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Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications

Stay on schedule, show some cash, says Ring of Fire miner and province to Ottawa – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – January 27, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Province still waiting on feds for matching $1-billion infrastructure commitment as regional study begins

The launch of a federal Regional Assessment of the Ring of Fire has the backing of the region’s leading mine developer and a government in Queen’s Park that’s bullish on resource extraction.

But Wyloo Canada and Ontario’s mines ministry want the assessment process to stay on schedule and expect Ottawa to show a real financial commitment toward development. The Regional Assessment has moved at a snail’s pace since former federal environment minister Jonathan Wilkinson first called for one in February 2020.

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Discovery Silver is the new owner of Timmins’ Porcupine gold complex – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – January 28, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Tony Makuch returns to familiar stomping grounds following US$425-million deal with Newmont

Newmont has finally sold its Porcupine operations in Timmins to Discovery Silver Corp. of Toronto for US$425 million.

Promising to invest heavily in the northeastern Ontario gold camp is one of the city’s native sons, Tony Makuch, the former CEO of Lake Shore Gold, who now steers this growing upstart company. The deal is expected to close some time during the first half of this year.

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Ford government looks to tweak mining claims in Ontario – by Charlie Pinkerton (The Trillium/Northern Ontario Business – January 24, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

The province’s online claims system, which First Nations have argued allows violations of their rights, wouldn’t be impacted by the proposed changes

As it looks for ways to expedite the extraction of Ontario’s natural resources, the Ford government has proposed changes to how prospectors secure lands’ mining rights.

Draft regulatory changes published by the province’s Ministry of Mines last week would tweak certain requirements and timelines that a claimant to a property’s mining rights must meet before the government confirms their claim.

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Vale Base Metals considering selling its mining and exploration assets in Thompson, Manitoba – by John Barker (Soundings – January 23, 2025)

https://soundingsjohnbarker.wordpress.com/

Vale Base Metals said Jan. 23 it is considering selling its mining and exploration assets in Thompson, Manitoba. Vale Base Metals is the Canadian Toronto-based subsidiary of Vale SA. Vale Base Metals has launched a strategic review of its options for its Thompson assets, include two mines and an adjacent mill along with other exploration opportunities, Vale said.

The strategic review is expected to be completed later this year, the company said. The strategic review is part of a process to optimize Vale’s global portfolio to enable copper growth in the Carajas region in Brazil. Vale Base Metals has engaged an external advisor to lead the Thompson strategic review.

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Ottawa finally rolls out its Ring of Fire assessment plan – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – January 21, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

With an election looming, feds and First Nations to study the pros and cons of Far North mine development

Almost five years after Ottawa called for a Regional Assessment of the Ring of Fire, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) and 15 First Nations have defined a purpose and a plan.

In what the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change called a “milestone” for sustainable development in a Jan. 20 news release, the terms of reference have been finalized to begin the process of assessing the potential cumulative impacts of industrial development in Ontario’s Far North.

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Mattagami chief empowering the next generation – by Marissa Lentz-McGrath (Timmins Today – January 21, 2025)

https://www.timminstoday.com/

‘It’s important, I think, in the north, especially, for women, to have a space to have their voices heard, because a lot of times there isn’t a lot of opportunity for that,’ says Chief Jennifer Constant

TIMMINS – Leadership is deeply rooted in Jennifer Constant’s family. The Mattagami First Nation Chief spoke at a virtual leadership lunch on Monday (Jan. 20), sharing her experiences, her vision for sustainable and inclusive mining practices, and her commitment to community empowerment.

The event, hosted by the Timmins Chamber of Commerce and Trimeda Consulting, brought together industry and community stakeholders. Constant, recently recognized as the 2024 Indigenous trailblazer at the Sudbury Women in Mining Awards, discussed her leadership journey.

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Province needs to cast the net wide on Ring of Fire consultation, says Marten Falls chief – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – January 17, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Bruce Achneepineskum looks for new regional discussion table and more involvement from Ottawa

Doug Ford’s full-speed-ahead approach to build a Ring of Fire road and mine more critical minerals compelled a council of northwestern Ontario chiefs to tap the brakes on the premier’s enthusiasm.

The Matawa Chiefs Council outlined their stance in a news release this week that more relationship-building with Indigenous communities needs to be done before any industrial development takes place in the James Bay mineral belt.

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IAMGOLD sees a lot of ways to grow in Timmins – by Amanda Rabski-McColl (Northern Ontario Business – January 17, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

‘I think we have a much better understanding of the capacity in the region, and now we’re established,’ says president and CEO

Youth have a bright future at a gold mine south of Timmins. With IAMGOLD looking to invest in community and education, Bryan Wilson, the general manager of its Côté Gold site near Gogama, about 90 minutes south of the city, says education in the trades is the ticket for Timmins.

“We’ll keep working with Timmins; it’s a mining mecca,” said Wilson, at the Timmins Chamber’s state of mining event on Jan. 15. Situated halfway between Timmins and Sudbury, the open-pit mine went into commercial production in 2024.

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Province announces funding for Timmins critical minerals companies – by Lydia Chubak (CTV News Nothern Ontario – January 15, 2025)

https://www.ctvnews.ca/northern-ontario/

As Ontario braces for U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff order expected next week, it’s ramping up its investment in the critical minerals sector. It’s funneling more than $7 million through the Critical Minerals Innovation Fund to 17 projects.

“Our natural resources are essential to the execution of the AM CAN Plan,” said Stephen Crawford, associate minister of mines. “That is another reason why the Critical Minerals Innovation Fund is so important.”

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Matawa tribal chiefs not so keen on Fortress Am-Can – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – Janaury 16, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Indigenous leaders warn province to think again about granting access to Ring of Fire without proper consent

Fortress Am-Can might be Premier Doug Ford’s plan to expedite critical minerals production in the Ring of Fire, but the majority of chiefs with Matawa First Nations tribal council are pushing back that it certainly isn’t theirs.

In a Jan. 16 news release, the leadership warned that, as they are the inherent, treaty and Aboriginal rights holders to the area in and around the undeveloped Far North mineral belt, the Ontario government’s ability to grant access to critical minerals “within our traditional homelands is precarious.”

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Premier wants critical minerals production accelerated – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – January 14, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Ford promotes more robust cross-border trade with U.S. as threat of tariffs loom

Expect a major announcement on the north-south road to the Ring of Fire during the PDAC mining convention in March.That was the word from Premier Doug Ford and Mines Minister George Pirie during a Jan. 13 press conference in Toronto to promote Fortress Am-Can, touted as a new strategic alliance between Canada and the U.S. that involves a plan to fast-track critical minerals production.

Critical minerals and the untapped potential of the Ring of Fire received frequent mention by Ford, Pirie and Northern Development and Indigenous Minister Greg Rickford.

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Mining the Northwest: Red Lake’s Madsen Mine ready to restart – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – January 13, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

West Red Lake Gold Mines building out its workforce to reach commercial production by year’s end

West Red Lake Gold Mines is aiming for a mid-year restart of its Madsen Mine at Red Lake. The Vancouver mine developer released a prefeasibility study in early January, laying out its plan to bring Madsen back to life in 2025.

In taking over a mine that struggled out of the gate and failed under previous ownership, company management is confident it’s delivered a pragmatic and conservative plan that it can deliver on. With 1.7 million ounces of indicated gold reserves and resources, Madsen’s new mine life is pegged at 7.25 years.

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Wabun Tribal Council boss goes to bat for Newmont – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – January 7, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Batise respectful of Takywa Tagamou Nation’s position, but disagrees with their portrayal of gold miner

Newmont isn’t the “bad actor” that it’s being made out to be. Wabun Tribal Council executive director Jason Batise reaffirmed his organization’s support that the gold mining company has proven itself as a good corporate citizen and solid First Nations partner in operating its mines in the Timmins and Chapleau area.

Timmins-based Wabun issued a news release last week throwing its support behind Newmont-owned Porcupine Mines in the face of a legal claim filed last November by Takywa Tagamou Nation (TTN).

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Magna Mining forks over a dollar for 30,000 hectares of Sudbury base metal properties – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – December 18, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Local mine developer swings its second major land acquisition deal in 2024

Sudbury’s newest and boldest miner, Magna Mining, continues to expand its footprint in the Sudbury basin. The junior mine developer has signed an asset acquisition agreement with NorthX Nickel to pick up a raft of former mine and exploration properties that hold some promising base metal potential.

And it’s a pretty sweet cash deal for Magna. One dollar. The properties, scattered all over the corners of the Sudbury basin, amount to about 30,000 hectares that Magna believes have significant upside based on the geology and the record of high-grade hits from drilling programs carried out by previous companies.

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Uh Oh Canada – by Diane Francis (Substack – December 19, 2024)

https://dianefrancis.substack.com/

Canada has just joined a growing list of rich democracies that cannot get their political or economic act together. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is on his way out. The electorate is fed up with financial problems, high taxation, and unscreened immigration. Similar political battles plague two other G7 nations, France and Germany.

All three governments sag because they prioritized social engineering and political correctness over enterprise and economic development. Their electorates are divided. Worse, the Europeans live in a dangerous region and wrestle with re-arming, a flood of Ukrainian refugees, and fending off Russian cyberattacks, sabotage, espionage, and political interference.

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