Is Ontario holding back the Ring of Fire? Federal natural resources minister says so – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – October 8, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Accused of stalling Far North mineral development, province says it waits on $1-billion commitment from Ottawa

Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said Ottawa offered a $40-million sweetener to entice Queen’s Park for a formal sit-down to discuss how to make progress in the Ring of Fire. So far, Wilkinson said, they’ve been rebuffed by the province.

“To date, Ontario has not taken us up on that, but I continue to urge Ontario to do that. I think it’s an important conversation, but there are really important issues to be addressed before we actually talk about mines.”

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NEWS RELEASE: Wyloo and Metalshub Partner for Green Nickel Transparency (October 1, 2024)

Wyloo and Metalshub have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to improve transparency of the carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) credentials, pricing and provenance in international nickel markets.

Wyloo intends to use Metalshub for the sale of its low-carbon nickel and nickel concentrate products following a re-start of its Kambalda, Western Australia nickel operations. The collaboration also aims to develop a price index for low-carbon nickel concentrate and nickel sulphate, to be referenced in future sales contracts.

Wyloo CEO, Luca Giacovazzi, said the collaboration would set a new global standard for sustainably produced nickel products and enable greater transparency of low carbon nickel pricing.

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Wyloo CEO makes Timmins stop to talk Ring of Fire – by Maija Hoggett (Timmins Today – October 3, 2024)

https://www.timminstoday.com/

Efforts to get the province to the table to talk about conservation planning processes remain at a stand-still

TIMMINS – With a nickel mine in Ontario’s Far North aiming to be in production in six years, the Timmins business community had a chance to learn more about the project. Wyloo CEO Kristan Straub talked about the ongoing work at the proposed nickel and chromite mine in the Ring of Fire today (Oct. 3) at the Timmins Chamber’s State of Mining series.

The proposed Eagle’s Nest Mine is located 500 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay in a minerally enriched area of the James Bay wetlands.

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Inside the Fight for the Ring of Fire – by Laura Trethewey (MACLEANS Magazine – September 30, 2024)

https://macleans.ca/

In Ontario’s hinterlands, a battle is brewing between First Nations, prospectors and the provincial government over a multi-billion-dollar motherlode of metals

Coleen Moonias grew up in the 1980s in Lansdowne House, a tiny Ojibwe community in northwestern Ontario. In winter, when the temperature plunged to 50 below zero, the interior walls of her home glittered with frost. Her parents hung blankets as insulation.

In summer she foraged with her cousins for berries, fending off swarms of mosquitoes that rose from the surrounding peatlands. The nearest neighbouring community was nearly 100 kilometres away; Coleen’s entire world was this small place bound by blood and marriage. But Lansdowne House was sinking into Attawapiskat Lake, and so, when Coleen was eight years old, its residents moved to a new location nearby, which became Neskantaga First Nation, home to about 400 people.

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‘There will be nobody … monitoring the land’: Grand chief urges Ontario to meet – by Maija Hoggett (Timmins Today – September 20, 2024)

https://www.timminstoday.com/

‘Despite our best efforts to work with the province of Ontario, we have yet to see meaningful signals of their willingness to work with us’

If Ontario doesn’t come to the table soon, years of work to protect the land and water of the Far North are at risk. Mushkegowuk Council Grand Chief Leo Friday issued a statement today urging Premier Doug Ford to meet with their chiefs. They want the province to agree to immediately protect the coast of Western James Bay and southwestern Hudson Bay, and the North French River.

The ask isn’t for money, in 2022 the federal government committed $800 million to create up to four Indigenous-led conservation areas, including Mushkegowuk.

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‘Massive investments’ coming for Far North infrastructure, says Ford – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – August 12, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Province set to announce news on Ring of Fire road infrastructure in September

It may be curtains for the Terrace Bay pulp mill under the AV Group flag, but Premier Doug Ford suggested late last week bigger and better developments are in store for northwestern Ontario.

Ford was in Thunder Bay at the LiUNA Local 67 training centre on Aug. 9 to drop $17 million from the province’s Skilled Development Fund toward training and facility upgrades to support the mining, construction, energy and forestry industries. Agnico Eagle Mines pocketed $10 million for training partnerships with Matachewan First Nation, Taykwa Tagamou Nation and Moose Cree First Nation.

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Ring of Fire roads inch closer as four First Nations sign deals with Ontario – by Jack Hauen (The Trillium – June 20,2024)

https://www.thetrillium.ca/

Roads far south of mineral deposits to be improved by First Nations workers starting this year, Ford said

Four First Nations have signed an agreement with the province to improve roads from their communities to the provincial highway network — part of the Ford government’s plan to unlock key mineral deposits in Ontario’s north.

Premier Doug Ford announced deals on Tuesday with Animbiigoo Zaagi’igan Anishinaabek, Aroland First Nation, Ginoogaming First Nation and Long Lake #58 First Nation that will see Ontario improve all-season roads that connect the communities to the provincial road network and add money for training and infrastructure.

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Province, Aroland First Nation have traction on a Ring of Fire road agreement – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – June 19, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Northwest First Nations provided with road improvement, training dollars for future mine development

Greenstone has been long regarded as the gateway to the Ring to the Fire — the logistical crossroads, business and training hub for any future mine development in the James Bay region.

Premier Doug Ford made his second trip in eight months to the rural northwestern Ontario on June 19 to deliver training and infrastructure dollars, and smooth over relations with First Nations that may be on the fence about development in the Far North.

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4 First Nations sign deal with Ontario to build roads near Ring of Fire – by Liam Casey (Canadian Press/Global News – June 18, 2024)

Youtube Video From Office of the Premier of Ontario

https://globalnews.ca/

Four First Nations have signed a deal with Ontario for new roads, other infrastructure projects and skills training as the province lays a foundation for plans to mine the mineral-rich Ring of Fire region.

The province said Animbiigoo Zaagi’igan Anishinaabek, Aroland First Nation, Ginoogaming First Nation and Long Lake #58 First Nation will see their roads that connect to the provincial highway system fortified and renewed.

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Mining the Northwest: Thunder Bay stakes its claim as a mining supply hub – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – June 14, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Labour and skill gaps, suitable land availability are challenges listed in city’s latest mining readiness strategy

Thunder Bay is out to build its brand as a mining supply hub. Four years after tabling its first Mining Readiness Strategy, the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC) revealed the findings from an updated version last month, informed by a survey of industry stakeholders last year.

Northwestern Ontario has always been a precious and base minerals grocery store to the world. Much of the activity surrounding that sector has always flowed, many times sight unseen, through Thunder Bay.

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Sudbury column: Geopolitics, global warming make the Ring of Fire as important as ever – by Stan Sudol (Sudbury Star – June 8, 2024)

https://www.thesudburystar.com/

Construction of a road to the mine site needs to start now

Without a doubt, the Ring of Fire camp and its many strategic minerals that include nickel, copper, platinum group metals, chromite and titanium – just to mention a few as explorers have just scratched the proverbial surface – is the most important mining discovery in Canadian history. It may even exceed the legendary Sudbury Basin someday.

Discovered in 2007, the region is located approximately 450 km northeast of Thunder Bay in the isolated and vast peatlands of Hudson Bay, which itself is roughly the size of Norway but with only about 10,000 people. Contrary to fanatical ENGOs, sustainable mineral development and exploration practices will have minimal impact on the environment and provide the critical minerals needed to stop global warming.

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Mining skills shortage looms as Ontario gears up for EV boom – by Darius Snieckus (National Observer – June 4, 2024)

https://www.nationalobserver.com/

Ontario’s mining industry risks a shortfall of over 3,500 skilled green-collar workers by 2040, unless it jump-starts education and training for the new generation of technicians needed as Canada’s critical minerals-hungry electric vehicle (EV) sector gears up this decade, according to a new strategy report unveiled by the government.

The province last week launched its Critical Minerals Talent Strategy, a multi-department initiative developed by the government’s Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) to head off this employment bottleneck as mining deepens its focus on extracting the cobalt, lithium, nickel and other materials key to manufacturing EV batteries.

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Ring of Fire Road Needs to Start Construction Now Due to Geopolitics and Global Warming – Stan Sudol (June 1, 2024)

Without a doubt, the Ring of Fire camp and its many strategic minerals that include nickel, copper, platinum group metals, chromite and titanium – just to mention a few as explorers have just scratched the proverbial surface – is the most important mining discovery in Canadian history. It may even exceed the legendary Sudbury Basin some day.

Discovered in 2007, the region is located approximately 450 kms. northeast of Thunder Bay in the isolated and vast peatlands of Hudson Bay which itself is roughly the size of Norway but with only about 10,000 people. Contrary to fanatical ENGOs, sustainable mineral development and exploration practices will have minimal impact on the environment and provide the critical minerals needed to stop global warming. Australian miner Wyloo owns the Eagle’s Nest nickel/copper mine and various chromite deposits. Canadian owned Juno Corp is the other main explorer in the district and controls roughly 52 percent of the mine claims.

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Mineral processing plant will bring hundreds of jobs, business opportunities to Sudbury area – by Lindsay Kelly (Northern Ontario Business – May 29, 2024)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

First-of-its-kind $800-$900 million facility, processing Ring of Fire nickel, will give Wyloo an edge in electric battery manufacturing

Hundreds of jobs and economic development opportunities will be created in the region when Wyloo Canada builds its multi-million-dollar minerals processing plant in the City of Greater Sudbury.

Announced on May 29, the facility will be the first in Canada to process nickel sulphate and nickel-dominant precursor cathode active material (pCAM) — minerals needed to make the batteries used in electric vehicles.

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Wyloo Canada to build Ring of Fire facility in Sudbury (updated) – by Staff (Sudbury Star – May 29, 2024)

https://www.thesudburystar.com/

Wyloo CEO Canada Kristan Straub says the facility would provide the missing piece in Canada’s aspirations to develop a domestic EV battery supply chain

Wyloo Canada announced this morning that it plans to build a downstream battery materials processing facility in Sudbury. It will cost up to $900 million to build and will create several hundred jobs, officials said at the EDome this morning.

It will cost up to $900 million to build and will create several hundred jobs, officials said at the EDome this morning. Wyloo said it has an agreement with the City of Greater Sudbury to secure land to build the battery materials processing facility. The new facility will fill a critical gap in Canada’s electric vehicle battery supply chain by establishing Canada’s first mine-to-precursor cathode active material (pCAM) integrated solution.

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