Ontario Mining Association – Page 9

Mining is a job multiplier in Ontario

February 1, 2013

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

Because almost 90% of the input costs of mining operations in Ontario are sourced from within Canada, with most of those being local, and 60% of its output is exported, the mining sector is a natural multiplier of jobs. The economists who produced the recent study Mining: Dynamic and Dependable for Ontario’s Future explored, with the use of StatsCan data, some of the upstream linkages of the various inputs for mineral production in this province.

They employed this input-output model to see what impact a $1 billion increase in the value of Ontario’s mineral production, based on OMA members, would have on the economy and employment. In 2011, the value of total mineral production in Ontario was $10.7 billion.

This analysis shows that such an increase would boost Ontario’s GDP by $858 million and Canada’s GDP by $900 million. It also shows that there would be an increase in direct mine employment of 2,421 jobs. Because of the overwhelmingly domestic source of mine inputs, this leads to 1,997 direct jobs in Ontario in sectors such as wholesale trade, professional and scientific, administration, finance, construction, utilities and government. That makes for a total of 4,418 jobs.

Keep going! When the induced impact of $1 billion increase in mineral sector revenues is included, the boost to the provincial GDP surpasses $1 billion for Ontario and $1.1 billion for Canada. In addition, we see 1,942 new jobs created in sectors such as retail, health care, accommodation and food services, non-profit institutions, arts and entertainment, information industries and construction. The induced jobs are derived from where and how the direct and indirect employees spend their pay cheques.

Ontario’s mining industry supports the province’s balance of trade

January 29, 2013

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

The mining industry in Ontario is a steady, reliable, regular and positive contributor to the province’s balance of international trade, according to a recent sectoral economic impact study. Mining: Dynamic and Dependable for Ontario’s Future was produced by University of Toronto economists Peter Dungan and Steve Murphy.

“As Ontario’s international trade balance has deteriorated over the past 10 years due to a combination of a strengthening currency and the weakness of its major trading partner, trade in mineral products has become increasingly important,” says the study. Since 2002, the overall international trade deficit for the province has more than quadrupled to $70 billion-plus annually.

“The trade surplus for Ontario mineral products has strengthened to more than $12 billion annually, remaining positive over the entire period (2002-2011),” according to the report. “As well, Ontario international mineral trade has accounted for over half of the surplus in the country’s mineral trade over this period.”

“The Ontario international trade balances for both nickel and gold (the province’s two most important mineral products by value) have remained positive over the last years. The opening of the diamond mine in the province in 2008 has also boosted the province’s trade bottom line.”

Xstrata Copper in Timmins extends support for sturgeon restoration biodiversity initiative

January 25, 2013

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

Ontario Mining Association member Xstrata Copper’s Kidd Operations in Timmins has committed $21,000 to the Wintergreen Fund in support of the Mattagami River Sturgeon Restoration Project. “We are committed to supporting sustainable environmental projects, such as this one, that address identified needs and bring together community partners with common goals,” said Tom Semadeni, General Manager of Xstrata Copper’s Kidd Operations.

This contribution extends Kidd Operations support of the sturgeon initiative through to 2014. The funding will be used to acquire stationary monitors, nets, transmitters and other fish monitoring equipment. Along with the financial support, Kidd Operations will continue to provide in-kind donations of helicopter and personnel time for sturgeon habitat mapping and monitoring.

The Mattagami River Sturgeon Restoration Project began in 2002 in efforts to re-establish Lake Sturgeon in the local watershed. A once large population of Lake Sturgeon had been reduced significantly due to overfishing, log drives, habitat fragmentation caused by the construction of hydro-electric dams and to a lesser degree pollution. This project’s efforts have provided valuable data on the size and location of the fish population, where they gather to breed and how the river environment can be improved to encourage reproduction.

Lake Sturgeon are descendants of a prehistoric fish going back to the Mesozoic Era (dinosaur age). The fish appear to be much the same today as 100-million-year-old fossils, which have been found.

Timmins Gold producer St Andrew Goldfields puts a shine on OMA high school video competition

January 22, 2013

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

Ontario Mining Association member St Andrew Goldfields (SAS) is once again offering tangible encouragement to the children of its employees to enter the high school video competition So You Think You Know Mining. However, this year it is expanding its support with incentives for teachers and schools.

SAS is increasing the stakes in SYTYKM. Any Ontario high school student of any SAS employee who produces a film and enters SYTYKM is eligible for a $250 cash prize from a random draw. The company is making the same offer with a second $250 prize for the children of Quebec-based employees even though they are not eligible for SYTYKM, which is only for Ontario students.

On top of this, which is what SAS offered last year, there is an opportunity for schools which support SYTYKM to earn a $1,000 grant. They are limited to one per school. “Our goal is to make equipment, resources, software or whatever tools you require available to you to assist with your submission. And your school can keep it,” said SAS in its promotional materials. Mentors – one per student film maker – will also be awarded a one-eight ounce gold coin.

“We are going outside our walls this year to offer up to $1,000 to Ontario schools supporting SYTYKM that our employee’s children attend. As well, a one-eighth ounce Canadian minted gold coin will be given to any teacher, staff or administrator who mentor one of our employee’s students through to the end and a video is submitted,” said Geoff Ramey, Vice President Human Resources at St Andrew Goldfields.

OMA member IAMGOLD donates $1.25 million to Laurentian University

May 7, 2013January 21, 2013

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

Ontario Mining Association member IAMGOLD has donated $1.25 million to the Bharti School of Engineering at Laurentian University in Sudbury. This gift is dedicated to establish Canada’s first research chair in open pit mining. The search for this position will begin soon and the aim is have the successful candidate in place by July 2013.

“The future of the mining industry depends of our ability to step up the pace of innovation and this has to start with educational programs and research opportunities specializing in advanced mining techniques,” said Stephen Letwin, IAMGOLD’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Creating Canada’s first research chair in the highly specialized field of open-pit mining positions Laurentian University as a leader in mining research.”

“We are honoured to support this unique and valuable program,” Mr. Letwin added. “With the Cote gold project in Northern Ontario as an open-pit mine, it is gratifying to know that we will be both helping to address the serious shortage of skilled mining professionals in this country and creating job opportunities for our future mining engineers.”

“This investment represents a critically important enhancement of our research capacity at the Bharti School,” said Ramesh Subramanian, Director of Laurentian University’s Bharti School of Engineering. “This new research chair will attract more cutting-edge knowledge to our mining engineering programs and will augment our international reputation in mining.”

Ontario Government investment in skills training for Ring of Fire is welcome

January 21, 2013

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

The provincial government’s recent announcement of a $3.1 million investment to provide skills training and community governance and capacity building in six First Nations communities is welcome news. This investment will facilitate the participation of First Nations residents in Ring of Fire developments.

Training and development will include the areas of heavy equipment operation, pre-employment trades training and general educational development preparation. The six First Nations that will benefit from this investment include Webequie, Marten Falls, Eabametoong, Aroland, Neskantaga and Nibinamik.

“The Ontario Mining Association has been a long-time supporter of education and skills training in First Nations communities,” said OMA President Chris Hodgson. “According to a recent economic impact study by the University of Toronto Mining: Dynamic and Dependable for Ontario’s Future, Aboriginals comprise 9.7% of the industry’s workforce. This investment by government will better position First Nations residents to take advantage of employment and entrepreneurial opportunities, which will arise as the Ring of Fire is developed.”

“Our government is continuing to invest in Ring of Fire communities to ensure they benefit fully from proposed mineral developments,” said Rick Bartolucci, Ontario Minister of Northern Development and Mines.

Mining taxes provide benefits for all of Ontario society

January 17, 2013

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

Ontario’s mining industry has a collective payroll in excess of $1.7 billion annually. According to the University of Toronto’s sectoral economic impact study Mining: Dynamic and Dependable for Ontario’s Future, this would “conservatively amount to more than half a billion dollars” in personal income taxes (PIT) paid to the federal and provincial governments.

Mining companies and their employees contribute to the tax coffers of all levels of government bolstering such crucial components of societal infrastructure as health care, education and judicial systems. These taxes come from many different sources. Mining industry employees through their salaries, not only pay PIT, but also GST, gasoline taxes, Ontario’s health tax, liquor taxes, property taxes and a number of other governmental related fees.

For mining corporations themselves, let’s begin by taking a look at payroll taxes imposed by both the federal and provincial governments. In 2011, mining companies in Ontario paid $170 million in payroll taxes, up from about $140 million in 2010. This is more of a reflection of an increase in the number of industry employees than any increase in these tax rates.

For 2011, the breakdown of provincial payroll taxes shows $77.1 million going to Workplace Safety and Insurance Board premiums and $34.4 million being paid through the Employer Health Tax. Federal payroll taxes paid by Ontario mining companies in 2011 amounted to $38.6 as Canada Pension Plan premiums and $18.9 million as Employment Insurance premiums.

Ontario Mining is a high tech industry investing heavily in R&D

January 16, 2013

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

Mining in Ontario is a high tech industry where smart people do skilled work and skilled workers do smart jobs. Mining companies in Ontario invested almost $100 million in Research and Development (R&D) in 2011, according to the University of Toronto economic impact study Mining: Dynamic and Dependable for Ontario’s Future. This R&D was carried out in the pursuit of new ideas, new discoveries, new products, new processes and improved efficiency.

“On top of the usual type of investment in R&D, the mining industry has its own unique kind of research – mineral exploration,” said the study. In Ontario in 2011, mineral exploration and deposit appraisal investments surpassed $1 billion – the most ever spent in a Canadian jurisdiction in one year. “Ontario maintained its decade-long lead of all Canadian provinces and territories in exploration and deposit appraisal expenditures in 2011, with 26% of Canadian spending in the province.”

The University of Toronto’s Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity believes that U.S. patents are a good indicator of the innovative capacity of an industry. Patents are sought first and foremost in the U.S. because the standards of patentability are more stringent. U.S. patent data compiled the University of Toronto shows a steady increase in the number of patents obtained by companies in Ontario’s mineral industry.

In 2010, companies involved in Ontario’s mining industry gained 37 U.S. patents, up from 32 in 2009, 24 in 2008 and 21 in 2007. Companies involved in metal mining gained the bulk of these patents but also “Ontario firms in scientific and technical services, which include land geophysical surveying, assaying laboratories and geological consulting services have averaged two U.S. patents per year over the past five years.”

Mining industry supports Ontario’s transportation infrastructure

January 14, 2013

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

The foundation of the multi-faceted transportation infrastructure that we all share in Ontario is supported by the province’s mining industry. According to the economic impact study Mining: Dynamic and Dependable for Ontario’s Future, which was completed by two University of Toronto economists, “One sector of the economy that depends vitally on mineral production in the province is the transport sector.”

The province’s marine transport industry serves mining customers and relies on mineral products. According to the study, minerals account for 56% of the cargo shipped by volume from Ontario Great Lakes ports to other locations in the province, 14% of cargo shipped elsewhere in Canada and 54% of cargo shipped internationally through the St. Lawrence Seaway.

All in all, 44% of the total cargoes carried by the marine industry in Ontario are mineral products. On the national level, the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) in its publication Facts & Figures indicates about 50% of all marine cargo traffic in the country involves minerals.

As heavy users of transportation infrastructure that benefits us all, mining companies often invest in the construction and maintenance of these facilities. For example, OMA member Sifto Canada joined forces with the Town of Goderich and the Goderich Port Management Corp in a public-private partnership to expand and enhance the local port. The three parties signed a memorandum of understanding for the $47 million project.

Ontario Mine supply and service sector is found in all parts of the province

January 11, 2013

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

The Ontario Mining Association’s economic impact study Mining: Dynamic and Dependable for Ontario’s Future clearly indicates that having a headframe on the local horizon is beneficial to the regional economy. Almost 75% of the services and supplies (input costs) purchased by a mine are acquired from companies within Ontario and 31% of the total purchases come from companies located within 100 kilometres of mine sites.

Only 11% of purchases by Ontario mines are made outside of Canada and about 14% come from Canadian companies located outside of Ontario. Part of the reason mining has such a positive influence on other sectors of the economy is because approximately 90% of its expenditures are made inside Canada providing company revenues, employees’ salaries and government taxes.

With mines in Ontario making 31% of their expenditures locally, it is not surprising that communities such as Sudbury are home to large numbers of mine suppliers. A Northern Ontario Mining Supply and Services study prepared by Doyletech Corp. in 2010 indicates that the size of this business in Northern Ontario is $5.3 billion annually employing about 23,000, with concentrations in Sudbury, North Bay, Timmins and Thunder Bay.

For the Sudbury region specifically, this study pegs the mine supply and service industry at $3.9 billion annually employing 13,800 people. For the purposes of this examination, the threshold is that more than 50% of these companies’ revenues are derived from mining supply and services.

OMA NEWS RELEASE: Xstrata Nickel executives recognized as two of Canada’s top business women

January 9, 2013

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

Dominique Dionne, Vice President Corporate Affairs for Ontario Mining Association member Xstrata Nickel, has been recognized as one of Canada’s leading businesswomen along with her colleague Sepanta Dorri, General Manager Business Development at Xstrata Nickel. Ms Dionne received the RBC Champions Award in the 2012 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 program.

Ms Dorri was named to the 2012 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 program in the Trailblazers and Trendsetters category. The OMA joins in congratulating both executives for this achievement. These honours were officially presented at the 10th annual ceremony run by the Womens’s Executive Network (WXN). It recognizes female business leaders in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. WXN started 15 years ago and it has approximately 18,000 members.

“Dominique has relentlessly pursued her goal to develop the next generation of female leaders in the mining sector by championing Xstrata’s support of programs to expand opportunities for women within our industry,” said Ian Pearce, Xstrata Nickel Chief Executive Officer in a letter to staff.

[Ontario] Mines on gem-laden path to 2013 – (Timmins Daily Press – December 30, 2012)

December 31, 2012

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – With the real status of the Canadian economy checkered with question marks, mining remains a diamond in the rough and a driving force for industry in Ontario.

That’s according to an in-depth study performed by a research team at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, and released by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA) in early December.

“What the study really shows is that, while some other sectors may be having troubles right now, mining is a winner,” said Peter McBride, the OMA’s manager of communications. “Mining is dependable, and it certainly is a dynamic part of the economy right now, and it will be for the future.”

The OMA is one of the longest-serving trade organizations in Canada. Formed in 1920, it currently represents over 75 mineral producers in the province.

Highlighted in the University of Toronto study is the fact that, since 2002, Ontario’s overall international goods trade deficit has more than quadrupled. Mining, however, has moved in the opposite direction over the past decade, with the trade surplus for mineral products growing to more than $12 billion and remaining positive throughout.

OMA NEWS RELEASE: Helping make communities better: Goldcorp in Timmins

December 19, 2012

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

As the holiday season is upon us, a couple of items have come to light recently which show how Ontario Mining Association member Goldcorp is stepping forward to help make Timmins a little more of a caring community. The gold producer is doing its bit for the area’s social safety net.

Goldcorp’s Porcupine Gold Mines has provided financial support for the Shania Kids Can (SKC) clubhouse in the local Schumacher Public School. Renowned entertainer Shania Twain donates $40,000 to $50,000 annually to this program designed to help children in challenged situations have a more positive childhood experience.

Those familiar with Ms Twain’s history know her growing up years were crowded with circumstances of hardship and, on occasion, coping with poverty. SKC is a personal mission for Ms Twain, who has a strong attachment to Timmins. The city is home to the Shania Twain Centre, which opened in 2001.

Money from Goldcorp will be used to fix up the SKC Clubhouse at Schumacher Public School and make it a model for other clubhouses in schools across North America. The plan is to make the clubhouse more of a fun facility and a little less of a classroom.