, Frontier Lithium and president-CEO Trevor Walker are sitting on one of the largest, highest grade and mine-ready lithium projects in North America.

The Sudbury-based exploration company has two massive spodumene-bearing lithium deposits about 175 kilometres north of Red Lake, near the Manitoba border. And there’s tons of potential to develop it into a district scale-sized operation.

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North to reap the rewards of BEVs, minister tells delegates – by Len Gillis (Sudbury.com – June 1, 2023)

https://www.sudbury.com/

Ontario Mines Minister George Pirie tells delegates to Sudbury battery electric vehicle conference that Northern Ontario’s mining industry is going to power the future in a sustainable and clean energy fashion

Just as the discovery of oil in Texas fuelled the U.S. economy for a century and a half, so will the critical minerals of Northern Ontario fuel the electric vehicle economy of this province in the years to come.

That was part of the message Wednesday when Ontario Mines Minister George Pirie spoke to the second annual BEV-In-Depth conference being held to promote the battery electric vehicle industry in Sudbury and the rest of Ontario. Pirie’s speech was nothing short of a rally-the-team pep talk for Northern Ontario mining.

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‘Withdraw your bill and work with us,’ says Grand Chief – Amanda Rabski-McColl (Timmins Today – June 1, 2023)

https://www.timminstoday.com/

Mushkegowuk leadership challenges Minister of Mines to scrap Bill 71 and work with the communities to find a better way

First Nations leadership is calling on Minister George Pirie to be a true partner. Mushkegowuk Grand Chief Alison Linklater challenged the Timmins MPP and Minister of Mines during the Mushkegowuk Annual General Assembly to scrap Bill 71 and work with the communities to find a better way forward.

“I have a challenge for you. Withdraw your bill and work with us,” said Linklater. “Create a true partnership based on our treaty.” The minister faced questions from community members and leadership at the event in Cochrane on Tuesday with a focus on Bill 71, which was recently approved and saw changes made to the Mining Act.

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Exclusive: Frontier Lithium planning demonstration lithium chemical plant near Sudbury – by Emma Jarratt (Electric Autonomy – May 31, 2023)

https://electricautonomy.ca/

Frontier says the proposed facility, located in Ontario’s Township of Nairn and Hyman, will showcase its lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate processing capabilities, Electric Autonomy confirms

Ontario is on track to get its first lithium hydroxide facility courtesy of Frontier Lithium, Electric Autonomy can exclusively reveal, in the Township of Nairn and Hyman just 40 minutes west of Sudbury.

Public documents posted on Ontario’s Environmental Registry, confirmed by Frontier Lithium officials, detail how the Canadian mining company will operate the lithium processing facility.

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