Ontario Mining – Page 235 – Republic of Mining

Don’t take [mining] prosperity for granted, warns Rae – by Karen McKinley (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – March 12, 2013)

March 12, 2013

Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

Northwestern Ontario may be on the brink of an economic boon, but the province can’t take that opportunity for granted, says federal Liberal interim leader Bob Rae.

Rae spoke Monday at a Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce luncheon. The former NDP premier of Ontario confirmed that he could become a negotiator for First Nations with links to the mining zone, and he would working with federal FedNor Minister Tony Clement.

But Rae said nothing about a new job will be finalized until his term at the Liberal helm winds up with the party’s leadership vote on April 14. Rae focused on the potential for prosperity in the region with the Ring of Fire.

“If we can’t take prosperity for granted and we have to work at it, then we must also mean we must not take this project for granted,” he said in his address at the Airlane Hotel and Conference Centre.

He said as premier of Ontario, he learned many hard lessons, like a province should never take prosperity for granted. Rae recalled that the day after he was elected in 1990, he was told that the province was going to go from a surplus in May to an $8-billion deficit in a very short time. By the next year, it was a $10-billion deficit due to falling revenues.

Ring ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’ – by Star Staff (Sudbury Star – March 12, 2013)

March 12, 2013

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

The federal minister responsible for Northern Ontario continues to promote the economic potential of the Ring of Fire. Tony Clement, minister for FedNor, told the Ontario Chamber of Commerce in Toronto the Ring of Fire could create as many as 5,000 new jobs in the region if fully developed.

“The Ring of Fire represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create jobs, and generate growth and long-term prosper ity for Northern Ontario and the nation,” Clement said in a release.

“As minister for FedNor and as the federal lead minister on this initiative, I welcome the opportunity to work with all levels of government, as well as First Nations and industry stakeholders to prepare and implement the collaborative economic development approaches for the region.”

The Ring of Fire, located about 500 km northeast of Thunder Bay, is potentially the largest mining development ever seen in Northern Ontario, Clement told chamber officials. The region has significant deposits of nickel and copper and represents North America’s single largest deposit of chromite, the main ingredient in stainless steel.

With mineral content worth an estimated $30 billion to $50 billion, the Ring of Fire could create up to 5,000 direct and indirect jobs in Northern Ontario alone.

‘Rubik’s cube’ of development outcomes to be solved mutually – Clement – by Henry Lazenby (MiningWeekly.com – March 12, 2013)

March 12, 2013

http://www.miningweekly.com/page/americas-home

TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – The Minister of the Canadian government’s economic development organisation for Northern Ontario (FedNor) Tony Clement was on Monday promoting the federal government’s commitment to bring together all role-players from the private and public sectors, including the First Nations, to map the way forward for developing the Ring of Fire.

Clement underscored the economic development potential of the Ring of Fire and reaffirmed the Harper government’s commitment to mining development in the region and within the country.

“It’s kind of like a ‘Rubik’s cube’ of public policy development and the sequencing of events. No one said it was simple. No one said that you could easily tie up all aspects in a nice neat bow.

“All aspects will be reiterative and in five or ten years from now there will be similar issues that we would have dealt with already, that will lead to economic development,” Clement said.

Clement was in recent weeks placed in charge of coordinating the federal government’s efforts to develop regulatory and public policies with regard to developing the minerals-rich north of Ontario.

Great potential [for Ring of Fire] – by Jamie Smith (tbnewswatch.com – March 11, 2013)

March 12, 2013

http://www.tbnewswatch.com/

Bob Rae says he’s been in talks with a regional First Nations council to work together on the Ring of Fire. But the interim Liberal leader couldn’t say exactly what his role would be.

“I don’t think it’s clear yet. I have had meetings with the Matawa tribal council. They’ve asked me to work with them,” Rae said in Thunder Bay Monday.

Matawa needs to discuss and negotiate with the province further before he could determine how he would work with them. But as an MP, Rae said he has already looked into the process of conflict of interest should he take on any sort of role after a new Liberal leader is chosen next month.

“I have begun the discussion but that’s not by any means completed yet,” he said. Rae spoke to the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce Monday at the Travelodge Airlane, saying the Ring of Fire has the potential to be as great or greater than mineral discoveries near Sudbury were 100 years ago.

While there is great prosperity to be had, Rae said development has to be done right. That means sustainability. “The environmental tests can’t be the tests of long ago days. They have to be stronger,” he said.

The Honourable Tony Clement Minister for FedNor – ONTARIO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE [RING OF FIRE] SPEECH (March 11, 2013)

March 11, 2013

This speech was given at the TMX Broadcast Centre, Gallery Room, The Exchange Tower, Toronto, Ontario.

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Thank you for that kind introduction. I am pleased to have the opportunity to address the Ontario Chamber of Commerce today.

The important role your organization plays as an advocate for small business and entrepreneurship in this province is second to none.

It is clear that you understand the value of the small business sector to the economic success of our nation. Let me assure you that the Harper Government shares your vision and determination that Ontario be a leading destination in the world to do business.

We appreciate your engagement with the upcoming budget and your targeted recommendations for spurring job creation, growth and investment in the province. We also appreciate your recognition of the significance of the Ring of Fire to Ontario’s long-term prosperity.

Your call that there be a federal lead on this incredibly important development was timely and prescient. You recognized that there needed to be not only federal leadership, but a coordinated, whole of government approach to what is a promising yet very complex opportunity.

And our government agrees. The Prime Minister understood the need to bring renewed impetus to this development. The promise and possibility of the Ring of Fire has been talked about for several years now. But the flames of excitement, quite honestly, had started to dampen and the Prime Minister realized it was time to add a little oxygen to the embers.

Getting connected [Ring of Fire] – by Jeff Labine (tbnewswatch.com – March 8, 2013)

March 11, 2013

http://www.tbnewswatch.com/

The debate to develop an all-weather road or a railway into the Ring of Fire doesn’t have the chief of Marten Falls First Nation worried.

Chief Eli Moonias and many other Matawa First Nation chiefs met with premier Kathleen Wynne in Toronto to discuss the Ring of Fire project. Minister of Northern Development and Mines Michael Gravelle and Minister of Aboriginal Affairs David Zimmer also attended the meeting.

A recently released study favoured a railroad into the massive chromite deposit in the lower James Bay area instead of an all-weather access road. While rail would be a more significant initial investment, the study concluded it would be the cheaper long-term solution for shipping materials.

Moonias said it didn’t matter which one is built as long as there were access roads for the First Nation communities to use. “If they put in a railway I think we will be approaching it in the manner that we would be involved with it,” he said.

“If they are putting in the railway, we want to be assured that access roads will be built so we can get out of this isolation.”

Detour Gold Shuns M&A to Avoid Barrick’s Plight – by Liezel Hill (Bloomberg.com – March 8, 2013)

March 11, 2013

http://www.bloomberg.com/

Detour Gold Corp. (DGC), a miner backed by billionaire hedge-fund manager John Paulson, is avoiding acquisitions that have hurt competitors to focus on its C$1.5 billion ($1.46 billion) project in northern Ontario.

The company has set “deliverable” targets at Detour Lake, potentially the biggest gold mine in Canada, Chief Executive Officer Gerald Panneton said. The value of some miners is “dilapidated” because they issued shares to fund acquisitions that diverted management’s attention, he said.

“A mine is a headache, pure and simple, so if you have 10 mines, how many headaches do you have?” Panneton said in a March 5 interview at Bloomberg’s Toronto office. “If you have one mine and you are focusing, you have a better chance of success.”

Shares of gold-mining companies have underperformed the metal for each of the last six years amid surging production costs, project budget blowouts and startup delays. Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX), the world’s largest producer, where Panneton worked for 12 years, said Feb. 14 it took a $3 billion writedown on a Zambian mine it bought in 2011. Another Toronto-based competitor, Kinross Gold Corp. (K), said a day earlier it took a $3.09 billion writedown at the Tasiast gold project, an African mine acquired in 2010.

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“There is a great deal of gold at Tasiast — we view it as a cornerstone asset and an important part of our future,” Steve Mitchell, a Kinross spokesman, said yesterday by e-mail.

Award is icing on the cake for Aboriginal mine service company Windigo Catering

March 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.

Windigo Catering, an Aboriginal business serving Ontario Mining Association member Goldcorp’s Musselwhite Mine, has found its own recipe for business success. This has been recognized through becoming the sixth recipient of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada’s (PDAC) Skookum Jim Award. This honour is presented to recognize excellence in service and contributions to the mining industry by Aboriginal enterprises.

The company is owned by five members of the Windigo First Nations Council in northwestern Ontario. Profits are shared among the five Windigo member First Nations – Bearskin Lake, Cat Lake, North Caribou Lake, Sachigo Lake and New Slate Falls. As well as catering, the company provides camp management, commissary, housekeeping, laundry and janitorial services.

Windigo First Nations is a partner in the business-to-business agreement with Goldcorp that has helped nurture a range of employment, skills training, economic development opportunities and environmental protection initiatives. Windigo Catering, which is located in Sioux Lookout, employs 66 people of which 83% are Aboriginal.

Training along with competitive salaries and benefits are provided by the company to employees. The catering company grosses more than $6 million annually and the Windigo First Nation Council also receives monthly revenue sharing cheques from the mine.

Cliffs Natural Resources: A bargain stock that’s only for the brave – David Milstead (Globe and Mail – March 9, 2013)

March 9, 2013

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

When the shareholders of Montreal-based Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Ltd. sold their company to Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. in the spring of 2011, they weren’t offered the high-flying shares of the U.S. acquirer as payment. They had to settle for cash, instead.

That proved to be fortuitous, as Cliffs’ shares have since, well, fallen off a cliff. At recent trades around $25 (U.S.), they are down by more than 70 per cent.

Cliffs’ plunge may suggest that it’s a buying opportunity – but if so, it’s an opportunity only for the brave. While the shares could conceivably double from current levels, there’s also a good chance they could approach zero.

Investors seeking upside in the sector have safer options in the three international giants BHP Billiton Ltd., Vale SA and Rio Tinto Group. But they should be aware that the clouds hanging over the iron-ore sector show no signs of clearing any time soon.

Cliffs’ fall from favour provides a dramatic demonstration of how quickly circumstances have deteriorated for miners. Only a couple of years ago, raw-materials producers were riding high, largely on the strength of China’s building boom. To investors and mining CEOs, it seemed clear the Asian country’s white-hot growth would require an endless supply of materials, from iron ore to copper to previously little-known rare earths.

Articulating a Vision for a Prosperous North and a Strong Provincial Mineral Development Sector – by the Honourable Ontario Mines Minister Micheal Gravelle (March 8, 2013)

March 9, 2013

Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce

Thunder Bay, Ontario

March 8, 2013

Michael Gravelle is the Ontario Minister of Northern Development and Mines

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Thank you, Ed. Good afternoon, everyone. It’s wonderful to be here to speak with so many members and guests of the Chamber of Commerce. Thank you for being here.

As I said just after the new Ontario government was formed, I’m honoured that Premier Wynne has entrusted me with the portfolio of Northern Development and Mines.

I’m excited to be back in a role where I can combine my strong commitment to northern communities with my understanding of the issues and opportunities, gained from direct connection with many, many northerners during my years as an MPP and, most recently, as Minister of Natural Resources.

For that reason it’s important to me, as I begin my second term as Northern Development and Mines Minister, for my first formal speaking engagement to be here with you. Let me start by thanking the Chamber for accommodating my request, and for organizing this opportunity for us to get together.

Uncertainty dogs Ring of Fire stocks – by Peter Kennedy (Stockhouse.com – March 7, 2013)

March 8, 2013

http://www.stockhouse.com/

Chromite mines developed by Cliffs and others may feed Ontario’s mining services infrastructure, but transportation remains a big question mark. Who knew that chromite mining in the Ring of Fire region could one day be a major economic driver for Ontario?

“Ring of Fire is one of the most promising mineral development opportunities in Ontario in almost a century,’’ said George Ross, a deputy minister in Ontario’s Northern Development and Mines Ministry, during a speech to a mining conference in Toronto this week.

“Current estimates suggest multi-generational potential for chromite production as well as significant production for nickel, copper and platinum,” Ross said.

Chromite mined from the Ring of Fire, a remote part of northern Ontario, is expected to feed the province’s massive mining services and supply chain for many decades to come.

Extracted and then concentrated at source, it must be shipped by road or rail to processing facilities, likely in Sudbury, where it will be turned into Ferrochrome, a critical ingredient used to manufacture stainless steel.

If it all goes ahead, U.S. giant Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF, Stock Forum) could easily invest up to $3.3 billion in mining, transportation and processing facilities, producing 2.3 million tonnes of chromium in concentrates from its Black Thor project.

Tom started Stompin’ in Timmins – by Ron Grech (Timmins Daily Press – March 8, 2013)

March 8, 2013

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

Stompin Tom Connors’ Mining Songs: http://republicofmining.com/2013/01/21/stompin-tom-connors-wiki-profile-and-mining-songs/

TIMMINS – His patriotism, twangy music and storytelling lyrics made him a beloved Canadian icon. But for many Timmins residents, Stompin’ Tom Connors, who was born in New Brunswick, was as much a hometown hero as Shania Twain, Frank Mahovolich or Steve Sullivan.

Connors died Wednesday of natural causes at his home in Halton Hills, Ont. He was 77. Connors, who would go on to great fame, got his first break in Timmins.

He signed a contract to perform for 13 months at the Maple Leaf Hotel and recorded his first songs here at CKGB Radio, which was located in the old Thomson building, which was then shared by The Daily Press. He would end up recording 16 tracks at CKGB during his time in Timmins.

One of the first two songs he recorded was Carolyne which opens with the words: “T-I-M-M-I-N-S That’s going to be my new address, ’Cause I just got a new job working in the mine, Hollinger Mine.” Many city residents know it simply as the “Timmins song.”

National chamber bullish on ‘Ring’- by Laura Stricker (Sudbury Star – March 8, 2013)

March 8, 2013

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

The Ring of Fire could mean for Northern Ontario what potash does for Saskatchewan, and the oil sands do for Alberta, the president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce says.

“There are enormous opportunities. And if you look at Northern Ontario, for so long they’ve really been treated as second-class citizens in Ontario, with all of the focus being on the south. When you look now at the opportunity there is in the north, it’s just spectacular,” said Perrin Beatty, who spoke to QMI Agency during the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference in Toronto this week.

Located in the James Bay Lowlands, the Ring of Fire is a mineral-rich area in Northern Ontario, which, according to the Ministry of Northern Developments and Mines, is “one of the most promising mineral development opportunities in Ontario in almost a century.”

It has the largest amount of chromite — used to make stainless steel — ever found in North America. Cliffs Natural Resources is in the midst of developing a chromite mine in the Ring, and is in the early stages of the environmental assessment (EA) process. EAs are required for large or complex projects with the possibility of having significant effects on the environment.

Last year, Cliffs selected the Moose Mountain site north of Capreol as the location for its ferrochrome smelter. The smelter will create as many as 500 jobs locally.

Ring of Fire project has staggering hurdles to overcome, but progress on horizon – by Peter Koven (National Post – March 7, 2013)

March 8, 2013

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper.

TORONTO — When Noront Resources Ltd. blared the Johnny Cash song ‘Ring of Fire’ over and over at its annual meeting in Toronto in 2007, it felt like a giant party.

Only weeks earlier, Noront had made the first key mineral discovery in McFaulds Lake, a remote Northern Ontario region that was quickly nicknamed the Ring of Fire. Excitement about the find was at a fever pitch, and companies were staking land like crazy. No one could wait to find out what came next.

Fast-forward to this year’s Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference, and it is a different story. A session on the Ring of Fire drew a huge standing-room-only crowd on Wednesday, but with none of the euphoria of that Noront AGM. The session highlighted the staggering challenges that need to be overcome to get the region going: infrastructure, First Nations agreements, environmental compliance, transportation, and more.

“Our view is this goes beyond traditional mineral development activity,” said George Ross, Ontario’s deputy minister of northern development and mines. “There’s a lot of aspects to it.” The Ring of Fire is thought to hold as much as $50-billion worth of minerals, and is going to be North America’s first major source of chromite, used in the making of stainless steel. It is one of the most important mineral discoveries in Ontario’s history.

Make native groups partners [in Ring of Fire] – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – March 7, 2013)

March 7, 2013

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

First Nations are cheering on development of the Ring of Fire, looking to its chromite-rich deposits as a way out of poverty.

But they are calling for — and have a right to expect — “quality consultation” with governments and companies about how First Nations can share in the mineral wealth located in the backyards, says Claude Gravelle.

The Nickel Belt New Democrat MP is hoping a Conservative MP, Treasury Board president Tony Clement, will move discussions with aboriginal people forward in his role as federal lead for the Ring of Fire.

First Nations want to “sit at the same tables” as government and industry, said Gravelle, who attended a morning session on the Ring of Fire on Wednesday at the annual convention of the Prospectors and Developments Association of Canada.

Representatives from First Nations near the ring and companies who will be mining there participated in the session.

There are enough riches in the Ring of Fire, located in the James Bay lowlands, to create economic benefits for all of Canada, said Gravelle, “and it will probably be a life-saver for First Nations.”

At the Wednesday session, First Nations chiefs called for treaties dating back to the late 1800s to be updated, the same way municipalities update their bylaws, said Gravelle.