Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications – Page 238

Anishinabek seek mining capacity – by Marlene Bilous (Anishinabek News – January 20, 2014)

January 20, 2014

Anishinabek First Nations involved in mining issues are united in expressing their need for increased capacity at the local level in order to handle the increased paper burden caused by new mining regulations.

“Why is MNDM (Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines) not providing our five First Nations — as designated with high mining needs by MNDM — with a person for each of us?” Regional Grand Chief Peter Collins asked at October’s mining workshop for Northern Superior communities. “We have issues with the short notice period for claim staking and the very short response period for exploration plans and exploration permits.

“We are short of capacity at present and bogged down with paperwork and need at least one person for each First Nation in order to process all this extra paperwork required by the new mining regulations. We have a shortfall as there is mining exploration happening all across the territory. Furthermore, how do the other communities get on this list as many of the Northern Superior First Nations deal with mining?”

Participants at mining workshops in the four Anishinabek Nation regions all echoed the need for increased capacity at the First Nation level in order to protect Anishinabek and treaty rights and respond to the strict timelines required by Ontario’s new mining regulations.

Ring of Fire negotiations making good headway – by Laurel J. Campbell (North Bay Nipissing News – January 16, 2014)

January 17, 2014

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

NORTH BAY – Former Liberal leader Bob Rae says the Ring of Fire has high quality natural resources and shows great potential “but it’s how we take advantage of this potential that counts.”

Rae was in the city on Jan. 9 as the keynote speaker for the Northern Gateway Branch of the Canadian Institute of Mining’s annual meeting and luncheon held at the Davedi Club.

Rae is currently negotiating with the Province of Ontario for First Nations communities that will be impacted by the Ring of Fire development project, a contract he started last summer.

As such he represents nine different communities and says they have concluded discussions about the regional framework around the proposed Ring of Fire. “I can’t be more specific than that, but we are making really good progress.”

He told the mining company representatives at the meeting that First Nations communities, and others in the Ring of Fire area “should be able to benefit economically through resource revenue sharing.

Is Silver Going Lower? – by Ryan Jordan (Silver News Blog.com – January 12, 2014)

January 16, 2014

http://silvernewsblog.com/

In both gold and silver, the New Year brings technical readings as oversold as those seen in the 1980-1982 bear market. Some technicians claim that they have never seen such oversold conditions in the mining equities- a pretty strong statement when you think about past bear markets in the mining stocks. In the gold market, ETF holdings, by some measures, are as low as early 2008—before the financial crisis.

Speculative positions on electronic futures platforms are also at lows not seen in over eight years. From the perspective of Wall Street, hedge funds, and other western commercial banks, it really looks as though the 2008 crisis is a distant memory. We can all just go back to making fortunes in the conventional stock markets and forget about the need for those barbarous, inconvenient, bulky hedges like gold and silver.

Yes, complacency reigns, as more and more people focus on the recovery (at least according to official data) here at home in the United States. This complacency has likewise triggered a parabolic move in the conventional stock market—although I admit that parabolic moves can last longer than anyone thinks possible. Yes, there is a longer term question as to whether or not we are seeing a secular bear market in gold and silver, coupled with a secular bull market in equities (think 1980s and 1990s). Still, the conventional stock market is seeing overbought technical readings consistent with prior market peaks (whether or not the longer term picture remains positive for equities.)

New hoist, shaft hoped to push palladium miner toward profitability – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – January 13, 2014)

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

North American Palladium (NAP) is taking a breather before taking another deep dive at its Lac des Iles (LDI) mine in northwestern Ontario. The Toronto-based miner has chosen to take a sideways approach to extend the longevity and curb spending at its flagship property, northwest of Thunder Bay.

At the same time it was commissioning a new shaft and hoist last October, NAP announced it was deferring a second phase of mine expansion in the belief there’s more mineable and cheaper cost ore closer to surface.

“We had some encouraging exploration results and it shows some potential near-surface opportunities that we are looking at closely and investigating,” said NAP president-CEO Phil du Toit, “because closer to surface helps operating costs.” The company reported a $5.2-million loss in its third quarter, an improvement over the $8 million lost during the same period in 2012.

KI says no to proposed MNR aerial moose inventory survey – by Rick Garrick (Wawatay News – January 9, 2014)

January 14, 2014

http://wawataynews.ca/

Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug has rejected a proposed Ministry of Natural Resources aerial moose inventory survey set to begin on Jan. 8 over its traditional lands.

“From our perspective as council, we do not approve of that,” said KI Chief Donny Morris. “We don’t see a decline in our moose population and we live off of them. Like any initiations by the MNR, the intent is to limit use or gathering of our traditional wild game. We see that coming and we’re just telling them that, no, we do not want it — stay away.”

Morris described the community’s concerns over the proposed moose survey in a Dec. 20 letter to MNR Minister David Orazietti, which is posted on the kitchenuhmaykoosib.com website. “The letter was sent to the minister,” Morris said. “I am hoping he is delegating it down to his bureaucrats.”

Morris received a Dec. 18 letter from Bob David, MNR’s district manager in Sioux Lookout, regarding the proposed moose survey.
“The proposed aerial survey is set to begin without our permission and free, prior and informed consent,” Morris said in his letter. “We ask that there be no moose survey over our territory until we give our consent.”

First Nations seek benefit of [Ring of Fire] development – by Gord Young (North Bay Nugget – January 10, 2014)

January 10, 2014

http://www.nugget.ca/

Talks between the Ontario government and First Nations in and around the Ring of Fire are progressing well despite the challenges faced by companies trying to develop in the region, says Bob Rae.

The former federal Liberal leader and provincial Premier, who is now lead negotiator for the Matawa Tribal Council representing nine First Nations nearest the Ring of Fire mineral deposit, said hurdles including the recent move by Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. to indefinitely suspend all work on the project, haven’t slowed his efforts to ensure First Nations benefit from any development.

“We haven’t missed a step,” said Rae, noting his talks are with the province. “This discussion needs to happen if a mining company decides it’s going to invest tomorrow or next week or next year. We gotta be ready for that.”

The Ring of Fire is estimated to contain $60 billion in undeveloped minerals. But costly infrastructure is needed, including road or rail access to the region. And the province has been calling on its federal counterpart to contribute funding.

Vale uncertainty set to end in 2014 – Thompson Citizen Editorial (January 8, 2014)

January 9, 2014

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.

More than three years of uncertainty about the near-term future of Vale’s Manitoba Operations are about to end and that in and of itself is very good news for Thompson residents.

Whether it will be good news or bad news in an objective economic sense remains to be seen, but it will be substantive news, and given the uncertainty that followed the announcement on Nov. 17, 2010 that the smelter and refinery would close in 2015 – followed by even more uncertainty, as the Sword of Damocles hung over Birchtree Mine for 6½ months from Oct. 18, 2012 until last May 6, while the company considered returning it to care and maintenance – and you can perhaps better appreciate why any real and conclusive news out of Vale in relation to Thompson would be welcome at this point.

If you wonder what the effects of more than three years of uncertainty surrounding Thompson’s largest and most important employer have been, try putting your house up for sale right now or look around and see how many new investors have arrived in town since 2010. While houses have sold and investors have come, Thompson has been in something of a state of suspended animation – a city on hold – since that fateful November Wednesday more than three years ago now.

First Nations resist fuel and mining developments to protect us all – by Andrea Palframan (First Perspective – January 8, 2014)

January 8, 2014

http://www.firstperspective.ca/

Andrea Palframan is a journalist who lives on SaltSpring Island, BC.

Last June, I spent three days in a Vancouver courtroom watching the Hupacasath First Nation argue their case against the federal government. The Hupacasath came robed, just like the judges and the lawyers. They weren’t wigged-out like the Department of Justice benchmen. They wore cedar woven headbands and hummingbird embroidered regalia (and underneath, comfortable blue jeans).

The Hupacasath were challenging Canada over the Canada-China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (CC-FIPPA) on the basis that the treaty, with its implications on their sovereignty, should have triggered the duty to consult them under Section 35 of the constitution. Under CC-FIPPA, Canada would be locked into a 31-year deal that would allow Chinese corporations unprecedented access to Canadian resources. The agreement allows Chinese companies to sue Canada for passing laws — environmental, labour, health or safety — which impede their profit-making ability.

As in Chapter 11 of NAFTA, such lawsuits would be settled by international tribunals of unelected, usually corporate, lawyers. The Hupacasath are not only safeguarding their own future, they’re standing up to the naked emperors in Ottawa who feel free to toss the keys to Canada over to trans-national corporate interests.

Zinc or Swim: Do Base Metals Have a Future? – by Peter Byrne (The Mining Report – January 7, 2014)

January 8, 2014

http://www.streetwisereports.com/

Joseph Gallucci of Dundee Capital Markets sees a rosy future for zinc investors. As the large zinc mines shut down, the juniors are stepping forward to meet growing demand for the industrial staple. In this interview with The Mining Report, Gallucci delivers smart tips for base metals investors on where to find opportunity when zinc prices start to climb.

The Mining Report: How are the fundamental challenges facing the global base metals markets likely to play out in 2014?

Joseph Gallucci: There are several long-term issues that impacted copper and the other base metal spaces in 2013, and those long-term issues will persist for the foreseeable future. Allow me to explain the basics via a few examples:

Indonesia recently stopped the export of intermediary products, such as pig iron nickel. The country’s leadership is increasingly practicing resource nationalism by restricting mining firms to in-house processing and to shipping only finished products. It is also unsettling that Intrepid Mines Ltd. (IAU:TSX; IAU:ASX) lost control of its project this year to an Indonesian partner!

In terms of supply chain disruptions in 2013, Grasberg and Bingham Canyon were two of the biggest issues, but we are still well below the annual average of a 5% supply disruption.

Better linking Canada’s grid – by Nicholas Fedorkiw (Prince George Citizen – January 7, 2014)

January 8, 2014

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

One theme I have written about before is the need for more interprovincial trade in electricity. The benefits of free trade in general are embraced by most these days. However, for a variety of reasons, electricity is the one sector of the economy that has least benefited from free trade, even within Canada.

Hopefully that’s about to change. There is a movement afoot in central Canada to use Manitoba’s clean hydro power to supply industrial mining and oil and gas development in northern Ontario, Saskatchewan, and even Alberta. There are some definite lessons for B.C. here, as well as the whole country.

Like B.C., Manitoba is powered by large scale hydroelectric power. Also, like B.C., they are surrounded by areas that need a lot of electricity to fuel their economy. Ontario’s “Ring of Fire”; an area of proposed mining development is probably most significant. Not only do mines consume a lot of electricity, but the mines of northern Ontario are actually closer to the power generation centres of Manitoba than of Ontario’s which are focused in southern Ontario.

Looking west, the oil and gas growth in Alberta and Saskatchewan is another target market for Manitoba’s power. In this case, its the carbon free nature of Manitoba’s power that has value in the otherwise carbon intensive economies of these western provinces.

[Ontario] Mines minister confident Ring talks making headway – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – January 6, 2014)

January 6, 2014

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

Michael Gravelle wasn’t sharing insider information about how talks are progressing between the government of Ontario and First Nations closest to the Ring of Fire.

But he telegraphed some heavy hints in an end-of-year conversation about the development of the rich chromite deposits located 500 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay.

Consultations being led by retired supreme court justice Frank Iacobucci for the province and former Ontario New Democrat premier and federal Liberal leader Bob Rae representing the Matawa Tribal Council are vital part to moving the Ring of Fire forward, said Gravelle.

They are progressing well, the minister of Northern Development and Mines said several times during a telephone interview with The Sudbury Star.

And while didn’t want to “presume the end of the discussions” between the first nations and the province, Gravelle said he hopes his government will be in a position “very soon” to announce a framework agreement between the two parties.

[Vale, Glencore Sudbury] Merger wouldn’t result in plant closures, mine analysts say – by Harold Carmichael (Sudbury Star – January 6, 2014)

January 6, 2014

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

If ongoing Vale and Glencore Xstrata discussions produce an agreement in 2014 on how to mine nickel and copper in the Greater Sudbury area more cost-effectively, there might be some short-term job cuts, but no big plant closures, says a man who runs a website devoted to mining.

“Absolutely not,” said former Greater Sudbury resident Stan Sudol, who now works in Toronto and operates The Republic of Mining website. “The two operations – the Clarabelle Mill and the Strathcona Mill – process different types of ore. On the north slope (of the Sudbury Basin), the ore is heavy in copper and PGMs (platinum-group metals). The Clarabelle Mill, meanwhile, deals with ore from the south side which is more nickel heavy. I would be very surprised if either of the mills gets closed.”

Sudol added that the Falconbridge Smelter, which he understands is operating under capacity, is processing ore from Australia and the Raglan project in Quebec, in addition to local ore. “The operation is a part of a global industry,” he noted.

On. Dec. 18, Reuters reported Vale’s chief executive officer Murilo Ferreira said he expects Vale’s “consortium” with Glencore Xsrata in Greater Sudbury nickel projects to be defined by the first quarter of 2014 and for the venture to operate as a single unit.

Advocates want Canada to protect even more of its boreal forest – by Bob Weber (Canadian Press/Waterloo Record – January 6, 2014)

January 6, 2014

http://www.therecord.com/waterlooregion/

Canada has made significant strides in protecting the vast boreal forest that stretches across most of its provinces and territories, but the world’s largest intact forest ecosystem still faces threats, says an environmental group.

The amount of boreal forest under some form of government protection has doubled since 2007 to about 12 per cent of the total area, biologist Jeff Wells of the Canadian Boreal Initiative said recently. “That’s a big rate of increase in a short time and we’re hoping that’s going to continue,” he said.

The boreal forest is the huge swath of green that stretches from Newfoundland to the Yukon. It’s home to millions of migratory birds, harbours endangered wildlife such as caribou and shelters hundreds of wetlands that clean water and store carbon.

A total of 708,000 square kilometres is now protected by government. Another 460,000 square kilometres are being harvested through sustainable practices such as those outlined by the Forest Stewardship Council, an organization that promotes responsible management of the world’s forests by setting standards, and certifying and labelling wood products.

MTO in midst of pan-northern transportation strategy – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – December 30, 2013)

January 6, 2014

A provincial plan to access the Ring of Fire may be lacking, but for almost three years the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has been quietly working on a major pan-northern planning exercise to support future regional economic development.

Known as the Northern Ontario Multimodal Transportation Strategy, the multi-year study is directly tied into the Liberal government’s implementation of the Northern Growth Plan.

“It’s definitely a first for the MTO in Northern Ontario,” said Tija Dirks, the ministry’s director of transportation planning, of the comprehensive process which began in 2011.

“The scope of the issues that we’re looking at is much broader. We’re truly looking at the transportation system and not just the highway network.”

2013 News Story: Bittersweet victory for mine safety – by Harold Carmichael (Sudbury Star – December 31, 2013)

January 3, 2014

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

The $1-million fine against Vale the largest occupational health and safety related fine issued by an Ontario court and the province’s decision to conduct a mining review together constitute The Sudbury Star’s top news story of 2013. Both stand to have a significant impact on the city’s defining industry.

On June 8, 2011, Jason Chenier, 35, and Jordan Fram, 26, were working on the 3,000-foot level of Stobie Mine when they were overcome by a 350-tonne run of muck consisting of rock and water.

Vale pleaded guilty to three charges admitting to failure to take reasonable precautions to prevent water accumulation in the mine, which was determined to have played a role in the run of muck.

“The fine and the announcement of a review are the most significant legal developments relating to mine safety we’ve seen in this province for decades,” said Sudbury Star Managing Editor Brian MacLeod. “The persistent efforts of people in the community undoubtedly played a role in forcing the labour ministry to proceed with a review of mining practices.”