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Hundreds attended nuclear event in Ignace – by Mike Stimpson (NWO Newswatch – April 15, 2024)

https://www.nwonewswatch.com/

“Words alone cannot explain the excitement and joy we had as a township to host one of the most important nuclear learning events that this community has ever witnessed.”

IGNACE — More than 500 people checked out the Northwest Nuclear Exploration Event last Friday and Saturday at the Ignace Recreation Centre, according to the township. “Words alone cannot explain the excitement and joy we had as a township to host one of the most important nuclear learning events that this community has ever witnessed,” Mayor Kim Baigrie said in a news release.

Giving thanks to all who made the event a success, she made particular mention of Daila Delescaille and Andi Davenport for their Saturday afternoon presentation as Ignace “youth representatives.”

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‘Enough hot air, we want fresh air’: How a wildcat miners’ strike helped change Ontario labour law – by Jamie Bradburn (TVO Today – April 18, 2024)

https://www.tvo.org/

Fifty years ago, uranium miners in Elliot Lake hit the picket line, triggering a series of events that led to protections for all workers in the province

“Silicosis is an incurable lung disease that can lead to disability and death. Silicosis is the result of the body’s response to the presence of silica particles in the lung. Silica particles are very small in size and can reach deep into the lungs (into the alveoli), where they are removed by white blood cells.

Free crystalline silica causes the white blood cells to break open, which forms scar-like patches on the surface of the alveolus. When a large number of these “scars” form, the alveolar surfaces become less elastic. Over time, this damage reduces the transfer of gases, which can lead to shortness of breath.” — Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety website

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Avalon dives into the details of proposed Thunder Bay lithium refinery – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – April 12, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Toronto developer begins study of what a lithium conversion plant might look like

Avalon Advanced Materials has started a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) of its proposed Thunder Bay lithium refinery. The Toronto company said in a news release that DRA Americas, an internationally known engineering firm, is the lead consultant tasked with pulling the PEA together.

The PEA is part of a series of economic and technical analyses that will inform Avalon’s decision to construct the facility. Avalon secured $15 million from a New York fund manager in March to do the study.

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Northeastern Ontario glitters with record gold prices and municipal leaders see lots of pluses – by Nishat Chowdhury (CBC News Sudbury – April 15, 2024)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/

Gold prices topped $2,400 US an ounce last week

Record-high gold prices are welcome news for mining operations in northeastern Ontario as the metal continues to surge in the market. Gold prices topped $2,400 US an ounce last week, a 20 per cent increase from the same time in 2023.

Some mayors from northeastern communities say the gold rush has helped local economies. “It’s been excellent for the community,” said Mark Stickel, mayor of Matachewan, home of the Young-Davidson mine located 60 kilometres west of Kirkland.

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Nickel developer hires access road consultant – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – April 15, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Tartisan’s Kenbridge Project hold promise of nine years of mine life

Tartisan Nickel, a mine developer in the Kenora area, has retained a Thunder Bay mining services company to help with project management of its Kenbridge Project. Northwest Solutions specializes in catering to the forestry and natural resources sector since 2014. The family-owned Thunder Bay company helps with training, project management support and communication consulting services.

Tartisan said Northwest Solutions, specifically co-owner Kevin Shorthouse, will handle the design, permitting and construction of an access road to the site.

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Could Sudbury’s mine waste feed the steel industry? – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – April 9, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Biomining company sees tonnes of iron waiting to be extracted from Sudbury tailings

A biomining company that’s rooting around Sudbury’s mine tailings insists there are multiple metal and commodity products waiting to be extracted. Toronto’s BacTech Environmental is filing a patent application for its unique and innovative bioleaching process that recovers valuable metals from mine waste while also cleaning up toxic industrial environments.

BacTech’s process has demonstrated it’s already capable of recovering nickel, copper and cobalt from mine tailings, but now there’s the potential to pull the iron out of the pile while also making a fertilizer product.

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“It’s colonialism – alive and well today”: First Nations call for mining restrictions – by Austin Campbell (SN News Watch – April 5, 2024)

https://www.snnewswatch.com/

Biigtigong Nishnaabeg and Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg First Nations issued a joint statement on April 2 condemning the provincial government for allowing mining claims to be registered in “core cultural areas” – areas located on lands which Biigtigong and Netmizaaggamig have asserted Aboriginal title.

As stated in the release from both communities, asserting Aboriginal title means that “BN and NN have given notice to the Crown that they did not cede their lands, or agree to share their lands, through the signing of a treaty.”

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OPINION: Can Hudson Bay and James Bay territory be saved before it’s too late? – by Tanya Talaga (Globe and Mail – April 5, 2024)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Something hopeful is stirring among the Omushkego communities in Northern Ontario. The communities, along with Fort Severn and Weenusk First Nations, have hatched a plan to save one of the last vast, untouched areas of the planet from an industry quickly advancing northward to mine critical minerals, blasting through ecologically sensitive areas to do so. They know all too well how hard it is to stop the hungry mouths of the South, with their insatiable need for the resources of the North.

It’s a reflection of the weird contradiction in which the world finds itself: In order to cool a warming planet, the argument goes, we have to mine the Earth for critical minerals to make electric vehicles that will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, destroying the peatlands of the far North – giant storehouses for an estimated 35 billion tonnes of carbon – in the process.

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Proponents see northern Ontario’s Ring of Fire opposition melting like ice roads – Colin McCelland (Northern Miner – April 4, 2024)

https://www.northernminer.com/

Construction timelines remain fuzzy but proponents are still optimistic two and half years into studying roads to serve the Ring of Fire critical minerals region in northern Ontario.

Three all-season roads totalling 362 km are planned for the area 540 km northeast of Thunder Bay. The main highway would start at the end of a forestry road north of Aroland First Nation and the village of Nakina and head to the Ring of Fire. One branch would run to the Marten Falls First Nation to the east while another would connect to the Webequie First Nation to the west.

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Electra inks cobalt supply agreement for Temiskaming refinery – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – April 3, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Luxembourg multinational Eurasian Resources Group to provide plant feed from Democratic Republic of Congo starting in 2026

Electra Battery Materials has struck a deal to secure a supply of “ethically sourced” cobalt from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to feed its refinery project in Temiskaming.

The Toronto company announced it’s signed a binding letter of intent with Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), considered a global leader in the metal, to ship concentrated cobalt from its Metalkol operation in the African country to Electra’s still-to-be-completed facility in northeastern Ontario

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IAMGOLD pours its first gold bar in northern Ont. – by Dan Bertrand (CTV News Northern Ontario – April 3, 2024)

https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/

The new Côté Gold Mine in Gogama, Ont., has officially poured its first gold bar. After more than four years of construction and 15 million plus hours of work, IAMGOLD has achieved a memorable milestone at its newest open pit mine that has become the flagship of its Canadian operations.

Company president and CEO Renaud Adams said the achievement represents the culmination of years of hard work by the project team. “An incredible effort for the team on the ground as the project cost to first gold remains in line with the updated budget estimate while maintaining a near impeccable safety record(opens in a new tab),” he said.

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First gold pour at Gogama mine – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – April 1, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

IAMGOLD targets third quarter for commercial production at Côté

The new Côté Gold Mine has poured its first gold bar. Almost four years after the sod-turning to begin digging out the open pit, IAMGOLD is marking a memorable milestone of its now flagship operation outside Gogama.

“This achievement represents the culmination of over 15 million hours of work over four years of construction — an incredible effort for the team on the ground as the project cost to first gold remains in line with the updated budget estimate while maintaining a near impeccable safety record,” said company president-CEO Renaud Adams in a March 31 news release.

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Sudbury letter: Mining exploration in Ontario dying – by Peter Best (Sudbury Star – March 28, 2024)

https://www.thesudburystar.com/

Re: ‘Ford government ignoring mine exploration sector,’ March 26.

Mr. Chitaroni’s opinion column is too timid and politically correct to properly represent the dire state of Ontario’s junior mining sector.

The Ford government has more than ignored this sector. Rather, it has abandoned it to the economy-killing, perfectly legal, consult and accommodate and UNDRIP claims of First Nations and their big city lawyers.

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Why Ontario can’t afford to ignore juniors in the next budget – by Gino Chitaroni (Northern Miner – March 22, 2024)

https://www.northernminer.com/

Without a doubt, one of the most important challenges facing the next generation is global warming and the need to decarbonize the transportation sector. This can only happen with the sustainable development of new mines that produce the copper, nickel, cobalt, lithium and other critical minerals that can be found throughout northern Ontario’s rich geology.

However, it is the junior exploration sector that has traditionally found economic mineral deposits that are sold to majors who have the financial capacity to build new mines. This important and vital part of the mining ecosystem is largely being ignored by the Ontario government.

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Alamos Gold to buy Argonaut Gold in all-share deal valued at $325 million – by Neils Christensen (Kitco News – March 27, 2024)

https://www.kitco.com/

(Kitco News) – Merger and acquisition activity in the mining sector is picking up as Alamos Gold announces its plan to buy Argonaut Gold in an all-shares transaction valued at $325 million.

The two companies announced the friendly acquisition on Wednesday before the North American equity market open. Under the agreement, Argonaut shareholders will receive 0.185 shares of Alamos and one share of a spinoff company.

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