Ontario’s Ring of Fire Mineral Discovery – Page 126

NAN council seeks new approach [resource development] – by Doug Diaczuk (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – August 23, 2012)

August 23, 2012

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

The newly-elected grand chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation will continue to work at creating more engagement with government when it comes to resource development. During a press conference on Wednesday, Harvey Yesno said that chiefs in the NAN territory want a different approach to communicating with the government.

“Today things have changed,” Yesno said told the media. “The issue on the table is resource development that is happening in the communities but there is no meaningful engagement that is happening. We would like to see the governments walk and talk, and we want to participate in that.”

Yesno also spoke about creating a balance for all First Nations when it comes to revenue sharing. On issues relating to land, Yesno emphasized that there needs to be consent and First Nations shouldn’t have to protest to protect their lands.

“We aren’t going to protest and just let things happen,” he said. “We have to protect it. Protest sometimes raises a voice, but most times things just go on. I think that’s the difference.”

Power needs dictate plant location [Ring of Fire ferrochrome smelter] – by Mary Katherine Keown (Sudbury Star – August 13, 2012)

August 13, 2012

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

Despite an impassioned resolution put forth by the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association, which supported the construction and operation of a ferrochrome smelter at Exton, the government of Ontario announced May 9 that Capreol would be home to the new facility.

It was a matter of logistics, say Bill Boor, senior vice-president of global ferroalloys at Cleveland-based Cliffs Natural Resources, and David Cartella, general manager of environmental affairs and environmental counsel at Cliffs.

“We went through a pretty extensive analysis of all the sites where the furnace could be located,” they explain. “There were only a handful of sites that could handle this, and Sudbury was one of them … The power solution is why Sudbury was the winner.”

Electric arc furnaces, which are used to melt chromite ore, reach temperatures of 2,800 C. The amount of electricity needed to run the furnaces at the Capreol smelter could power a city of 300,000, Ramsey Hart, Canada program co-ordinator at Mining Watch Canada, says. “The operation of the mine and the transportation of the minerals also have significant carbon footprints,” he says.

[Ontario’s Ring of Fire] North’s Holy Grail: tapping a $1 trillion resource – by Mary Katherine Keown (Sudbury Star – August 11, 2012)

August 11, 2012

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

On a humid summery day — the kind of day that makes you feel like you must be living inside a sauna — you open the door to your refrigerator and reach for something to cool you from the inside out. If you count yourself among a growing number of stylish, quality-craving homeowners, yours is a stainless steel fridge. House-hunters and remodellers alike covet stainless steel appliances for their durability, timelessness and aesthetic quality. Industry experts estimate 40% of new appliance sales include “a stainless steel-type finish,” according to Dr. Steel on www.stainless-online.com.

Stainless steel appliances have been on the market for the ACCENT past two decades and show no signs of waning popularity. Fingerprints aside, designers recommend them as a solid investment with high resale value. The Atlantic ran a piece in February questioning the popularity of stainless steel. While the author, Megan McArdle, has some reservations, its appeal to domestic types is undeniable.

“As a status symbol, (such appliances) signify that: a) you (are) a serious cook, and b) you didn’t just go to Circuit City to get your appliances,” she writes. “In other words, stainless steel has become a status god. That’s why all those young couples on house-hunting shows adamantly shake their heads when they walk into an otherwise charming fixer-upper and say ‘No way. I want stainless.’ “

Province looking for First Nation input on Ring of Fire infrastructure – by Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – August 9, 2012)

August 9, 2012

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

The coordinator of Ontario’s Ring of Fire Secretariat insists the province is committed to working with First Nations on establishing how the north will develop alongside the massive mining projects proposed for the Ring of Fire.

In an interview with Wawatay News, Christine Kaszycki emphasized that the provincial government is thinking of long-term infrastructure needs as it analyzes how best to develop the Ring of Fire. Kaszycki said discussions between the province and First Nations on regional infrastructure planning will begin sometime in the next few months.

“There are a number of initiatives Ontario has put on the table, including regional infrastructure planning and regional environmental monitoring, where the discussions need to include groups of communities,” Kaszycki said.

She said that in her view infrastructure needs includes roads as well as transmission lines to connect communities to southern electricity grids. Kasycki’s pledge to involve First Nations in determining infrastructure needs for the region comes as conflict over the process of developing the Ring of Fire continues to grow.

Mining Companies Feel Heat in the Ring of Fire – by by Tim Groves (The Dominion – August 8, 2012)

August 9, 2012

http://www.dominionpaper.ca/

Assembly of First Nations backs evictions from northern Ontario

TORONTO—In late July, hundreds of First Nations chiefs from across the country backed a moratorium on mining and development in an area of Northern Ontario known as the “Ring of Fire.” They also called for the eviction of companies operating in the mineral rich area, which has been described as “Ontario’s oil sands”.

The province has called the Ring of Fire “one of the most promising mineral development opportunities in Ontario in almost a century.” The area contains the largest chromite deposits in North America, as well as gold, nickel, copper, platinum and palladium. Opening the area to development has become a major focus for the Dalton McGuinty government.

The moratorium demand and eviction notices were voted on by the hundreds of First Nations chiefs gathered in Toronto for the Assembly of First Nations’ (AFN) Annual General Assembly. The AFN is the largest First Nations advocacy organization in the Canada.

“It is solidarity,” said Sonny Gagnon the Chief of Aroland First Nation, whose community would be impacted by the development. “We need the support. If and when we need to go on the land to enforce the evictions notice…we will have 633 First Nations that will be behind us.”

First Nation demands to be consulted on chromite project – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – August 2012)

August 8, 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.

The road to the Ring of Fire has hit an enormous speed bump. What looked on paper to be a straight-forward road easement application by Cliffs Natural Resources to an Ontario mining tribunal to cross the claims of KWG Resources, has hit a snag that could slow development in the James Bay region.

Neskantaga First Nation, a remote community southwest of the Ring of Fire chromite camp, has given the Ontario Lands and Mining Commissioner something to think about in applying for legal standing at a July 5 hearing.

The First Nation wants to be a participant to challenge the Cliffs road application and make the larger case that they have treaty and Constitutional rights to be consulted and included in resource development. The commission adjourned after two days to consider whether Neskantaga has status to be a participant in the proceedings.

“You can’t continue until it’s decided who has status at the hearing,” said KWG vice-president Bruce Hodgman. He doesn’t expect a fast resolution anytime soon and expects this preliminary issue could go on for “months” before the commission even starts the formal hearing.

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

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.

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

August 4, 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.”

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

July 31, 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.”

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

November 3, 2015July 27, 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.

Chiefs near Ring of Fire not seeing eye-to-eye on evictions – by Tbnewswatch.com – July 23, 2012

July 24, 2012

http://www.tbnewswatch.com/

Chiefs near Ring of Fire not seeing eye-to-eye on evictions

A pending eviction notice to mining companies with interest around the Ring of Fire is causing divisions among Matawa First Nation communities. Six of the nine Matawa First Nations are supporting a plan to evict several mining companies from the area.

Neskantaga First Nation Chief Peter Moonias says the group is still preparing to take the next step, and he says people are starting to realize that the government is lying about their consultations.

But Chief Eli Moonias from Marten Falls, one of the Matawa communities opposed to the eviction, has a different viewpoint. Eli Moonias said he believes they have achieved consultation and the main operator, Cliffs Natural Resources, is now ready to discuss a memorandum of understanding.

The Marten Falls Chief added that it is First Nation leaders who are the ones now showing disrespect, and resolution of the matter is being pushed forward despite strong opposition.

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

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.

Ring of Fire Minister not listening to First Nations – Blogpost by Shane Moffatt (Greenpeace Canada – July 21, 2012)

July 23, 2012

http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/

I recently had the privilege of attending a meeting with the Minister of Northern Development and Mines as an observer with Neskantaga First Nation. You can follow Neskantaga’s campaign to protect their rights here.

Talks were focused on proposed industrial developments in the so-called “Ring of Fire” in Northern Ontario. The “Ring of Fire” refers to a mineral rich area around McFaulds Lake, located over 1,000 kilometres north of Toronto in the heart of the boreal forest and in a one of the largest wetlands in the world. This also is smack in the middle of the traditional territories of Matawa First Nations, a Tribal Council of nine Ontario First Nations.

On May 9th, a giant US mining company (Cliffs Natural Resources) announced that they will go ahead with a $3.3 billion Ring of Fire project, which includes a chromite mine east of Webequie, a transportation route running south from the mine site and a ferrochrome processing plant in Sudbury.

The reaction from First Nations was swift and unequivocal – with Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Deputy Grand Chief Terry Waboose describing the announcement as a “classic example of development going ahead without adequate consultation, input and consent from our First Nations.”

Stan Beardy on treaties, resources and national agendas – by Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – July 19, 2012)

July 21, 2012

http://www.wawataynews.ca/

Wawatay spoke with Regional Chief of Ontario Stan Beardy soon after he won the election to represent 133 First Nations. Here is an excerpt from that interview.

Wawatay: What are your thoughts on winning the election, and what that means for yourself and for northern First Nations?

Stan Beardy: First of all, it’s definitely a great honour to be selected as Regional Chief of Ontario with 133 First Nations. Yes, I am from the North, and I have a good understanding of northern issues, but I am responsible for all First Nations in Ontario. I believe there is great diversity, and we need to find a way to use that diversity for our strength.

My mandate is for three years, and I believe I was selected based on the platform which I put forward. I am very strong on our rights-base, and I am very strong on our Treaty position. That Treaty relationship, I believe, is the number one priority in terms of moving forward on improving the quality of life.

When we talk of First Nation laws across Ontario, and asserting our jurisdiction, we’re talking about finding a way to harmonize the federal government’s legislation and laws with ours.

Regional chief wants Ring of Fire revenue sharing – by Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – July 19, 2012)

July 21, 2012

http://www.wawataynews.ca/

Ontario’s new regional chief wants to see First Nations get a cut of royalties and taxes collected from resource extraction projects on traditional lands. In an interview following his election victory, Stan Beardy told Wawatay that it is not enough for industry and governments to simply provide jobs and training to First Nations people in exchange for access to resources on First Nations’ land.

Beardy said that the treaty relationship, where First Nations agreed to share the land and resources, means that the wealth generated by both the provincial and federal governments from that land should be shared with First Nations.

“We agree that when we talk about benefits (from resource extraction) we talk about guaranteed jobs and training, across the board, for First Nations people,” Beardy said. “But also there has to be a discussion on arrangements in regards to sharing the wealth. That means not only being compensated for being displaced from your homelands, but also we’re talking about sharing the wealth of the funds collected by the governments for user fees, royalties and taxes.”