Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications – Page 238

Liberal Ring of Fire Plans Under Fire – by James Murray (Netnewsledger.com – February 15, 2014)

February 18, 2014

http://www.netnewsledger.com/

Getting the Ring of Fire Right is Complicated

THUNDER BAY – The Ring of Fire mining opportunities are massive. However the efforts to “Get it right,” as Minister Michael Gravelle has repeatedly stated are causing those efforts to come under fire. The New Democrats are accusing the Wynne Government of only governing by ‘Press Release’.

“The announcement that outside consultants have been brought in to guide the Ring of Fire Development Corporation is a stark reminder of the Liberal government’s inability to spur development in the mining sector”, charges NDP Northern Development and Mines Critic Michael Mantha.

“The Liberal government continues to govern by press release; all talk no action,” continued Michael Mantha, the MPP for Algoma-Manitoulin. “This latest announcement by Mining Minister Michael Gravelle further proves that this government is determined to create jobs anywhere but in the actual mining sector. We now see consultant companies profit while the mining companies are left on the sidelines and First Nations suffer.”

Ring development a ‘plan to make a plan,’ says MPP – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – February 15, 2014)

February 18, 2014

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

Ontario has hired a consulting firm to establish a development corporation for the Ring of Fire chromite deposits in the James Bay Lowlands. Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle announced Friday the Liberals have hired a neutral third party, Deloitte LLP, to establish the development corporation he announced the creation of last November.

Deloitte will work with Ring of Fire partners — the federal and provincial governments, first nations and industry — to set clear paths and timelines for decision-making, create guiding principles for the corporation, and to seek consensus on the corporation`s next steps, said Gravelle.

Specifically, Deloitte will prepare a report assessing three proposals for a transportation system to move chromite, nickel and other ores out of the Ring of Fire, 500 km northeast of Thunder Bay, to other parts of the province and beyond for processing.

Gravelle, who made the announcement about hiring Deloitte in his home riding of Thunder Bay, didn’t say when Deloitte would deliver that report, what it would cost to produce or whether it would be a public document when it is completed.

PoV: Why we need a statue of Stompin’ Tom [in Sudbury] – by Brian MacLeod (Sudbury Star – February 15, 2014)

February 15, 2014

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

When a group of Sudburians first announced they wanted to raise $50,000 to place a bronze statue of Stompin’ Tom Connors downtown, it seemed a bit out of place. Connors was not a Sudburian, yet he is inexorably part of our heritage for his iconic song, Sudbury Saturday Night. He is not necessarily associated with an individual place, rather he was relentlessly Canadian. Why a bronze statue in Sudbury?

Because he was able to write a simple, irresistibly catchy song that captured who we were at the time. In 1965, when he wrote the song, we were a city of hard partying labourors drinking away the sweat of the mines. It does not represent what Sudbury is today, but Connors was able to make a nation think about a city that many at the time knew only as a place “up North.”

Sudbury Saturday Night — best captured in his performance at the Horseshoe Tavern — might make us cringe a bit now. “The girls are out to bingo and the boys are gettin’ stinko and we’ll think no more of Inco on a Sudbury Saturday Night.”

Inco is now Brazil-based Vale, and bingo has faded. And drinking heavily is not so much to be memorialized these days. “We’ll drink the loot we borrowed and recuperate tomorrow, cause everything is wonderful and we had a good fight.”

Deloitte gets nod to help resolve Ring of Fire fracas – by James Munson (iPolitics.com – February 14, 2014)

February 14, 2014

http://www.ipolitics.ca/

Ontario Minister of Northern Development and Mines Michael Gravelle is bringing in global consulting and accounting firm Deloitte LLP to resolve the province’s spat with Ottawa over how to develop the Ring of Fire.

The federal and provincial governments are at odds over who you should pay for a transportation corridor into the far-flung mining district in northern Ontario. While the Ring of Fire’s bounty in chromite and other metals could be worth $60 billion according to Queen’s Park, building either a railway or a highway into the area is estimated to cost between one and two billion dollars.

Ottawa was initially supportive of the Ring of Fire, appointing Treasury Board president Tony Clement to oversee the file. But the portfolio has since been bumped to a junior minister and Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a press conference in November that the mineral play was a provincial matter.

The chasm grew in part because Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne announced a development corporation without first alerting the federal government on November 8.

Wallbridge tries to understand its ‘enigmatic’ minerals – by Jonathan Migneault (Northern Ontario Business – February 13, 2014)

February 14, 2014

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.

Around two billion years ago an asteroid or comet approximately 10 to 15 kilometres in diameter collided with what is now the Sudbury basin.

When it entered Earth’s orbit it was travelling at a speed of around 36,000 kilometres per hour. The power of the impact when it hit the planet’s surface was “off the scale,” according to Gordon Osinski, an associate professor of planetary geology at the University of Western Ontario. “It’s an incredible amount of energy deposited almost instantaneously,” he said.

Geological changes can take millions of years, but that impact altered Sudbury’s landscape in a flash. The heat from the impact was so intense it created a pool of molten rock three kilometres thick. Geologists have estimated the crater it created – which is no longer visible today – was around 200 kilometres in diameter.

The Chicxulub crater, underneath Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, is around 180 km in diameter. The asteroid impact that created it 65 million years ago is largely credited for the mass extinction of the dinosaurs.

Cliffs cutting jobs, costs – by Star Staff (Sudbury Star – February 14, 2014)

February 14, 2014

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

U.S.-based Cliffs Natural Resources, which once had ambitious plans to open a chromite smelter in Sudbury by 2015, has announced that it will lay off about 500 employees and dramatically reduce spending.

“Sharper capital allocation must drive our decisions,” CEO Gary Halverson said in a statement. “(The) announcement to reduce overall capital spending is an important first step.”

However, on Thursday, Cliffs, which is facing against an activist investor who wants to break up the mining company, reported higher fourth-quarter profits helped in part by higher iron ore prices and a drop in the cost of goods sold.

The iron ore and metallurgical coal producer said net income rose to US $31 million, or 20 cents a share, in the three months to end-December. A year ago, it reported a loss of $1.6 billion, or $11.36 a share, when it wrote down $1 billion related to its 2011 acquisition of Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Ltd.

Revenue was marginally lower at $1.52 billion in the quarter from $1.54 billion as lower prices and sales for coal were partially offset by a 10 percent increase in global seaborne iron ore pricing.

No mention of Ring of Fire in budget: Critics – by Laura Stricker (Sudbury Star – February 13, 2014)

February 13, 2014

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

A local economist is “disillusioned” by the federal government’s latest budget. “I thought the Conservatives were more fun than that,” David Robinson, a Laurentian University professor, laughed. On Tuesday, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty introduced the $279-billion budget, which he told reporters would be “boring.”

“I’m surprised at how little there is going on in it. I thought the Conservatives still had some ideas and were pressing for stuff, and they either don’t have any ideas or they really are doing what a lot of people think, which is saving everything for one last attempt to keep themselves in government,” Robinson said. “How could you put so little into so many pages?”

Conservative Party critics were less kind about it. “My party has been calling it the do-nothing budget. Unfortunately, it’s exactly that,” Sudbury MP Glenn Thibeault said Wednesday, a few minutes before Question Period in the House of Commons. “I think Canadian families, Canadians in general, will have to wait another year before we actually see anything that will help (them).

Ontario defends lawsuit filed by junior explorer – by Bryan Phelan (Wawatay News – February 11, 2014)

February 12, 2014

http://wawataynews.ca/

The Ontario government in January filed its statement of defence for a $125-million lawsuit brought against it by a junior exploration company with mining claims near Sachigo Lake First Nation. Northern Superior Resources (NSR), based in Sudbury, had for several years explored for gold in Sachigo’s traditional territory with the First Nation’s consent. However, the company stopped exploration in 2012 when its relations with Sachigo soured.

Later, on Oct. 24, 2013, NSR filed a lawsuit against Ontario, claiming that the province “failed to consult with First Nations as required by law” regarding the company’s exploration. NSR asked for compensation of $110 million for damages it said resulted, including: lost opportunities to finance, develop and/or sell the properties; loss of opportunity to profit from “potentially world-class mineral deposits”; and reduced value of NSR’s stock.

NSR also claimed it should be reimbursed $15 million by Ontario for monies spent acquiring and developing the properties.

“Having obtained all the necessary authorizations for mineral exploration under the Mining Act, and taken every reasonable measure to engage any First Nation … to be affected from its work,” the company stated, “NSR had a reasonable expectation that it would able to explore and develop the claims free of interference and with a view to profit.”

Royal Nickel Corp: Indonesian Ore Export Ban Opens Door to the Next Generation of Nickel Mines (The Gold Report – February 11, 2014)

February 12, 2014

http://www.theaureport.com/

DISCLOSURE: Royal Nickel Corp. paid The Mining Report to conduct, produce and distribute the following interview.

Nickel prices have been weak, but the recent Indonesian government announcement banning ore shipments outside the country may be the shock that reverses the trend. In this interview with The Mining Report, Mark Selby, senior vice president of business development for Royal Nickel Corp., walks through his analysis that indicates nickel price increases and inventory reductions are imminent, while demand continues to grow and over a quarter of global mine supply is shut in.

He considers nickel in 2014 one of the best commodity trades in a generation. To capitalize on this unique set of circumstances, Royal Nickel’s Dumont Nickel Project follows the path of other large-reserve, large-scale mines in the copper and gold sectors that have changed the mining industry and made early investors fortunes.

The Mining Report: The nickel industry has been through tectonic changes in the last 10 years, including large corporate takeovers and fundamental changes in supply available to the market. Can you summarize where the nickel industry has been and where it is going?

Mark Selby: Over the past five years, we’ve seen continued robust growth in nickel demand. Over that period, global nickel demand grew in the high single-digits, while Chinese nickel demand grew at double-digit rates.

First blast at [Timmins Goldcorp] open pit – by Jeff Labine (Timmins Daily Press – February 12, 2014)

February 12, 2014

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – Goldcorp literally started its operations at the Hollinger Mine with a bang. Residents were given advanced warning that the mining company would be blasting at Hollinger on Tuesday. The first blast was expected to take place around 11:30 a.m. but the window of opportunity was missed when it took too long to place the blast mats down.

The city made an agreement with Goldcorp/Porcupine Gold Mines to only blast during the destination windows. That placed the first blast at the second time slot – between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.

Paul Miller, superintendent of surface operations for the Hollinger project, watched the blast from the top floor of Goldcorp’s office building, near the Shoppers Drug Mart along Algonquin Boulevard. Called a pioneering blast, the explosion is intended to level out the area for the company to work in.

“Its been a long time coming,” he said. “We look at it as the start. In terms of the community it is a significant event because it is our first blast.

Sudbury software company provides real-time mine safety data – by Jonathan Migneault (Sudbury Northern Life – February 10, 2014)

September 5, 2018February 11, 2014

http://www.northernlife.ca/

Northern Ontario mining operations could become more efficient and safe thanks to an improved solution developed by a Sudbury-based software company.

Symboticware received a $100,000 grant from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation to develop an improved version of its SymView software, which allows mining companies to access important data, such as machinery performance and ground stability, in real-time.

The grant will cover about 40 per cent of the cost to develop and implement the software solution, said Symboticware’s president and CEO Kirk Petroski. “The money will allow us to basically have the resources internally staffed to build this new software,” Petroski told Northern Life.

The remaining $150,000 for the project was provided by industry partners and Symboticware’s own investments in research and development. “To me it’s a very good market opportunity,” Petroski said about the project. “It provides reliable data, it provides real-time data and it’s manageable.”

Kidd Mine life may get three-year extension – by Jeff Labine (Timmins Daily Press – February 11, 2014)

February 11, 2014

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – If all goes according to plan, Glencore Copper’s Kidd Mining project could have its life extended by another three years.

City council heard from general manager Tom Semadeni about the mining project at Monday night’s meeting. The mine produces copper, zinc and is rumoured to be one of the largest silver mines in Canada. The Kidd Mine also has the distinction of not only being the deepest mine in Canada but also the deepest base metal mine in the world at more than 9,600 feet.

The mine’s life was originally expected to end in 2018 but that might not be the case. Semadeni said the way to make sure the mine continues until 2021 is by providing opportunities for people and for development.

The plan is to continue to keep a safe work environment, make reliable mining plans and find cost savings. “The only reason why I work there and why everyone works there is to maximize the benefit of that ore body,” he told council. “We want to extend its operational life. That’s important to everyone’s interest. We want to do that safely and cost efficiently. We recognize that it is hard because it is deep. It’s technically challenging and expensive.”

Laurentian University’s president has brought ‘a buzz’ to the institution – by Jonathan Migneault (Northern Ontario Business – February 5, 2014)

February 11, 2014

2014 Top 5 Northern Leaders: Dominic Giroux

Dominic Giroux never aspired to be the president of Laurentian University, or any university, for that matter. But nearly five years into his tenure as president, many of his colleagues could not imagine him doing anything else.

“You know how people want to be around things that are really buzzing? Dominic brings that buzz to the institution,” said Carol McAuley, Laurentian’s vice-president of administration.

Giroux said his appointment as university president, in April 2009, happened organically. The board’s decision to hire him for the top spot was a departure from the direction other Canadian universities had taken. Giroux does not have a PhD, and in 2009 he was 34 – he is 38 today – which made him the youngest university president in Canada.

Before his appointment to Laurentian he was assistant deputy minister with the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

A vision for the Ring of Fire: 2014 Top 5 Northern Leaders: Frank Smeenk – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – February 2014)

February 7, 2014February 7, 2014

KWG Resources’ President-CEO Frank Smeenk (Photo by Stan Sudol)

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. Ian Ross is the editor of Northern Ontario Business ianross@nob.on.ca.

Call them the little chromite mouse that roared. Cliffs Natural Resources has grabbed the Ring of Fire spotlight over the last five years, but it’s been the strategic and shrewd moves of KWG Resources’ president-CEO Frank Smeenk that’s now placed the Toronto-based junior miner at centre stage.

While the company’s scheme for a low-cost model to develop the rich mineral deposits in the remote James Bay region was either deemed not credible or totally ignored at Queen’s Park, KWG has emerged with possibly the only solution to develop the mineral deposits in the Far North and establish Ontario as a global leader in chromite production.

The company has the only viable and secured route to haul potentially millions of tonnes of chromite ore out of Ontario’s Far North for perhaps many generations to come.

The legwork they did back in 2009 to use mining claims to stake a 328-kilometre-long corridor for a future railroad was done out of practical necessity, but it’s had wider ramifications.

“Getting stranded deposits to market is a movie I’ve seen a few times before in Canada,” said Smeenk, a lawyer by training with close to 27 years in the resource industry. “It was the obvious thing to do.”

The area has no transportation infrastructure to speak of.

Goldcorp using analytics to reduce harm – by Lindsay Kelly (Northern Ontario Business – February 6, 2014)

February 7, 2014

Goldcorp is undertaking a new kind of mining designed to improve the health and safety record across its operations. Data mining is the process of using analytics to find patterns or trends in data that can help predict outcomes and shape future actions.

Teaming up with financial advising firm Deloitte, Goldcorp undertook a pilot project to examine data gleaned from its Porcupine Gold Mine in Timmins. The goal was to help identify situations in which workers would be more vulnerable to being part of a serious accident.

“What we want to understand is why are some people more likely to put themselves in a situation where they’re vulnerable to something bad happening versus other people?” said Paul Farrow, Goldcorp’s senior vice-president for people and safety. “How can we change our training, our coaching, our leadership development programs to eliminate or, at a minimum, reduce that probability?”

Farrow said 90 per cent of the data examined already exists. Every mine keeps production and safety data, he noted. Analytics help find correlations amongst them.