Archive | Ontario Mining

Attawapiskat kicks dirt on De Beers’ Victor Mine landfill plans – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – April 7, 2021)

April 7, 2021 in Aboriginal and Inuit Mining and Oil/Gas, Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications, Diamond Mining, Ontario Mining

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Attawapiskat First Nation accuses former Ontario diamond miner De Beers Group of disposing demolition waste from its decommissioned Victor Mine in a “vulnerable” wetland environment of cultural significance.

The leadership of the James Bay coastal community calls the company’s provincial application to build a landfill “suspect” at the remote location 500 kilometres north of Timmins.

The First Nation said De Beers has applied for 97,000 cubic metres of landfill volume, just below a 100,000-cubic-metre threshold, which would trigger a comprehensive environmental assessment under Ontario law. Continue Reading →

No April Fool’s joke, three First Nation communities say they’ll go to court over the Ring of Fire – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – April 5, 2021)

April 6, 2021 in Aboriginal and Inuit Mining and Oil/Gas, Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications, Ontario Mining, Ontario’s Ring of Fire Mineral Discovery

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Indigenous communities claim they were misled by Ottawa on regional assessment, demand a shutdown of all mining-related development work

Three First Nations in Ontario’s remote north are declaring a moratorium on development in the Ring of Fire, and are threatening legal action to preserve their lands and rights.

The far-flung communities of Attawapiskat, Fort Albany and Neskantaga First Nations want a greater say on the size and scope of Ottawa’s regional assessment process, and how mining in the James Bay lowlands could impact the environment and their way of life.

In an April 1 news release, the three First Nations said their lands and rights “stand to be seriously and permanently desecrated by massive scale mining” in the isolated, high-grade mineral belt, some 500 kilometres north of Thunder Bay. Continue Reading →

NEWS RELEASE: First Nations Declare Moratorium on Ring of Fire Development (Attawapiskat, Fort Albany, and Neskantaga First Nations – April 5, 2021)

April 6, 2021 in Aboriginal and Inuit Mining and Oil/Gas, Ontario Mining, Ontario’s Ring of Fire Mineral Discovery

TORONTO, April 5, 2021 /CNW/ – Attawapiskat, Fort Albany, and Neskantaga First Nations in the James Bay lowlands have declared a moratorium on any development in or to facilitate access to the Ring of Fire mining area.

We First Nations in the James Bay lowlands, whose Territories and Rights stand to be seriously and permanently desecrated by massive scale mining in the Ring of Fire, hereby declare a MORATORIUM on any development in or to facilitate access to the Ring of Fire area.

This MORATORIUM is declared in accordance with:

  • Our Indigenous Laws including the Natural Laws of the Creator;
  • Our Inherent Rights (arising from the reality that we have always have been “in here” in this place in the world);
  • Treaty No. 9 between our First Nations and the Crown;

Continue Reading →

NEWS RELEASE: Attawapiskat First Nation Says to DeBeers’ Owners Anglo American and Botswana to Stop Mine Landfill: No Juukan Gorge in Our Traditional Territory! (Attawapiskat First Nation – April 6, 2021)

April 6, 2021 in Aboriginal and Inuit Mining and Oil/Gas, Diamond Mining, Ontario Mining

ATTAWAPISKAT FIRST NATION, ON, April 6, 2021 /CNW/ – De Beers Group (De Beers), a global diamond miner which is 85% owned by mining giant Anglo American and 15% owned by the Republic of Botswana, is seeking Ontario Government approval for a new mining landfill to be built and filled up with mine demolition waste at the Victor Diamond Mine Site, located in Attawapiskat First Nation’s Traditional Territory.

De Beers plans put this new landfill in the vulnerable James Bay wetlands area, and in a place that has been of critical cultural, spiritual and subsistence importance to the Kattawapiskak Cree People for thousands of years. Attawapiskat First Nation fears another ‘Juukan Gorge’ disaster is going to occur if DeBeers gets its way, and the Indigenous community wants to alert De Beers’ shareholders to be aware, before bad decisions are made.

Juukan Gorge was an Indigenous sacred site, thousands of years old, blasted by miner Rio Tinto in Australia. The violation of this Indigenous site resulted in widespread international media coverage and public outcry. Continue Reading →

Fort William First Nation ready to be the host community of a lithium processing plant – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – March 31, 2021)

April 1, 2021 in Aboriginal and Inuit Mining and Oil/Gas, Battery Technology Innovation/Electric Vehicles, Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications, Lithium, Ontario Mining

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Avalon Advanced Material signs letter of intent with northwestern Ontario community on brownfield site search

A potential developer of a lithium chemical plant in northwestern Ontario has inked an agreement with Fort William First Nation (FWFN), next to Thunder Bay, to identify a suitable refinery site on reserve land.

Toronto’s Avalon Advanced Materials has signed a letter of intent with the community to collaborate on the possible construction of a lithium processing plant on Fort William’s spacious heavy industrial lands.

The reserve has more than 1,100 acres of brownfield property available, formerly known as the Grand Trunk Pacific Lands, that is being marketed as a development-ready industrial business park. Continue Reading →

Kirkland Lake expects Detour to produce up to 900k oz annually by 2032 – by Staff (Canadian Mining Journal – March 31, 2021)

April 1, 2021 in Canadian Media Resource Articles, Gold and Silver, Ontario Mining

https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/

Miner Kirkland Lake Gold (TSX, NYSE: KL; ASX: KLA) expects its Detour Lake open pit mine in northern Ontario to reach a gold output rate of 900,000 oz. a year by 2032, based on the company’s latest life-of-mine plan for the asset.

This technical report also forecasts average production of 680,000 to 720,000 oz. a year between 2021 and 2024, increasing to 800,000 oz. in 2025, as announced earlier this year.

The latest forecasts do not account for any of the exploration upside realized by Kirkland Lake since acquiring the asset at the end of January 2020 and don’t fully incorporate the impact of business improvement initiatives realized since acquisition. Continue Reading →

MEDIA RELEASE: STEELWORKERS RATIFY NEW FOUR AND A HALF YEAR CONTRACT WITH VALE IN SUDBURY (March 31, 2021)

April 1, 2021 in Nickel, Ontario Mining, Sudbury Basin, Vale

SUDBURY, March 31, 2021 – Vale and United Steelworkers (USW) Local 2020 are pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached on a new four and a half year Collective Bargaining Agreement between Vale, Ontario Operations and USW Local 2020. The new agreement takes effect on April 1, 2021.

“The negotiation process has been both productive and respectful, and we are encouraged that we have been able to reach an agreement that the bargaining committee fully endorsed” said Sherri Hawkes, President of USW Local 2020-05.

“We are pleased that the agreement appropriately meets the needs for both the company and union members” said Mitch Medina, Manager of Employee and Labour Relations for Vale’s North Atlantic Operations. “I feel this is exemplified in the endorsement of the agreement by the USW Local 2020 bargaining committee reflecting the positive collaboration throughout the negotiation process.” Continue Reading →

The builder of a Dubreuilville gold mine is now an owner – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – March 31, 2021)

March 31, 2021 in Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications, Gold and Silver, Ontario Mining

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Argonaut Gold ahead of schedule in clearing room for open-pit operation

The builders of an open-pit gold camp, outside Dubreuilville, have taken an ownership stake in the project.

Argonaut Gold has raised $10 million through a private placement share offering with its contractor, Ausenco Engineering Canada.

This arrangement was first contemplated last January when Ausenco came aboard through a fix-bid engineering, procurement, construction and commission contract to to build the on-site processing plant at Magino. Continue Reading →

‘We’ve got what the world needs and we don’t talk about it’ – by Andrew Autio (Sudbury Star – March 31, 2021)

March 31, 2021 in Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications, Northern Ontario Politics, Ontario Mining

https://www.thesudburystar.com/

The economic potential of northeastern Ontario is largely untapped according to a new think-tank organization focused on promoting the region’s most appealing qualities to the world. The Abitibi Institute held its official launch last week.

The policy-focused organization has four founding members: Tony Makuch, president and CEO of Kirkland Lake Gold, Timmins Mayor George Pirie, Robert Manseau, CEO of Commerce Management, and Gaetan Malette, a community consultant with Dumas Contracting.

Malette, the founding vice-president, lamented at how far the region’s forest industry has sunk over the past few decades. “The lack of effective policy essentially wiped out the pulp industry in Smooth Rock Falls, and the paper mill in Iroquois Falls,” he said. Continue Reading →

First Nation and junior mining company reach exploration accord – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – March 26, 2021)

March 30, 2021 in Aboriginal and Inuit Mining and Oil/Gas, Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications, Junior Exploration Sector, Ontario Mining

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Aroland First Nation issues permit, gives consent to exploration on traditional lands by Silver Spruce Resources

Aroland First Nation and junior miner Silver Spruce Resources have signed an agreement to approve of exploration activities in northwestern Ontario.

The Indigenous community is issuing a permit to the Bedford, Nova Scotia company to do exploration on its Melchett Lake property, which sits within Aroland’s traditional territory. This is a separate agreement outside of any provincial permitting process.

According to the company’s website, Melchett Lake contains a mineral belt with several occurrences of zinc, lead, copper, silver, and gold. Silver Resources has other early-stage exploration projects in Mexico. Continue Reading →

Norilsk, Russia is closer to Thunder Bay than one might think – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – March 26, 2021)

March 29, 2021 in Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications, Junior Exploration Sector, Ontario Mining, Platinum Group Metals

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Discovery of massive sulfides considered a breakthrough at Clear Air Metals’ Thunder Bay North project

The proponents behind a plan to build a high-grade palladium mine north of Thunder Bay are pressing the reset button. But with good reason.

Exploration drilling by Clean Air Metals at its Thunder Bay North project recently hit massive sulfide material at one of its deposits, 40 kilometres north of the city. In a recent news release, the Thunder Bay-based junior mining company is calling this a “potential gamechanger.”

The company has been drawing comparisons between the geology of Thunder Bay North to that of Norilsk, a prolific mining area in Russia’s High Arctic that’s been in production for more than a century. It’s considered one of the world’s richest and most minerally well-endowed mining camps. Continue Reading →

Vale mining boss looks ahead to a sustainable future in the Sudbury Basin – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – March 23, 2021)

March 24, 2021 in Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications, Nickel, Ontario Mining, Sudbury Basin

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Replenishing the diminishing nickel reserves in Sudbury begins with people power and partnerships, says Dino Otranto

The days of senior management thinking that what was good for Inco was good for Sudbury are long over.

The head of operations of its corporate successor, Vale, talked this week about ‘transformational’ change on the operational and technology front in the Sudbury Basin but also within the internal culture at one of the world’s biggest base metal miners.

“What we’ve learned as an organization is how we do what we do is more important than ever before,” said Dino Otranto, chief operating officer for Vale’s North Atlantic Operations and Asian Refineries. Continue Reading →

Marathon plans to reap the benefits from palladium, copper mine – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – March 17, 2021)

March 24, 2021 in Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications, Copper, Ontario Mining, Platinum Group Metals

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

The Town of Marathon is banking on preparation paying off. A proposed open-pit mine on the outskirts of the north shore community of 3,300 could attract as many as 2,000 people over the next two to three years.

Earlier this month, Toronto’s Generation Mining released a positive feasibility study of its Marathon Palladium and Copper Project, projecting a 13-year mine life with an aggressive timeline to begin mining by 2024.

The $1-billion development is expected to bring 1,100 construction jobs to town, employ close to 400 miners when in operation, and generate many more indirect and spinoff positions. Continue Reading →

Vale’s search for new mines, reserves continues in Sudbury – by Harald Carmichael (Sudbury Star – March 24, 2021)

March 24, 2021 in Battery Technology Innovation/Electric Vehicles, Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications, Nickel, Ontario Mining, Vale

https://www.thesudburystar.com/

These are interesting times for Vale’s operations in Sudbury and Canada. World nickel prices are high, but so are inventories. The electric vehicle market, which will need substantial quantities of nickel for the batteries to power those vehicles, is poised to take off globally.

The nickel reserves now being mined in Greater Sudbury and Thompson, Man., however, are starting to head into their senior years.

And while there are numerous projects in the early stages of development or on the books to replace those long-standing operations, Vale’s North Atlantic operations are embarking on a much-different business approach as they head into the next decade and beyond. Continue Reading →

New Gold takes an ownership stake in White River mine – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – March 18, 2021)

March 22, 2021 in Canadian Regional Media and Web Publications, Gold and Silver, Ontario Mining

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Harte Gold pockets $24.8 million investment to march on with mine expansion

The owners of the Rainy River Mine are making a “strategic investment” in Harte Gold’s Sugar Zone Mine, north of White River.

New Gold is taking a 14.9 per cent interest in the underground mine by way of a $24.8 million investment through a share purchase agreement. The investment transaction closes on March 24.

In a March 18 news release, Harte said the proceeds are earmarked for mine construction and expansion, and to help with a scheduled US$3.3-million debt payment on a loan from BNP Paribas by March 31. Harte said no further debt payment will be required for the remainder of this year. Continue Reading →