Atikokan showcases itself for new construction – Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – September 2012)

Established in 1980, Northern Ontario Business provides Canadians and international investors with relevant, current and insightful editorial content and business news information about Ontario’s vibrant and resource-rich North. Ian Ross is the editor of Northern Ontario Business ianross@nob.on.ca.

A slew of coming new industrial development has the Town of Atikokan rolling out the welcome mat to investors. The sleepy northwestern Ontario town of 3,300 is making early preparations to host one of Canada’s largest open-pit gold mines.
 
The municipality has released an accommodations study to entice builders to beat a path down Highway 11 to the former iron ore mining town, 180 km west of Thunder Bay. With a new mine on the horizon and several other job-creating developments on the schedule, the town anticipates a surge of construction workers arriving in the very near future, followed by the more permanent jobs in mining, power generation and wood pellet manufacturing.
 
A report by Crupi Consulting of Thunder Bay said Atikokan is facing a severe shortage of housing with “almost zero availability” for homes and rental units. Five major development projects, plus an addition onto the hospital, could create an estimated 1,500 to 1,700 construction jobs over the next five to seven years, followed by the promise of as many as 800 to 1,000 permanent jobs.

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Glencore firms up Xstrata bid – by Clara Ferreira-Marques and Dinesh Nair (Reuters/Sudbury Star – September 10, 2012)

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

LONDON — Trader Glencore, hammering out a revised $36-billion bid for miner Xstrata in intense weekend negotiations, is set to detail its new offer to the market as early as Monday, days after proposing 11th-hour changes to save the deal.
 
Sources familiar with the deal said commodities trader Glencore, keen to clarify its own position but also under pressure from Xstrata and U.K. regulators, would publish details of the higher offer early next week.
 
Two sources said the new, firm, offer was expected on Monday. The firm offer will then be studied by Xstrata’s board and non-executive directors — who on Friday questioned Glencore’s new proposal and said they required more details in order to decide on whether or not to recommend it. The Xstrata board will also discuss the proposal with top independent shareholders, one other source familiar with the deal said.
 
The deal has implications for Sudbury. Xstrata owns Xstrata Nickel, whose Sudbury operations consist of the Nickel Rim South Mine, Fraser Mine, a mill and a smelter. Nickel and copper are the primary metals, but cobalt and precious metals such as platinum are also produced. Xstrata employs about 1,000 people in the Sudbury area.

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Detour Gold set to open Canada’s biggest gold mine – Pav Jordan (Globe and Mail – September 10, 2012)

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.

Detour Gold is closing in on the opening of Canada’s largest gold mine in January, just as rallying gold prices set the stage for fat profits. “We’re in the last stretch,” said founder Gerald Panneton, a geologist and industry veteran who worked at global gold mining giants such as Barrick Gold Corp. before starting his own company in 2006 and taking it public in January, 2007. “We foresee that we will be completely finished building by the end of the year.”

The Detour Lake mine in the Cochrane, Ont., area marks the strongest sign yet of a trend toward massive, open-pit gold mining in Canada on a scale more commonly seen in desert geographies in Nevada or Chile or on the African continent. Other examples include Osisko Mining Corp. and its Malartic project in Quebec and San Gold Corp.’s Rice Lake mine in Manitoba.

“They really spearheaded this movement of going into old camps where you had traditionally high-grade narrow-vein type mines, and looking at the bigger picture and seeing whether or not that can be developed into a very large, open-pit style low-grade deposit,” said Mike White, chief executive officer of IBK Capital, the boutique investment bank that helped broker the consolidation of Detour Gold’s exploration properties for their former owner, Pelangio Mines Inc.

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Martin Falls signs Ring of Fire agreement with Ontario – by Lenny Carpenter (Wawatay News – September 7, 2012)

Northern Ontario’s First Nations Voice: http://wawataynews.ca/

Marten Falls First Nation and the Ontario government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Sept. 7.  The agreement signifies a working relationship where the two parties will work to ensure minimal environmental impacts as a result of mining development in the Ring of Fire.
 
Signed in Marten Falls by Chief Eli Moonias, Northern Development and Mines Minister Rick Bartolucci and Natural Resources Minister Michael Gravelle, the MOU addresses the employment, economic development and environmental impacts of any Ring of Fire projects in the First Nation’s traditional territory.
 
In a media release, Moonias said the Ring of Fire is an opportunity for the community to work towards the implementation of Treaty 9, which their ancestors signed with mutual benefits for all parties, including an annual payment of $4 for all band members.
 
“Needless to say, the environment has no price tag,” he said. “Therefore, development will proceed only if the environmental assessment process is thorough and with the full participation of Marten Falls First Nation.”

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NEWS RELEASE: NORONT RELEASES POSITIVE FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR EAGLE’S NEST PROJECT

Sep. 4, 2012

Toronto, Ontario, September 4, 2012. Noront Resources Ltd. (“Noront” or the “Company”) (TSX Venture: NOT) is pleased to announce the results of an updated National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”) compliant Feasibility Study (“FS”) for a stand alone nickel, copper, platinum group element (“Ni-Cu-PGE”) mine and mill complex exploiting the Company’s 100% owned Eagle’s Nest deposit (the “Project”), McFaulds Lake, James Bay Lowlands, Ontario. The results of the independent study, completed by Independent Consultants1 under the supervision of Micon International (“Micon”), confirms that Eagle’s Nest offers robust economics.
 
FEASIBILITY STUDY HIGHLIGHTS:

A Discounted Cash Flow (“DCF”) based on the Assumed Metal Prices2 indicates:
•an after tax Net Present Value at an 8% discount rate (“NPV(8%)”) of $543 million;
•an after tax IRR exceeding 28%;•an estimated initial capital investment of $609 million;
•an estimated life of mine sustaining capital cost of $160 million;
•estimated operating costs (including road access fees) of $97 per tonne or $2.34 per pound of nickel equivalent or -$0.31 per pound of nickel net by-product credits;
•an estimated mine life of 11 years; and
•a capital payback period of under 3 years based on a 100% equity project.

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Bartolucci ‘very, very excited’ about the Ring of Fire – by Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – September 4, 2012)

Northern Ontario’s First Nations Voice: http://wawataynews.ca/

Concerns that Ontario is planning to give a special ministerial exemption to Cliffs Natural Resources so that the American company can export raw ore from the Ring of Fire out of Canada were raised in the provincial legislature Aug. 28.
 
The MPP for Timmins-James Bay who brought up the issue was left scratching his head over Northern Development and Mines Minister Rick Bartolucci’s response.
 
On Aug. 28 NDP MPP Gilles Bisson asked Bartolucci whether the government is “in any way in discussions with Cliffs resources to sign a ministerial permit allowing ore to be shipped out of Canada?” Instead of answering the question, Bartolucci explained the government’s position on the mining development.
 
“We are very, very excited about the Ring of Fire,” Bartolucci said in his response. “There are several aspects that the government is speaking to Cliffs about, which will be no surprise to the member from Timmins–James Bay, because we were very, very excited. I think members on both sides of the House were very, very excited when Cliffs decided that they were going to build their processing plant in Ontario.”

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Neskantaga will ‘continue to fight’ Ring of Fire despite court ruling – Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – August 31, 2012)

Northern Ontario’s First Nations Voice: http://wawataynews.ca/

Neskantaga Chief Peter Moonias says his community will continue to fight to slow down the Ring of Fire, just days after Ontario’s Mining Commissioner ruled against the First Nation on it’s case targeting a north-south road to the development.
 
Moonias also told Wawatay News that he remains committed to laying down his life to block a bridge being built over the Attawapiskat River.
 
“We will continue to fight, (with) whatever means we can,” Moonias said. “And I will stand by what I said before. I am not backing down on it, regardless of what Cliffs will do in there. I’m not backing down a bit. My people are prepared to do that. We are serious when we say something.”
 
The Ontario Mining Commissioner, Linda Kamerman, dismissed Neskantaga court case in a decision released Aug. 24. Neskantaga had gone to the mining court attempting to be named a landholder in a dispute over mining claims between Cliffs Natural Resources and Canada Chrome Corporation (CCC).

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[Ontario] North clearly not united – by John R. Hunt (Sudbury Star – August 22, 2012)

http://www.nugget.ca/

“When I think about it, strapping Bartolucci to the cow catcher might
be more fun than a flogging or getting him to resign. Can anyone help
arrange it?” (John R. Hunt – August 22, 2012)

A distinguished member of the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce has advocated the immediate resignation of Rick Bartolucci. No doubt you have heard of this politician who enjoys a special place in the hearts of all North Bay citizens.
 
I would cheerfully advocate a public flogging knowing full well that it might make my readers chuckle, but it will never happen. 
Throwing verbal mud at Dalton McGuinty and his favourite Northern boy is great fun, but does not accomplish much.
 
This provincial government is amazing. It allowed the refinery at Timmins to close and send ore from the Kidd Creek mine to Quebec. Allowed is the wrong word. Ontario’s energy prices are so ridiculous the mining company had to do something.
 
Now the government is going to sell Ontera, which is the communications branch of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission. It used to be the most profitable part of the Crown corporation.

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NEWS RELEASE: Neskantaga First Nation Will Continue to Fight the Construction of a Road to the Ring of Fire in the Wake of an Ontario Mining Commission Court Decision that Up-holds the Community’s Right to Consultation.

For Immediate Release

Thunder Bay, August 29, 2012 –   The Ontario Mining Commission court handed down a decision on a case that had involved Neskantaga First Nation last week. The community had hoped the decision would prevent Cliffs Natural Resources from building a road or rail line across the Attawapiskat River to the proposed site of the company’s Ring of Fire (ROF) chromite mine.  However, the Commission determined that their decision only concerns whether Canada Chrome should have to share the surface rights of the proposed easement with Cliffs Natural Resources and thus does not affect Neskantaga’s interest.

“The decision is both good and bad for us,” said Chief Peter Moonias of Neskantaga First Nation. “On one hand the Commission won’t make a decision about stopping the road, but on the other hand it has strongly acknowledged our First Nation’s right to be consulted.”

The Commission emphasized that its decision will not result in the grant of the road easement to Cliffs.  It is only a decision that tries to determine whether there is a reason that Canada Chrome should not be compelled to share any surface rights with Cliffs.  Once that decision is made, it will then fall to the Minister to decide if the easement should actually be granted.

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Mining builds communities across Ontario — Red Lake

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.

Red Lake was the world’s first fly-in, fly-out mining camp.  In 1925, what is billed as the last great gold rush in North America began in Red Lake.  Travel by dog team and canoe soon gave way to bush plane prospecting and in the mid-1930s Red Lake was one of the busiest airports in the world.  Up to the end of 2011, the historic gold production from the Red Lake area was almost 27 million ounces.

“Red Lake in 1925 was founded as a fly-in, fly-out camp and if it wasn’t for dog sleds and airplanes at that time, we might not be here,” said Phil Vinet, Mayor of Red Lake.  “The long and short of it is that we are a mining town and we can’t lose sight of that.”  The city’s largest annual event, the Norseman Festival, celebrates the role of this historic Canadian-made float plane. 

The largest workforce in the community is Goldcorp’s Red Lake operations, which has 1,000 employees and 500 contractors.  “You can’t find a better corporate citizen than Goldcorp,” said Mr. Vinet.  Along with Goldcorp’s bullion production, the company is undergoing a major expansion and two advanced exploration projects — Rubicon’s Phoenix Project and Claude Resources Madsen Project – are also fuelling mine employment and community development.

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Ontario’s History from a train seat: my last nostalgic trip on the fabled northlander – by Ron Brown (Toronto Star – August 29, 2012)

The Toronto Star has the largest circulation in Canada. The paper has an enormous impact on federal and Ontario politics as well as shaping public opinion.

Ron Brown is a Toronto-based freelance travel writer and author of several books including “The Top 115 Unusual Things to See in Ontario” recently featured on the Star’s “Summer Reading” page.

When the province’s Minister of Northern Development, Rick Bartolucci, shocked northeastern Ontario with the news that he was cancelling the fabled Northlander train, as a travel writer I realized that I needed to embark on one last ride. For the Northlander is to Ontario what VIA Rail’s popular Canadian is to the country. Both offer an unobstructed cross section of the geography and the history of our land.

And so it was on a sunny day in late August day that I lined up at Union Station’s Gate 19 to board a legend. That the line extended the entire length of the departure room gave lie to Premier McGuinty’s assertion that the Northlander is poorly used. Ahead of me were two senior ladies en route to Cochrane, the end of the line, who would never consider a cramped 12 hour bus ride, Mr. McGuinty’s alternative. Behind me stood two Mennonite couples, their religion eschewing the car.

Gliding out of the station’s dark train shed, the history and geography lessons begin. We pass Toronto’s rapidly changing inner industrial area, the revitalized Distillery District followed by the West Don Lands reclamation project.

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Confederation College of Thunder Bay prepares for mining construction boom in Ontario Ring of Fire – by Don Procter (Daily Commercial News and Construction Record – August 28, 2012)

http://www.dcnonl.com/

As mining exploration ramps up in the Ring of Fire in northwestern Ontario, the construction industry in the region awaits busy times.
 
Along with the expected building construction boom, there will be bridges, roads and power infrastructure to build plus “a whole range of unprecedented development,” says Don Bernosky, vice-president, Regional Workforce Development (RWD), at Confederation College in Thunder Bay. “It could be as big as the Sudbury mining basin or the whole Timmins area.”

Meeting the demand for a skilled workforce will be challenging. For training institutes like Confederation College, it is good news that mining companies are still a few years away from construction.

That gives the college “limited time” to develop appropriate training programs for building, says Bernosky. With nine campuses in northwestern Ontario, Confederation is the only community college in the region. It offers apprenticeship training in carpentry, electrical, motive power trades, and construction trades.
 
In conjunction with the multi-billion dollar Ring of Fire developments, there are 12 potential mining projects around Thunder Bay, he says.

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[Northern Ontario] Mine support a true investment – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal Editorial (August 24, 2012)

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

The government sure loves to throw the word “invest” around. When was the last time you heard the provincial government was paying for necessary road improvements (or, for that matter, simple road repairs)? It’s been a while, hasn’t it? That’s because the government doesn’t pay for those things — it invests in the province’s infrastructure.

A business grant? Nah. Investing in the economy, or entrepreneurs, or somesuch. Providing long-term care beds is an investment in the province’s health-care system.

Well, the government has on its hands another excuse to use the word investment, and a much more legitimate one than usual.
Northwestern Ontario has been, for some time, calling on the government to get on board with the looming mining boom.

They’re looking for — ahem — investments in the province’s infrastructure, the ones that will be needed when the various in-the-works mines are up-and-running.

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Golden tour of Goldcorp – by Kyle Gennings (Timmins Daily Press – August 24, 2012)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – When most people think of industrial tours, they are often reminded of the story of Willy Wonka and the fabled golden ticket.
 
Standing outside of the Timmins Chamber of Commerce, with a ticket for the Goldcorp industrial tour, I laughed to myself about how true this golden ticket scenario was in my particular case. The humour carried me all the way to my seat and the less than comfortable school bus that would be our chauffeur for the afternoon.
 
“We will be touring the Dome open pit,” Nicole Charbonneau said as she addressed the bus load of people. “Then we will move out into the McIntyre, Conarium and Gillies reclamation sites, along with an overview of the Hollinger Pit preparations.”
 
Charbonneau, a environmental biologist for Goldcorp would be the guide for this three-hour golden tour. Her role in the management and continued development of the reclamation sites behind the McIntyre’s No. 11 headframe made her the perfect voice to speak on behalf of Goldcorp.

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KI paddlers embark on trip to Fort Severn – by Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – August 24, 2012)

Northern Ontario’s First Nations Voice: http://wawataynews.ca/

Promoting the traditional use of northern waterways and the need for protection of its watershed, a group of paddlers from Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation has embarked on a canoe trip to Fort Severn.
 
Fourteen paddlers in seven canoes left KI on August 24. They expect to arrive in Fort Severn after nine or ten days on the rivers. Richard Anderson, KI’s watershed community worker, said the trip is about more than just following a trading route that his ancestors travelled every year.
 
“The trip is for awareness that we are protecting our watersheds for future generations,” Anderson said. “The Elders have taught us that our water is very important for us up here, and we should keep it that way.” Anderson has done the journey from KI to Fort Severn 11 times, and he still marvels at the efforts of his ancestors who used to do the trip there and back laden with supplies.
 
He said there are quite a few portages along the way, some retaining signs of their use through the ages. There are also a number of significant historic sites along the rivers, including grave sites that the community group will honour during the trip, Anderson said.

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