The heart of Timmins cast in bronze [Hollinger, McIntryre and Wilson]- by Kyle Gennings (Timmins Daily Press – August 7, 2012)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

As the canvas wraps were pulled from the statuesque figures mounted on marble plinths on Saturday, the sun glinted gold on the bronzed faces of the three men whose triumph laid the foundation for the Timmins we know today.
 
Benny Hollinger, Sandy McIntyre and John “Jack” Wilson are three names that every Timmins resident knows, they are genesis, and finally, 100 years after their discoveries, they stand large as life in front of the Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre.
 
“This is a very, very important event when you think about 100 years of Timmins and the next 100 years of Timmins,” said city Mayor Tom Laughren. “Back in 1908, when these gentlemen came here, what was here in Timmins?”
 
The group of onlookers, comprised of interested residents and members of the Wilson and McIntyre (Oliphant) families, took a moment to ponder the mayor’s question. “I have pictures in my office of this city in the 1920s and ’30s,” he said.

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Rethink Ring of Fire development: Greens – by Harold Carmichael (Sudbury Star – August 7, 2012)

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

The leader of the Ontario Green Party wants to see the Ring of Fire area in northwestern Ontario developed, but done so in an environmentally responsible manner that takes into account First Nation interests and gets the best bang for the buck.
 
“We are not opposed to development in the Ring of Fire, but we have concerns with the way the current government approaches it, and there’s even greater concerns with what Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak wants to do,” said Mike Schreiner, during a visit to Sudbury.
 
Schreiner said the Liberal government is not getting the job done with Ring of Fire in three areas : Development planning, First Nation involvement, and how the resource will be processed. He said the Conservatives would permit the mineral-rich Ring of Fire area to be developed too quickly and with little environmental oversight.
 
“Before any development takes place, we need to have comprehensive long-term land use planning in place that includes all groups and stakeholders,” he said.

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The Ring of Fire and the oilsands – by Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – August 2, 2012)

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

Ontario’s Conservative leader made an excellent observation a few weeks ago when, after a visit to the Ring of Fire, he said the development is akin to being Ontario’s oilsands.
 
Tim Hudak took a lot of criticism for the comments. Environmentalists targeted his claims that the Ring of Fire should be developed as quickly as the oilsands. Mining supporters worried about Hudak’s comparison to a development viewed as environmentally devastating. But Hudak was right, and he should be given credit for vocalizing something many are thinking but few are talking about.
 
The Ring of Fire does have the potential to be Ontario’s oilsands. With hundreds of claims already staked in the region, an estimated $30 billion worth of chromite in the region and countless other mineral deposits alongside of it, the Ring of Fire truly will change northern Ontario forever.
 
Hudak obviously believes Alberta has done it right when it comes to oilsands development.  “Sometimes we look (with) wonder and awe at what Alberta can do,” he said, following the visit. “We can do that in Ontario and we can do that with the Ring of Fire.”

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Ontario and Quebec propose changes to mining rules (Canadian Mining Journal – August 2, 2012)

The Canadian Mining Journal is Canada’s first mining publication providing information on Canadian mining and exploration trends, technologies, operations, and industry events.

Interestingly, both Ontario and Quebec are proposing significant changes to their respective mining legislation.
 
In Ontario, the public comment period closed on May 1, 2012, on six regulatory proposals under the Ontario Mining Act that were posted on the Environmental Registry (EBR) in March 2012 by the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines (MNDM). Feedback received is now under review.
 
The proposals were for amendments to certain existing regulations and introduction of new regulations to implement substantive changes made to the Mining Act in 2009.
 
The EBR postings were simply concept-level descriptions of what the regulations would address although the regulatory text itself was not provided. Until such time as specific draft regulations and associated policies and standards documents are released to the public, industry and First Nations, it is difficult to predict whether the concepts will be codified into law substantially as described. The regulatory proposals are outlined below. Here are features of the proposed regulatory changes in Ontario:

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Energy fees crippling [Ontario]: MPP – by Gord Young (North Bay Nugget – August 1, 2012)

http://www.nugget.ca/

Rising hydro costs threaten to devastate industry in Ontario, says Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli. The Progressive Conservative energy critic warns that the global adjustment portion of hydro bills, which covers long-term supply agreements, conservation initiatives and solar and wind generation, could cripple the province’s manufacturing sector.
 
“It’s almost too far gone. And if the trend continues there will be no manufacturing in Ontario,” said Fedeli. He blames the government’s FIT (Feed-in-Tariff ) program, which offers guaranteed prices for energy produced through renewable sources such as solar and wind.
 
Fedeli says the guaranteed prices are ridiculously high at the expense of hydro customers who are paying the difference through the global adjustment fee on their hydro bills. Fedeli says the FIT program was aimed at kick-starting private investment in renewable electricity generation. But he says the provincial Liberals didn’t consider the consequences and that the growing costs will become too much for businesses to bear.
 
John Spencer, vice-president of operations for PGI Fabrene Inc. in North Bay, has said global adjustment now represents about 55% of the company’s monthly hydro charges and has grown exponentially since 2006 when it accounted for far less than 10% of the bill.

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Wallbridge eyes mine near Capreol – by Star Staff (Sudbury Star – August 1, 2012)

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

A Sudbury-based mining company says it will decide later this year whether it can bring a new mine north of Capreol into production. Wallbridge Mining Company Limited issued the statement in a mid-year exploration update released Tuesday.
 
The company said its Broken Hammer exploration project continues to produce promising results for copper and platinum group element minerals.
 
“Our 2012 exploration activities to date have continued at a high level, in contrast to the lower level of activities by many other junior mining companies,” Marz Kord, Wallbridge president and CEO, said in a release. “This is mainly due to the strong support we have received from our joint venture partners.”
 
“In addition to our exploration activities, our new resource update at Broken Hammer project is encouraging. The prefeasibility and permitting are on track and pending the results, would enable us to make a production decision this year.”

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Contractor says Detour Gold owes them money – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – August 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 southern Ontario contractor claims Detour Gold Corp. (DGC) owes them more than $66.4 million for excavation and construction work performed at the company’s flagship Detour Lake gold mine project in northeastern Ontario.
 
North America Construction (NAC) has filed two statements of claim in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Cochrane against the Toronto miner and its affiliated Trade Winds Ventures of Vancouver.
 
NAC claims it’s owed $58 million for concrete work and $8.4 million for excavation work performed at the massive and remote open pit mine and mill project now under construction, 180 km northeast of Cochrane. The Morristown, Ont.-headquartered general contractor has slapped three construction liens for work performed by the company between November 2010 and April, 2012.
 
The project marked the 75 per cent construction completion mark in late June. North America Construction provides master building services to civil, municipal, biofuels, energy, mining and industrial sectors across Canada.

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Native Canadians Fear Mining Boom in “Ring of Fire” – by By Fawzia Sheikh (Inter Press Service News Agency – July 30, 2012)

http://www.ipsnews.net/

TORONTO, Jul 30 2012 (IPS) – With accusations that Canadian resource companies and government officials are disregarding the need for indigenous consent in development projects, First Nations leaders have lashed out by approving a resolution calling for a moratorium on mining development in the so-called Ring of Fire until proper consultation begins.

The Ring of Fire includes chromite, nickel, copper, platinum, zinc, gold and kimberlite deposits and is touted as the most promising mineral development opportunity in Ontario in nearly a century.
 
The resources are located 540 kilometres east of the city of Thunder Bay within the shared territories of a handful of Aboriginal communities around McFaulds Lake. The region is home to more than 100 bodies of water and four major rivers in the James Bay Lowlands in the northern part of the province.
 
“We haven’t had any meeting that is meaningful with the province,” Chris Moonias of the Neskantaga First Nation told 633 chiefs-in-assembly at the Assembly of First Nations annual conference from Jul. 17 to 19. “Right now, we’re being bullied by a mining company, a giant mining company and a desperate province.”

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Report will delve into extent of [mining sector] skilled worker shortage – by Heidi Ulrichsen (Sudbury Northern Life – July 27, 2012)

This article came from Northern Life, Sudbury’s biweekly newspaper.

It’s gotten to the point where mining supply and service industry companies are complaining that large mining companies are actually “poaching” their workers because they’re able to offer better pay, Reggie Caverson, executive director of the workplace planning board, said.

Keeping this in mind, the Workplace Planning for Sudbury and Manitoulin is teaming up with the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) to produce a report detailing the statistics of just how many skilled workers will be needed in the mining industry in the future.

“With what’s happening now in the mining industry and the mining services, we’re seeing this huge boom that’s occurring,” Caverson said. “I think we’re all aware of this boom that’s happening right now. What hasn’t happened is a really solid look at what that means in terms of human resources — who we need and what we need, and how many of what we need.”

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Weenusk struggles to keep home lands free – Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – July 26, 2012)

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

Residents of Weenusk First Nation are fearing for the loss of their traditional lifestyles as Ontario gets set to release geological data on one of the province’s last pristine wildernesses.
 
The Ontario Geologic Survey (OGS) conducted aerial geological surveying over a broad section of untouched wilderness along the shore of Hudson Bay between November 2011 and February 2012.

Many people in Weenusk, a community of approximately 300, believe the release of the information will spur mineral exploration on much of the First Nation’s traditional territory, and in the process irrevocably alter a way of life that has been practiced since time immemorial.
 
“We want to keep the land free,” says George Hunter, a community member and former chief of Weenusk. “To us, freedom doesn’t have staked claims. The moment you have staked claims and private property, our true freedom is compromised forever.”

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Legal fight tarnishing gold firm – by Ron Grech (Timmins Daily Press – July 26, 2012)

 The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – The president of Solid Gold Resources blames the ongoing conflict with Wahgoshig First Nation and the provincial government for his company’s plummeting stock values.
 
“It has completely destroyed it,” said Darryl Stretch. “It’s at three cents, which values my company at less than what it costs to put a shelf together these days. “When we came out with our IPO (initial public offering), it was at 25 cents… For the stock price to be at three cents is unreasonable and outrageous.”
 
Solid Gold holds claims within a 200-square-kilometre area outside the boundary of the Wahgoshig reserve. In January, the First Nation succeeded in having an injunction imposed against the exploration company to stop drilling in that area.
 
In February, Solid Gold filed a Leave to Appeal on the basis that “any consultation and accommodation required should have been completed (with Wahgoshig) by the Crown long before mineral claims were granted to Solid Gold,” said Stretch.

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[Noront’s Leanne Hall – First Nations] Skilled Builder (CIM Magazine – June/July 2012)

Founded in 1898, the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) is a technical society of professionals in the Canadian minerals, metals, materials and energy industries.

Leanne Hall, vice-president, human resources, Noront Resources Ltd.

When Leanne Hall takes on an assignment, she does two things: “I always look at it from the eyes of different stakeholders,” she says, “and I always try to leave places in a better position than where I originally found them.”

These approaches have shaped her career in human resources and corporate social responsibility, which is now focused on developing the workforce to support Noront Resources’ Eagle’s Nest mine, currently under development in northern Ontario. Prior to joining Noront, Hall headed Woodland HR Inc. in northern Alberta, where she seized on the skills shortage and the province’s privatization and expansion of its career and employment services to carve out a niche for herself. “At the end of 14 years, we had assisted over 20,000 people in northern Alberta with their career and employment goals,” she says.

Hall explains that she used a “grassroots” approach. It involved meeting one-on-one and asking people what they had always dreamed of doing, uncovering their skills and talents, developing a career plan, and matching them with employment that could fulfill those dreams. In an economy where cyclical oil prices hit hard at times, she says, it’s important to love what one does; that is what makes it possible to thrive. Having a career plan not only helps achieve this, it aids retention at companies that smooth their employees’ path to advancement.

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Planning for the Boom [Northwestern Ontario] – by Livio Di Matteo (Northern Economist 2.0 – July 25, 2012)

An economics and policy blog from a Northern Ontario Perspective. http://northerneconomist.blogspot.ca/

The talk of booms and rumours of booms continues in Northwestern Ontario and with good reason given the ramping up of mining activity.  Along with several mines currently in production, there are a number of planned projects. Cliffs Chromite Project in the Ring of Fire is about to undergo an environmental assessment.  Thunder Bay is currently the host to some 26 exploration companies with projects expected to produce gold over the next 3-5 years at Greenstone (Hard Rock), Atikokan (Hammond Reef), Pickle Lake (PC Gold Inc.) as well as several other places.  As well, Stillwater is planning to develop a copper project near Marathon. 

All this activity is generating exploration and supply work but the mining boom is not here yet.  Nonetheless, area governments are beginning “to plan” for the development that is underway and yet to come.  Atikokan apparently has commissioned a community readiness study that among other things argues that six major projects in the area will lead to substantial construction activity, home building and potentially a doubling of the population.  Thunder Bay is apparently also undertaking  a Mining Readiness Strategy that will attempt to capitalize on the mining development.

A boom with population growth would be a welcome development in Northwestern Ontario.  This would be a much different region if Thunder Bay had 150,000 people and Nipigon and Atikokan were communities of 20,000 people each. 

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Ring of Fire court battle on horizon after Neskantaga meets mining minister – by Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – July 23, 2012)

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

Neskantaga First Nation is preparing for an extensive court battle over the Ring of Fire, following the latest failed meeting between the First Nation and the Ontario government.

Neskantaga Chief Peter Moonias and Chief Sonny Gagnon of Aroland First Nation called for a pause of the Ring of Fire during a meeting with Ontario’s mining minister Rick Bartolucci on July 18, but Moonias said the government did not take the suggestion “too seriously.”
 
“The government is just going ahead with (with development) as if we’re nothing,” Moonias said. “It looks as if ‘yes’ has already been given from the First Nations, but we never did (give consent).”
 
Moonias and Gagnon argue that development of the Ring of Fire needs to stop in order for First Nations to establish plans for maximizing economic benefits and mitigating environmental risks.

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Atleo must use mandate [resource development] – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal Editorial (July 20, 2012)

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

IT turns out that claims of a close race putting Shawn Atleo in danger of defeat were off the mark. But while the incumbent is back in charge of the Assembly of First Nations with a comfortable majority and a renewed mandate, his challenge is greater than ever. Challenges, really, for there are two.

First, he must quell those voices among First Nations who claim Atleo is too tight with Ottawa. Healthy consultation will achieve more than still more confrontation which now wearies many Canadians.

Atleo’s second obstacle is cobbling together something resembling a united front among an assembly of traditionally but notoriously independent members in order to convince them and the other levels of government to build a model of success around a new natural resources boom.

For the first time ever there exists a path for First Nations to lift themselves out of the poverty and dependence that for most is the norm. The exceptions have been those whose leaders used opportunity to their advantage. Whether it was building a local economy around business or the proximity of forests, oil, gas or minerals, there are a relative few First Nations who got out of the old traps and built a new life for their people.

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