Quebec Mining – Page 48 – Republic of Mining

Public money should not prop up asbestos mining – by Alana Wilson (Winnipeg Free Press – July 17, 2012)

July 17, 2012

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/

Alana Wilson is senior research analyst in the Fraser Institute’s global centre for mining studies www.miningfacts.org

Canada’s mining industry is globally competitive, and has long succeeded without much in the way of government subsidies. It even thrived in the last recession by responding to market demand. Yet instead of letting markets drive mining investment in Quebec, the provincial government is bailing out the asbestos industry using taxpayer money — and this for a product that is harmful to human health.

In recent years, market demand for chrysotile asbestos produced in Canada shrunk dramatically which lead to a halt of chrysotile mining. But instead of letting mines stay closed, taxpayer funds will reopen an unprofitable chrysotile mine.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest recently approved a $58 million loan to allow the closed Jeffrey asbestos mine to reopen. Even before the announced bailout, the mine struggled and operated infrequently in recent years. All other Canadian asbestos mines have closed; the last one was shuttered in November.

The demise of Canada’s asbestos industry reflects a declining demand for asbestos, driven by health concerns.

Quebec rail plan stirs hope, concern in Canada’s iron belt – by Susan Taylor and Julie Gordon (Reuters – July 9, 2012)

July 9, 2012

http://in.reuters.com/

* Canadian National project backed by Quebec pension fund

* Railway needed for mine projects to proceed

* Junior miners fear transport costs may run too high

* Some miners discuss developing their own railway

* Project part of Quebec’s 25-yr plan to develop north

TORONTO, July 9 (Reuters) – Canada’s biggest railroad wants to build a C$5 billion ($4.8 billion) rail line to ship iron ore from isolated northern Quebec to port, a crucial link that could transform Canada into the world’s third-largest producer of steel’s main component.

Canadian National Railway Co’s ‘s 800-kilometer (500 mile) project, backed by Quebec’s public pension fund, is still years away from becoming a reality. Indeed, the 2017 projected start-up date looks ambitious, given the complexity of negotiations that lie ahead.

Kicking up some dust over Quebec’s Asbestos loan – by Antonia Maioni (Globe and Mail -July 9, 2012)

July 9, 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.

Asbestos looms large in Quebec politics. Both the ore and the town it created have been mired in controversy, most recently the announcement of a $58-million loan to help reopen the fabled Jeffrey Mine. On the line are 400 full-time jobs in a region dependent on the industry for more than a century, despite clear warnings about the persistent health and environmental danger of asbestos, a fibre that provides superior insulation but that in some forms has been linked to cancer.

While the industry has suffered a dramatic decline worldwide because of these concerns, Canada continues to actively promote its trade and defy multilateral efforts warning of its hazards. Asbestos is already banned in most countries that Canadians consider their peer group: the European Union, Australia, Japan. In the U.S., the industry is entangled in extensive litigation, bankruptcy filings and class-action suits. The export targets are, instead, countries such as China and especially India, where building booms are fuelling demand for asbestos for use in cement and infrastructure.

The fallout from the announcement reflects a decades-long conflict between the industry and health experts, but also larger questions about the trade-off between local jobs and public health, and the tension between money and science.

Mayor of Asbestos says misunderstood town’s history is ‘a source of pride’ – by Graeme Hamilton (National Post – July 7, 2012)

July 8, 2012

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

When a government preparing for an election has a job-creating investment to announce, it does not usually schedule it for a Friday afternoon before a long weekend. But when the announcement is in Asbestos, Que., and the funding will revive a dormant mine producing the carcinogenic fiber that gives the town its name, officials prefer not to make too big a splash.

So it was last week, as Quebec’s Liberal government announced a $58-million loan to the Jeffrey Mine to convert the open pit to an underground operation that is expected to yield chrysotile asbestos for another 25 years beginning next June.

The timing could not completely stifle the backlash, and the government has come under fire from health professionals and environmentalists — the head of Quebec’s association of community-health physicians said the loan amounts to subsidizing cancer.

For Hugues Grimard, Mayor of Asbestos, such attacks are nothing new. Last year his town was made a laughingstock by the American TV program The Daily Show, whose interviewer asked the mine’s president, Bernard Coulombe, whether the word asbestos meant something different in French. “Because in English it means slow, hacking death.”

Asbestos gets a new lease on death – by Colin Kenny (Montreal Gazette – July 6, 2012)

July 8, 2012

http://www.montrealgazette.com/index.html

Senator Colin Kenny is former deputy chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources

If students want to fight injustice why haven’t they taken to the streets over the government’s latest decision?

Canada’s notorious asbestos industry has been given a new lease on death. A $58-million loan guarantee from the Quebec government will allow the town of Asbestos to resume shipments of this documented killer to developing countries, where impoverished construction workers will be forced to gamble with its deadly potential to tear apart their lungs.

Where are Quebec student protesters when Canada really needs them? In their focus on tuition fees, they never were quite able to make the case that the Charest government is morally bankrupt. Now that the Quebec government has agreed to bankroll asbestos exports denounced by medical experts around the world in order to restore 425 jobs in rural Quebec, it should be a lot easier to make the case.

The use and abuse of asbestos goes way back to the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. The Greeks used its fibres to make fabrics more enduring, as did the Egyptians, who embalmed pharaohs in it. Since it was so fire-resistant, the Persians wrapped bodies for cremation in it, the better to gather the ashes of the deceased.

MiningWatch Canada: Plan Nord: The North challenges Charest government – by Frédéric Dubois (May 28, 2012)

May 30, 2012

http://www.miningwatch.ca/home

Frédéric Dubois is a Montreal-based reporter and producer. His attendance to the Forum Plan Nord 2012 has been made possible with the support of Mining Watch Canada.

The month of May is almost over. In Quebec it’s been a month marked by massive student demonstrations, mass arrests and tens of thousands of kids in pajamas and septuagenarians on their balconies hitting wooden spoons on pots and pans. May 2012 will be remembered in Québec as a month where a strong 3-month student strike turned into a general social movement.

The month of May may also prove to be a game-changer for the mining industry in Québec. Underreported in the mainstream media, one event should be looked at to understand why opposition to Charest’s aggressive resource extraction agenda has shifted in Québec. The Forum Plan Nord 2012 – The North Matters took place in Québec City at the beginning of May. The event brought together about 300 people from distinct sectors – environmental groups, women groups, First Nations communities, universities, unions, and many more.

Even a few civil servants and company representatives attended. But unlike most conferences about mining, this one was organized by a First Nations group. The Sustainable Development Institute of the First Nations of Québec and Labrador timed the conference to underline the first anniversary of Jean Charest’s unilateral announcement of the Plan Nord.

Quebec turns to Alberta for guidance in developing a massive tract of resource-rich land in its north – by Marzena Czarnecka (Alberta Venture Magazine – May 22, 2012)

May 27, 2012

http://albertaventure.com/

Erik Richer La Flèche … believes successful implementation of Plan Nord has
the potential to transform Quebec into a “mini-Australia, that is, a preferred,
stable supplier to some of the largest economies in the world.”

What can Quebec learn from Alberta’s experience, and what might it mean for this province’s future?

May 2012 marks the one-year anniversary of the launch of Quebec’s Plan Nord by Premier Jean Charest. It’s a 25-year, $80-billion economic, social and environmental development strategy for Quebec’s massive northern territory.

Sound familiar? The parallels between Plan Nord and Alberta’s oil sands occurred to Robert Yalden during the Montrealer’s last visit to Alberta. “I was struck by how much history there was to the endeavour,” says Yalden, a partner with Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. “By how much investment, how much public planning for the development of infrastructure necessary for the private sector, how much forethought and long-term thinking was required to understand, back in the 1960s and 1970s, that the oil sands could become an extremely important part of the Alberta economy.” Looking at his province’s Plan Nord, he sees the need for the same type of long-term planning and vision.

And, perhaps, the need to learn from Alberta’s missteps along the way, because there have been a few.

Quebec’s Front-Line Forests [Plan Nord] – New York Times Editorial (May 2, 2012)

May 3, 2012

http://www.nytimes.com/

In April, the government of Premier Jean Charest introduced a bill in the Quebec National Assembly that seeks to protect nearly 150 million acres — half of northern Quebec, an area the size of France — from industrial development, including logging, mining and petroleum exploration. The bill matters, not just to Canada but to the world: The boreal forests and tundra of northern Canada remain a relatively intact ecosystem, absorbing more carbon than the world’s tropical forests and providing a vital buffer against global warming. Industrial development would weaken that buffer, and, as things stand now, there is almost nothing to prevent it.

As envisioned by Mr. Charest, the bill would have made a firm commitment to prevent all industrial activity. As revised by government bureaucrats, the latest version promises only that, at some future point, steps will be taken to “protect the environment, maintain biodiversity, enhance the natural heritage and promote the sustainable use of resources.” Mr. Charest is the leader of a majority government, so the bill will almost certainly pass. Before it does, it needs to be strengthened to prohibit even piecemeal development in this sensitive region.

N.Y. Times praises Plan Nord but raises concerns – by Michelle Lalonde (Montreal Gazette – May 3, 2012)

May 3, 2012

http://www.montrealgazette.com/index.html

MONTREAL – A recent editorial in the New York Times praises Premier Jean Charest’s Plan Nord bill as “a remarkable precedent,” but critics note it also adds to growing pressure on Charest to strengthen the bill so that it truly protects from development half of northern Quebec, as Charest promised in his re-election campaign.

The $80-billion Plan Nord was billed by Charest as a way to preserve half of Quebec’s north by 2035, while allowing sustainable mining and forestry in the other half.

“The bill matters,” the editorial in Tuesday’s Times says, “not just to Canada but to the world: The boreal forests and tundra of northern Canada remain a relatively intact ecosystem, absorbing more carbon than the world’s tropical forests and providing a vital buffer against global warming.”

The editorial goes on to say that Charest had made a firm commitment to prevent all industrial activity in 150 million acres — half of northern Quebec, an area the size of France — but that government bureaucrats have watered down his intentions. The bill now promises only that at some future point steps will be taken to protect the environment and promote the sustainable use of resources.

[Agnico-Eagle’s Quebec] LaRonde gold mine could produce for another 15 years – by Robert Gibbens (Montreal Gazette – April 27, 2012)

May 16, 2012May 1, 2012

http://www.montrealgazette.com/index.html

MONTREAL – The 24-year-old LaRonde gold mine in northwestern Quebec that fuelled Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd.’s expansion into a six-mine international player could go on producing for another 15 years, with average annual output of 300,000 ounces, CEO Sean Boyd says.

LaRonde, deepened over the past two years, has been blessed with silver and zinc in its ore and operated at a net cash cost below $100 U.S. an ounce in 2011 – silver soared to record levels though zinc languished with the global recession. LaRonde is Canada’s deepest mine at three kilometres.

The deeper-level ore has less silver and zinc content, but average gold grades are much higher to compensate. And grade is everything, miners say.

“The transition from LaRonde I to the lower LaRonde II wasn’t easy as you ramp up new tonnages … it’s mighty hot down there,” said Boyd in an interview Friday. “But the ground conditions were good and we were applying the well-tried mining methods and equipment.”

Labrador’s iron ore goes global (Canadian Mining Journal – April 2012)

May 1, 2012

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

*Information for this article provided by the Department of Natural Resources, Geological Survey, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The world-class Labrador Trough iron mining district has long been a bastion of stability in the often uncertain world of mining.

Having produced more than 2 billion tonnes of ore over 50 years of continuous production, “The Trough” can claim a prominent place in the Canadian mining sector.

Currently, with new mine openings, major expansions at existing operations, and key port and rail upgrades, the district is being reinvigorated with investment capital from around the globe. In the current planning cycle, at least $15 billion of new investment in Labrador may be realized if projects advance to development.

At present, there are three iron ore operations located in the Labrador section of “The Trough:” Rio Tinto IOC (Carol Lake), Cliffs Natural Resources (Wabush Mines), and Labrador Iron Mines (Schefferville/Menihek DSO project).

Strictly Legal: Creating Cree Corp. makes perfect sense – by Kathryn Leger (Montreal Gazette – April 27, 2012)

April 27, 2012

http://www.montrealgazette.com/index.html

When Cree Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come visited law firm Lavery LLP’s offices recently for a packed encounter with local mining entrepreneurs, his talk began with the up-close and personal.

“I am a son of a hunter, a fisher and a trapper,” said Coon Come, 56, the head of the Grand Council of the Crees, the political body representing Quebec Cree.

“My dad lived on the land and so did my mother. I am a father to five children. I have three daughters and two sons. I am a husband to Mary Ann Coon Come. We have been married for 35 years and I am also a grandfather to two children.”

With that informality out of the way, which he later said is essential to relationship building with the Cree, Coon Come proceeded to enthrall those in attendance as he explained the aboriginal perspective on Quebec’s Plan Nord.

Huge mining projects in works – by Robert Gibbens (Montreal Gazette – April 25, 2012)

April 26, 2012

http://www.montrealgazette.com/index.html

Quebec-Labrador on track to be world’s third biggest iron-ore draw within decade

Two jumbo projects could turn Quebec-Labrador into the world’s third biggest iron-ore mining region in a decade – and one of them has just deepened its footprint in Quebec.

The jumbos are New Millennium Iron Corp., with international partner Tata Steel of India, and Adriana Resources Inc., with partner Wuhan Iron & Steel Corp., China’s third biggest steelmaker.

Their multi-billion-dollar projects, along with Iron Ore Co. of Canada’s ongoing expansion, a fast-track project by Alderon Iron Ore Corp. with Hebei Iron & Steel Group, China’s biggest steelmaker, and many smaller developments could triple the region’s annual capacity to 150 million tonnes.

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc., which bought Consolidated Thompson for $4.9 billion last year to merge it with Wabush Mines, is also expanding. Century Iron Mines Corp. and Champion Minerals Inc. are working on key properties. though Oceanic Iron Ore Corp.’s Ungava project is remote. Another contender is Labrador Iron Mines Holdings.

Canadian miner vies to be major rare-earth supplier – by Pav Jordan (Globe and Mail – April 18, 2012)

April 18, 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.

The race is on for mining companies vying to become the world’s next big producers of heavy rare-earth minerals, used to manufacture components for everything from vent fans for jet engines to laser-guided systems for smart bombs.

From hundreds of companies actively exploring for rare-earth deposits, only a handful – including a few Canadian – have made discoveries that could establish them as key suppliers in the quickly evolving market.

The 17 so-called rare-earth elements have been mined for half a century – with most of them coming from the Bayan Obo mining district in China. The minerals had been largely ignored until recent years, when they found their way into technological innovations ranging from smartphones to super-magnets used in wind turbines and automobiles.

Prices for the minerals touched all-time highs after No. 1 producer China tightened export restrictions on rare earths by nearly half in 2010 as it sought to guarantee supplies amid booming demand from its own market, which analysts say could consume all it produces within a decade. The caps were highly criticized by governments in Europe and the United States, which have complained to the World Trade Organization.

NEWS RELEASE: Champion Minerals Enters Into an Exclusive Memorandum of Understanding With the Takuaikan Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam Innus First Nation on the Potential Development of a New Multi-User Railway

April 14, 2012

TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – April 2, 2012) – CHAMPION MINERALS INC. (TSX:CHM)(FRANKFURT:P02) (“Champion”, or the “Company”) is proud to announce that it entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Takuaikan Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam Innu First Nation (“ITUM”) of Uashat, Quebec, located near the Port of Sept-Iles.

“This memorandum of understanding confirms that ITUM has agreed to enter into exclusive discussions with Champion in connection with the potential development of an entirely new multi-user railway and the potential creation of a partnership, the equity of which would be opened to other users, in order to design, build and manage this new railway. The objective of this new railway would be to service the iron ore industry directly linking the Fire Lake North region to the planned multi-user Port Facility at Pointe Noire, in Sept-Iles, Quebec”, says Richard Quesnel, Senior Technical Advisor and Head of Champion’s Advisory Board.

At this stage, the intent of ITUM and Champion is that the interests and long term vision of ITUM will be integrated in the project planning as the parties desire to create a sustainable development project that will enable the economic development of the region and support mutual environmental and social responsibility objectives. “This railway project is the one that offers the best prospects for the development of my community. Negotiated with respect, this project offers sustainable economic benefits and constitutes an important asset that will create appealing jobs on our territory for our next generations”, said Chief Georges-Ernest Gregoire of ITUM.