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Sudbury Laurentian University – Mining Faculties and Research

Province sinks funding into bio-mining research – by Jonathan Migneault (Northern Ontario Business – July 8, 2016)

http://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

A new Laurentian University industrial research chair position in bio-mining, bio-remediation and science communication has the potential to kickstart a new industry in Sudbury that could create hundreds or even thousands of jobs, said the director of the Vale Living with Lakes Centre.

“It’s not an exaggeration to say there will be an entire industry built around this,” said Laurentian professor John Gunn, who is also the Canada research chair for stressed aquatic systems. “The demands are so big.”

The province is investing more than $630,000 through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation to create the five-year research chair position at the university. The announcement was made at a press conference in Sudbury on May 9.

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MEDIA RELEASE: Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity Report Overlooks Sudbury’s World-Class Mining Clusters

Sudbury is the Silicon Valley of underground mining research

Nickel Belt – (July 6, 2016): The Toronto-based Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity recently issued a report titled “Clusters in Ontario: Creating an ecosystem for prosperity” that, in the opinion of industry experts, overlooks Sudbury’s vibrant mining clusters.

Industrial clusters are interrelated businesses in compact geographical regions that are supported by educational, research and government institutions which enhance economic growth, prosperity and innovation through value-added manufacturing and internal/external exports.

Marc Serré, Nickel Belt MP and a member of The National Standing Committee on Natural Resources says, “Sudbury’s dynamic mining clusters are a globally unique concentration of Canadian hard-rock expertise and innovation, unique in North America and found in very few other cities around the world. My fear is that federal and provincial policy experts and politicians will read this report and assume any requests for multi-million dollar strategic investments for Sudbury to further enhance educational or research aspects would not be warranted.”

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Mining magnate donates $10 million to architecture school – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – June 30, 2016)

http://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Sudbury’s emerging school of design has a new name: The McEwen School of Architecture at Laurentian University.

Goldcorp founder and CEO of McEwen Mining Rob McEwen and his wife Cheryl were in Sudbury, June 29, to donate $10 million to the downtown Sudbury institution, currently under its second phase of construction.“We are immensely grateful to the McEwen family for this transformative gift,” said Terrance Galvin, founding director of the School of Architecture.

“This investment will help us fulfil our mission to establish a unique and cutting-edge architecture program whose graduates will contribute to socio-economic and cultural development in northern latitudes across Canada and around the world. With his vision and enthusiasm, Rob will be a superb mentor to our students.”

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‘Major’ Sudbury project receives $5 million – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – June 30, 2016)

http://www.thesudburystar.com/

Laurentian University has received $5 million from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. toward a $100-million research project that will develop a mass of expertise on how to improve mineral exploration.

The NOHFC announcement was made Wednesday by Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle, who said the project dovetails nicely with the mineral development strategy his government announced in December.

That strategy is part of the Government of Ontario’s blueprint to make Ontario the global leader in the mining industry. Getting to that No. 1 spot depends on how well mining research and innovation are harnessed, said Gravelle.

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School of architecture gets $10 million gift – by Jim Moodie (Sudbury Star – June 30, 2016)

http://www.thesudburystar.com/

The banners on downtown Sudbury’s newest edifice now read McEwen School of Architecture. So did the yellow ball caps handed out at a stylish announcement Wednesday, and a large wooden sign that was unveiled amid a cascade of sparkly confetti.

The name change owes to a massive boost from Rob and Cheryl McEwen, who have gifted the school a cool $10 million. Both were on hand Wednesday to see their name affixed to the facility and speak to the motivation behind the donation.

“Cheryl and I are certain that the goals of the McEwen School of Architecture will unleash the genius of the North and usher in new, innovative approaches to the design, form and function of buildings and communities, not only across Canada but around the world,” said Rob McEwen, founder of Goldcorp and head of McEwen Mining.

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NEWS RELEASE: Ontario Supporting Geoscience Research (Ministry of Northern Development and Mines – June 29, 2016)

Initiative to Help Stimulate Mineral Development in Northern Ontario

Ontario is supporting a groundbreaking research proposal that will help lead to future mining innovations and create jobs in the North.

The province’s Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) is investing $5 million over seven years to support Laurentian University in its proposal to form a research consortium to better understand how and where base and precious metal deposits formed. This research could lead to improved success in finding ore bodies for future mining development.

Since 2003, Ontario has invested more than $1 billion through the NOHFC to more than 7,463 projects, leveraging more than $3.97 billion in direct economic activity and creating or sustaining over 28,100 jobs in Northern Ontario.

Investing in research and innovation is part of the government’s economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs.

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NEWS RELEASE: ROB AND CHERYL McEWEN INVEST $10 MILLION IN LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY’S SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

SUDBURY, ON (Sept. 29, 2016) – The Laurentian University School of Architecture will now be known as the McEwen School of Architecture, in recognition of a significant investment by Rob and Cheryl McEwen. A blue and gold banner bearing the McEwen name was unfurled outside the School in downtown Sudbury today, as the McEwens announced a $10 million gift. Four million dollars will be used to complete the School’s $45 million state-of-the-art facility. The remaining $6 million will enhance the student experience and maximize their capacity to become agents of change for architecture globally.

“Investing in Laurentian’s School of Architecture is a thrilling and proud moment for us. This School’s focus on green and sustainable design, rooted in northern landscapes and community, is creating unique opportunities for the next generation of architects,” said Rob McEwen. “We are already seeing the impact the School has had on northern communities in its first three years, and we look forward to the innovation and excellence in design these young leaders will achieve in years to come.”

“We are immensely grateful to the McEwen family for this transformative gift,” said Dr. Terrance Galvin, Founding Director of the School of Architecture.

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CEMI releases results of $6.7M deep underground mining research – by Marina von Stackelberg (CBC News Sudbury – June 24, 2016)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/

New tools and guidelines could prevent rock walls from collapsing

New research spearheaded in Sudbury could prevent injuries, deaths, and mine shut-downs by helping mining companies predict and prevent rock walls from collapsing kilometres below the earth’s surface.

“There was a need by the deep mining industry to better understand how the rock in underground mines behaves in response to the mining process itself,” said Damien Duff.

Duff is vice-president of geoscience and geotechnical research and development at the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) in Sudbury, the group that led the research.

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Laurentian U appoints research, eco-development czar – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – March 9, 2016)

http://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Sudbury’s Laurentian University has; announced Craig Fowler will assume the role of associate vice-president, research partnerships, innovation and economic development.

Fowler will be responsible for developing new large-scale research collaborations to advance the university’s objectives and foster innovation and economic development.

In its Strategic Plan, Laurentian University has set a goal of increasing total annual funded research from $21.9 million in 2010 to $30 million by 2017.

“We are thrilled by the experience and vision that Craig brings to this portfolio,” said Rui Wang, vice-president of research at Laurentian University.

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De Beers, Laurentian dig in on James Bay restoration plans – by Ella Myers (Northern Ontario Business – March 3, 2016)

http://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

For the past two summers, Keri Etherington has headed out into the bush in the James Bay Lowlands to collect native plant seeds.

“My favourite part of the job was being out on the land every day,” said the environmental technician student, who was raised in Moosonee. “To get to our seed collection spots, we would have to use the boat, helicopter, or four-wheeler, so this was always fun for me. If we were lucky, we would be able to see wildlife.”

The summer program is part of a joint project between De Beers’s Victor Mine and Laurentian University’s School of the Environment, to make native plant species seed available for the restoration of land around the mine.

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Laurentian creates Sudbury mining research hub – by Ben Leeson, (Sudbury Star – February 20, 2016)

http://www.thesudburystar.com/

Vic Pakalnis doesn’t want to sugarcoat it. The mining industry is going through “some very tough times right now,” said Pakalnis, newly appointed associate vice-president of Laurentian Mining Innovation and Technology.

And there’s no better time, he believes, to prepare for the next upswing and develop the “Sudbury Advantage,” as Laurentian University plans to do with through LMIT, a new mining innovation and technology research initiative to co-ordinate and promote all mining-related research at the university.

“I’m a mining engineer and I have been in the mining industry since my birth,” Pakalnis said, during a press conference held at Laurentian on Friday to officially announce the establishment of Laurentian Mining Innovation and Technology. “My father was a mining engineer, my mother was a mining engineer, and I have survived five of these cycles.

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Sudbury’s CEMI digging deep for data – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – February 18, 2016)

http://www.thesudburystar.com/

If you’ve been itching to test a good idea for a data analytics business that could benefit the mining and exploration industry, the Centre for Excellence in Mining and SNOLAB want to hear from you.

Its officials have issued a worldwide request for proposals for business start-ups interested in using the Mining Observatory Data Control Centre (MODCC) to incubate their ideas.

The MODCC is a four-year, $2.4-million partnership among CEMI, SNOLAB, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. and the Canada Mining Innovation Council.

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LU cuts ties with Barrie – by Cheryl Browne (Barrie Examiner/Sudbury Star – February 15, 2016)

http://www.thesudburystar.com/

After years of attempting to reconcile their differences, Laurentian University and Georgian College have decided to go their separate ways.

As with any two entities that agree to call it quits, once Laurentian attempted to become its own stand-alone university in Barrie — and failed — they found they just didn’t have the will to kiss and make up.

“It’s disappointing. I feel like maybe we could have had more notice. I’m just really surprised,” said Connor MacPherson, a 23-year-old psychology student studying at Laurentian. With an apartment, friends and family in Barrie, MacPherson said Friday’s news that her university would be closing up shop in Barrie before her post-secondary education was complete came as an unwelcome shock.

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Slumping commodity prices drive groundbreaking approaches to mining – by Ella Myers (Northern Ontario Business – February 12, 2016)

http://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Economic blasts are rumbling the ground on which the mining industry stands these days.

As nickel prices drop alongside copper and other local commodities, Vale’s general manager of mines and mill, Robert Assabgui, estimates that more than half of producers are losing money at the current prices, and these companies are forced to make major changes to their operations.

For students advancing onto the employment field in the next few years, the current bust in the cycle could be unnerving. “You can tell we’re in a bust because usually there’s pyro and a live band when I come on,” joked Jeff Fuller, owner of Fuller Industrial to a crowd of gathered students, Feb. 11.

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NEWS RELEASE: THE IVORY COAST CALLS UPON LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY TO DEVELOP ITS MINING SECTOR

SUDBURY, ON (February 4, 2016) – Laurentian University has signed an agreement to leverage its expertise in an effort to help evaluate mining training needs in Ivory Coast, implement relevant and viable training programs, and offer tailored French-language programs to Ivorian people.

At the Mine and Agriculture Symposium organized jointly by the Canadian Embassy in Ivory Coast and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), Laurentian University’s Goodman School of Mines signed a Memorandum of Collaboration with the Groupement des professionnels des mines de Côte d’Ivoire (GPMCI) and Institut National Polytechnique Félix HOUPHOUÊT-BOIGNY (INP-HB). The memorandum aims to develop a qualified local workforce able to respond to the growing needs of the mining industry on the Ivory Coast.

On the heels of the unveiling of three new bilingual engineering programs in November 2015, Laurentian University illustrates, through this new collaboration, the strong added value of its Francophone component and the significant impact of mining training in both English and French, which is already becoming evident on a global scale.

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