Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications – Page 234

Mining suspension dubbed ‘Major setback’ – by Rob Learn (North Bay Nipissing News – November 27, 2013)

November 28, 2013

http://www.northbaynipissing.com/northbaynipissing/

NIPISSING – If Cliffs Resources and the provincial government are playing poker over the Ring of Fire development, Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli says the mining giant has decided to fold.

“It’s a major blow and a major setback for Ontario,” said the Progressive Conservative member. “…(Cliffs) have closed their Thunder Bay and Toronto offices. This is not a ploy… They have no confidence in this provincial government. They have waited for five years and there is nothing.”

Fedeli’s comments come on the heels of the announcement last week from Cliffs Resources that it was halting all work towards their Ring of Fire plans to develop a chromite mine in what has been called the biggest mining discovery in Canada in a century.

The consequences for Nipissing region could be devastating. “The North Bay area is involved in the exploration, the delineation of the ore body, the design of the mines and supplying the mines should they go forward. This is devastating,” said Fedeli.

Stop pointing fingers over Cliffs: Matichuk – by Darren MacDonald (Sudbury Northern Life – November 27, 2013)

November 28, 2013

http://www.northernlife.ca/

Urges major players to co-operate to get Ring of Fire back on track

Greater Sudbury Mayor Marianne Matichuk says she’s hoping for some announcements soon from the provincial government that will help get the stalled Ring of Fire project back on track.

Matichuk said Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne called her Tuesday afternoon to tell her the province is doing everything it can to deal with the problems delaying the $60-billion project.

“I’ve been assured that they are working on that right now, and we’ll be hearing announcements from the government soon,” Matichuk said at Tuesday’s city council meeting. “I’ve also been assured by Premier Wynne that she will keep our city informed about the progress.

“I told her everybody needs to basically stop pointing fingers, shake hands and start making deals because we need to get this done.”

Feds reluctant partners on Ring of Fire: Gravelle – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – November 27, 2013)

November 28, 2013

Established in 1980, Northern Ontario Business provides Canadians and international investors with relevant, current and insightful editorial content and business news information about Ontario’s vibrant and resource-rich North.

The Ontario government’s repeated calls for Ottawa to buy into development of the Ring of Fire appear to have gone straight to voice mail.

Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle said it’s time for the feds to put its money where its mouth is by working with Queen’s Park on infrastructure and fully realize the 100-year potential of the mining district.

Gravelle fired off a Nov. 24 letter to FedNor Minister Greg Rickford, his federal Ring of Fire counterpart, asking that Ottawa participate in the province’s newly created Ring of Fire corporation.

“You’ve stated repeatedly that you know the significance of this project but we have yet to see that turn into action,” wrote Gravelle, in alluding to past statements by the Harper government that resource development is essential to Canada’s long-term economic growth.

Northern Manitoba chiefs representing First Nations on province’s new Mining Advisory Counc – by Ian Graham (Thompson Citizen – November 15, 2013)

November 28, 2013

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.

Several Northern Manitoba First Nation chiefs as well as mining industry representatives from companies such as Vale, Hudbay Minerals and San Gold are members of Manitoba’s new Mining Advisory Council which aims to help First Nations benefit from the development of new mines, Mineral Resources Minister Dave Chomiak announced Nov. 8.

“First Nations that want to participate will be partners every step of the way as new mines are brought on line and they will share in the benefits of resource development,” said Chomiak in a press release. “There will be new training opportunities, good jobs, revenue sharing and a range of social and economic benefits for First nations communities. This will also send an important message to those who want to invest in Manitoba’s mining sector that we’re open for business.

First Nations representatives on the Mining Advisory Council include co-chairs Chief Donovan Fontaine of Sagkeeng First Nation and Chief Ron Evans of Norway House Cree Nation, along with Chief Philip Buck of Mosakahiken Cree Nation, Chief Clarence Easter of Chemawawin Cree Nation, Chief Jerry Primrose of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, Chief Andrew Colomb of Marcel Colomb Cree Nation, Chief Gilbert Andrews of God’s Lake First Nation, Keewatin Tribal Council Tribal Grand Chief Irvin Sinclair and Opaskwayak Cree Nation Chief Michael Constant.

Vale celebrates Totten Mine startup – by Norm Tollinsky (Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal – December 1, 2013)

November 27, 2013

Norm Tollinsky is editor of Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal, a magazine that showcases the mining expertise of North Bay, Timmins and Sudbury. This column is from the December, 2013 issue.

Mine of the future brimming with state-of-the-art technology

It’s not every day that a new mine goes into production – not even in Sudbury, one of the world’s most important centres of mineral wealth – but, this month, Vale celebrates the official handover to operations at Totten Mine, 40 kilometres west of downtown Sudbury.

Hailed as “a mine of the future” by Kelly Strong, vice-president of Ontario and UK operations, Totten is brimming with advanced technologies.

“We’re very excited about this being our first new mine in over 40 years,” said Strong. “Totten demonstrates that we have this amazing resource under our feet here. Building Totten through some challenging economic times shows our commitment as a company to Sudbury. “One of the things you see in the mining industry is that the price cycle is shorter than the period of time it takes to complete a project,” noted Strong.

Women in Mining. What would we do without them? – by Dick DeStefano (Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal – December 1, 2013)

September 7, 2018November 27, 2013

Dick DeStefano is the Executive Director of Sudbury Area Mining Supply and Service Association (SAMSSA). destefan@isys.ca This column was originally published in the December 2013 issue of Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal.

Modern Mining & Technology Sudbury (MMTS) is one of the best organizations in Canada for promoting and creating awareness of mining and the technology advances in the industry.

The organization is responsible for number of mining games and activities geared to elementary and high school students and teachers during April and May each year, events that attract thousands of students from the Sudbury district to Dynamic Earth, the city’s geoscience centre. These innovative and interactive opportunities expose students to the importance of new technologies required for the future of mining. MMTS 2013 week-long events attracted over 1,000 attendees.

MMTS 2014 will be special because the organization has commitments from a number of professional women with mining industry experience.

No need to panic over Ring of Fire – by Ron Grech (Timmins Daily Press – November 27, 2013)

November 27, 2013

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – When Cliffs Natural Resources announced a couple of years ago it was going to establish a ferrochrome production facility in Capreol in connection with a planned chromite mine in the Ring of Fire, there was naturally disappointment in Timmins.

Timmins was one of four communities in the running to have this facility. However, following that decision, city officials were quickly pointing out Cliffs were not the only player within the James Bay lowlands.

Among those was Noront Resources, which has been looking at mining nickel, copper and platinum in that area, and is now at the stage of submitting an environmental assessment for a proposed mining operation.

In fact, there are close to 40 firms that have staked claims within the Ring of Fire – though not all of them are mining companies.

One should keep that in mind in the wake of Cliffs’ announcement last week that it is suspending its chromite project within the James Bay lowlands. The political reaction from Cliffs’ announcement was like a chorus of skinned cats.

Need to see details of Ring deal – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – November 27, 2013)

November 27, 2013

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

It’s been a week since Cliffs Natural Resources dropped the bombshell that was not a bombshell — that it was indefinitely suspending work on its Ring of Fire chromite project. You didn’t need a crystal ball to see that one coming although some politicians claimed to have been blind-sided by it.

Bill Boor, who was Cliffs’ vice-president of global ferroalloys but now has a new title, senior vice-president of strategy and business development, had been telegraphing that message for months.

A year ago, Boor cautioned 330 people at a Greater Chamber of Commerce luncheon that several planets would have to align for Cliffs to begin production at its McFaulds Lake mine by 2016.

In March, he told The Sudbury Star that while he understood that the change of leadership after Premier Dalton McGuinty resigned could slow the progress of talks, Cliffs needed to sign a “definitive document” before it could develop its Black Thor deposit.

Ring of Fire: Province challenges feds to develop Ring – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – November 27, 2013)

November 27, 2013

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle challenged the federal government this week to accept responsibility to help develop the Ring of Fire and make a financial commitment to do so.

Gravelle wrote Kenora MP Greg Rickford, minister of state for Science and Technology and FedNor minister, asking the federal government to “step up to the plate” and be a committed partner in developing the rich chromite deposits.

Gravelle highlighted the potential benefits the Ring of Fire will have for First Nations and other people in Ontario and across Canada.

He pointed out the federal government has supported large-scale resource development initiatives in other parts of Canada because of their potential for national economic and social benefits, citing developments in B.C. and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Gravelle said the development corporation he announced almost three weeks ago “reflects our commitment to the infrastructure that is critical to successful development into the Ring of Fire.”

Mining firm worried about review process – by Peter James (Prince George Citizen – November 26, 2013)

November 26, 2013

http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/section/princegeorge

A mistake in an environmental review could shake the confidence Canadians have in the regulatory system, according to a representative of a mining company alleging a major error has already occurred.

Taseko believes Natural Resources Canada erred when evaluating the seepage rates of its proposed New Prosperity copper and gold mine near Williams Lake by modeling the potential impacts using an incorrect design for the tailings pond. The company is calling on Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq to “correct the record” when she makes a final determination on whether the project could cause significant adverse effects.

“You expect, and I think the public expects, that these processes are going to be thorough and fair and appropriate, after all these are significant projects in Canada that go through an environmental assessment of this nature,” Taseko vice-president of corporate affairs Brian Battison said Monday. “People need to have confidence in the process, that the process is fair and unbiased. A mistake like this kind of calls into question the validity of the process and that has the potential to shake people’s confidence in the process.”

Get the Ring back on track – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal (November 26, 2013)

November 26, 2013

Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

THE ongoing interest of a number of mining concerns in the vast Ring of Fire region is not what holds public attention today. Neither is it the creation of a development corporation to manage the project or negotiations between the province and First Nations. Rather, it is the sense of lost opportunities that comes with the indefinite departure of the mineral belt’s biggest player. There is a growing suspicion that something is wrong and that the province is not saying so.

Viewed in isolation, the government’s announcement of a development corporation to bring the multi-mineral development on line is a good thing. It suggests the province takes seriously the potential for immense economic development in the North and the province as a whole. The timing is another question. Toronto Star Queen’s Park columnist Martin Regg Cohn, syndicated in this newspaper, writes today that it “now looks like an act of desperation in anticipation of the Cliffs pullout.”

The question is what did the government know about Cliffs’ intentions and when. The company has been sending signals of frustration with the long process of securing permission to operate. Its warnings were seen by some as undue impatience until it abandoned $500 million of preparatory spending and closed its Thunder Bay and Toronto offices and its site camp. Renewed interest by the company with an upswing in the commodities market would greatly relieve many people.

Deal would see FNX pay most of $5M road upgrades – by Darren MacDonald (Sudbury Northern Life – November 25, 2013)

November 26, 2013

http://www.northernlife.ca/

Company needs stronger roadway to move ore mined from its Victoria site

A cost-sharing deal between the city and a mining company would see about $5 million in upgrades to Crean Hill Road and Fairbank East Road in the Worthington area.

FNX Mining, which is now owned by KGHM International Ltd., will pay 75 per cent of the cost of the project, with the city picking up the remainder. The 75-25 deal will stay in place regardless of actual costs, although both sides can walk away if bids for the construction contract are too high.

The company needs roadways its heavy trucks can use open year-round to make its Victoria Advanced Exploration Project economically viable. It approached the city to negotiate an agreement to upgrade the roads, which currently are subject to load restrictions in spring when melting snow softens the ground considerably.

“The terrain in the Worthington area generally consists of low-lying swampy areas with occasional bedrock outcrops
and hills,” says a staff report on the proposal.

Harper’s Ring of Fire comments took Ontario by ‘surprise’ – by Susana Mas (CBC News – November 25, 2013)

November 26, 2013

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics

The Ontario government says it was taken by surprise when Prime Minister Stephen Harper dismissed development in the Ring of Fire region as the province’s problem, given that repeated calls for the federal government to play a role in the project have gone unanswered in recent weeks.

In a telephone interview with CBC News on Monday, Ontario’s Minister of Northern Development and Mines Michael Gravelle said Harper’s comments came “as a surprise.” “To simply be somewhat dismissive and say it’s a matter of provincial issue or provincial jurisdiction, certainly took me a little bit aback,” Gravelle said.

The prime minister was asked, during a news conference in Winnipeg on Friday, what role the federal government had in getting the development in the Ring of Fire back on track after a major U.S. mining company suspended its operations in the area a day earlier.

Harper said “this is a project that is primarily under provincial jurisdiction because ultimately resources belong to the provinces and resource development is a provincial responsibility.”

Tired of Cliffs seeking more public money – by Cody Walter (Sudbury Star Letter – November 25, 2013)

November 26, 2013

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

For the last two years plus, we’ve been listening to carefully designed propaganda from Cliff’s Natural Resources, attempting to manipulate public opinion and convince taxpayers that we should give them our money. Now Cliff’s has shelved the project indefinitely, and they would have you believe it’s everyone else’s fault. It’s time for a reality check.

Cliff’s cites “difficulty negotiating with First Nations” as a reason for closing up shop. Yes it’s true, that after 500 years of genocidal torment under (continuing) European occupation, Canada’s Indigenous peoples have won the right to be consulted about developments which will affect them. This is a great thing (if more than a little late), and if Cliff’s finds this “difficult,” then I say: “tough luck.”

Cliff’s wants a break on hydro prices? That’s actually unsurprising, because so does everyone else. But if we agree to sell hydro to them below market price, guess who picks up the tab for the difference? That’s right, it’s you and me.

Likewise with the road they wish to build. They want “help” from the government (read: money from working people) to reduce start-up costs and allow them a more profitable business. Is it such a radical notion these days that businesses should cover their own costs?