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Golden opportunities ahead: mining report – by Carl Clutchey (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – April 26, 2013)

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

Northwestern Ontario’s burgeoning mining sector is expected to create 10,000 full-time jobs over the next decade and bring in up to $1.7 billion in overall economic revenue each year over the same period, says an exhaustive report.

But Thunder Bay’s Mining Readiness Strategy also warns that the city, the province, outlying municipalities and Aboriginal agencies have a lot of work to do to prepare for the boom: energy needs, housing shortages, aging roads and sewers, and worker training are all areas that need to be quickly addressed.

The overall buoyant outlook in the report suggests that the region will not be left out when the province’s economic recovery kicks in, as was the case during the forestry crash.

Spearheaded by Thunder Bay’s Community Economic Development Commission, the study was deemed complete Thursday and posted to the city’s website.

The rosy forecast is based on 10 new mines or major expansions, nine of which are in the advanced stage of exploration, including the Ring of Fire, Stillwater Canada’s proposed copper and palladium mine near Marathon and Goldcorp’s Channel Gold project at Red Lake.

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Province rescues ELA – by Bryan Meadows (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – April 25, 2013)

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

The province is stepping up to the plate to save the Experimental Lakes Area. The Liberal government announced Wednesday that it will provide funding to keep the ELA running this year, and work with the federal and Manitoba governments, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and other partners on an agreement to ensure the future of the world-renowned freshwater research facility east of Kenora.

“What is special about the ELA is that it takes research out of the lab and right into the environment — so the ELA presents a rare opportunity for research, perhaps unique in the world,” said IISD president and CEO Scott Vaughan.

Kenora MP Greg Rickford, who has taken heat over the federal funding cuts for the ELA, said Wednesday that “we have been waiting for Ontario, as the owner of the lands, to play an active role in the transfer of the ELA (to a new operator).
“That’s great news.

“In the meantime, we have been involved in leading negotiations with the prospective operators, and we’re hopeful an agreement can be reached and welcome Ontario taking an active role,” Rickford said. Ottawa cut funding to the ELA research facility on March 31 and blocked researchers, even those with funding from other parties, to work there.

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Keep riches here [in Ontario]: MPP – by Bryan Meadows (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – April 12, 2013)

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

Thunder Bay-Superior North and Kenora-Rainy River MPPs were on opposite sides of the fence Thursday when debating two private members’ bills at Queen’s Park.

Following debate late Thursday afternoon, MPPs defeated Bill 43: Mining Amendment Act (Resources Processed in Ontario), and approved second reading of Bill 42: Ombudsman Amendment Act (Children’s Aid Societies).

Bill 43, introduced by NDP Northern Development and Mines critic Michael Mantha (NDP-Algoma–Manitoulin), would have required ore and minerals mined in Ontario to remain in the province for refinement. Currently, companies can apply for an exemption from exporting restrictions, allowing them to send raw material anywhere in the world to be processed.

Following the vote, Mantha said the defeat of his bill shows that Liberal and Conservative MPPs are not serious about job creation. “My bill would have given Ontario’s mining industry a bright future,” he said.

“By keeping our resources in the province, there is the potential of job creation in many sectors. We would ensure that the unprecedented wealth of resources in the Ring of Fire is used to create good value-added jobs for Ontarians.”

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Nuke shield law matters in NWO – by Carl Clutchey (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – April 11, 2013)

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

Northwestern Ontario residents who could one day have a massive disposal site for used nuclear fuel bundles close to home should have a say in how much they could potentially sue nuclear industries for in the event of an accident, nuke safety advocates say.

The federal government is reviewing the little-known Nuclear Liability Act, which for the past 40 years has capped the amount that a nuclear supplier or vendor might have to pay out at $75 million. Critics say the figure is ridiculously out of date.

Greenpeace and the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) are petitioning the government to expand the review of the act so that ongoing consultation includes public input — especially in the wake of the nuclear accident at Japan’s Fukushima plant two years ago.

“It’s unacceptable that the Harper government wants to continue protecting the nuclear industry without consulting Canadians,” Greenpeace nuclear analyst Shawn-Patrick Stensil said in a news release.

In a statement Wednesday, Natural Resources Canada Minister Joe Oliver said a bill proposing to bring the act up to date will be fully aired before it’s put to a vote in the House of Commons.

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If Ottawa won’t, Ontario must [Experimental Lakes Area] – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal Editorial (April 8, 2013)

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

The Experimental Lakes Area may be down, but surely — surely — it’s not out. The federal government last week formally closed the unique freshwater research station, located near Kenora. In doing so, it will save a whopping $2 million a year (actually, they’ll save less than that, because much of that $2 million is made up via user fees).

The casualty — aside from the growing political price the Conservatives are paying — is invaluable scientific research into, essentially, the effects of human activities on freshwater ecosystems. That research is vital. It’s incredibly important that we know, exactly, what effects our activities have on the natural world, the fresh water we consume, and the animals and plants that live in and around it.

It is appalling that the federal government would choose to close such a valuable and important facility, ignoring informed pleas and warnings from the global scientific community. The ELA plays too important a role in scientific research to be shuttered and forgotten.

The timing, however, may be good. The Ontario government is in its annual budget mode. That budget has yet to be tabled, but may we suggest it contain some money earmarked for the takeover and continued operation of the Experimental Lakes Area?

We’re not the only ones in favour of such a move. Environment North vice-president Graham Saunders made the case directly to the province last Wednesday, urging the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs to in turn urge the Ontario government take the ELA’s reins.

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[Ontario] Power Politics: A bizarre series of electrical events – by Livio Di Matteo (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – April 1, 2013)

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

Livio Di Matteo is Professor of Economics at Lakehead University.

The reality show that is Ontario public policy and politics provides for spectacles that are quite entertaining were it not for their serious consequences. On the one hand, it was not so long ago that the Ontario government spent upwards of 800 million dollars prior to an election to scrap natural gas fired power plants in Mississauga and Oakville that were opposed by local residents. Now, a fiscally awakened Ontario government does not want to spend money to convert Thunder Bay’s coal-fired plant to natural gas, which many local residents say they need. It is indeed unfortunate that these populations could not have been geographically interchanged as they might have saved the Ontario government untold millions of dollars.

Thunder Bay leaders maintain the Thunder Bay generating station must remain open and converted to natural gas. The main argument being employed by our regional leadership in this sorry state of affairs is that with a looming mining boom, the region will be short of power and the Thunder Bay plant must be converted to natural gas to meet this demand and lubricate economic growth. The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) and to date the provincial government maintain that this power demand can be met more cheaply by an expansion of the east-west tie as well as imports of power from Manitoba and Minnesota.

All of this flows from a provincial Green Energy initiative, which in the well-intentioned name of environmental protection, shut down more cost-effective provincial coal plants and invested in cleaner though albeit higher cost wind, solar and natural gas electricity generation. The Thunder Bay and Atikokan plants because of their size and location were relatively minor contributors to Ontario air pollution, but were swept up in what amounted to a one-size-fits all provincial energy policy.

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[Thunder Bay] ‘We’re going to be short power’ – by Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal (March 26, 2013)

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

Thunder Bay is prepared to go political in its ongoing effort to keep the Thunder Bay Generating Station open. The Ontario government late last year put a hold on converting the power plant from coal to natural gas, after the Ontario Power Authority said the region’s power needs could be met in other and cheaper ways.

The city has maintained that converting the plant is the only way to provide enough reliable power for the region, especially considering what many say is a looming mining industry boom.

The timeline is tight, too. The province has said all coal-fired power generation in Ontario must end by the end of 2014.
And while Coun. Iain Angus of the city’s energy task force said the city is making headway in its fight, asking Ontario Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli to simply order the station be converted is not out of the question.

“I’m optimistic that we’ll be able to reach an agreement,” Angus said Monday at city hall.

“But if not, we have the option of going back to the minister of energy to say to him, ‘look, we’ve done our best to reach an agreement. It’s not possible. They’re still sticking with their scenario, which we don’t think will work, and we want you, minister, and your cabinet to issue a directive that the Thunder Bay (generating station) shall remain in operation, and the conversion to natural gas will begin.’”

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Feds can do better: NAN – by Carl Clutchey (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – March 25, 2013)

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

Nishnawbe Aski Nation says it has found little in last week’s federal budget to help First Nations position themselves “to be partners, investors and owners of the significant resource-based economy about to emerge from our treaty territories.”
In a news release following the release of Thursday’s budget, NAN Grand Chief Harvey Yesno said “Canada can do better” in terms of helping NAN communities realize “a long-term vision for prosperity and wealth.”

A post-budget analysis by NAN also found the document to be lacking in terms of addressing ongoing shortages of food, housing and police officers in NAN’s mostly isolated reserves in Ontario’s remote North.

“After reviewing (more than) $700 million worth of federal funding announcements related to First Nations outlined in the budget across many federal departments, the only direct benefit to the 49 First Nations of NAN is the announcement of $4.4 million over three years for Ring of Fire communities,” said the release.

Thunder Bay-based NAN said that while it applauds the $100-million earmarked for Nunavut housing projects, there was nothing for the 32 remote NAN reserves “where housing is limited.”

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An advanced [mining] project moves forward [Northwestern Ontario] – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal (March 18, 2013)

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

This is the seventh instalment of a multi-part series looking at the mining sector of Northwestern Ontario and the Ring of Fire.

Author Napoleon Hill, known for his writings on success, said that, “More gold has been mined from the thoughts of men than has been taken from the earth.”

While this may be true, a tremendous amount of gold has been mined out of the ground, but not without the thoughts and vision of the men and women who held firm in their commitment to stay the course of the long road from discovery to production.

Patience and persistence are essential virtues to anyone in the mining business. It can take years from the point of the initial period of exploration to construction of a producing mine. There are many challenges along the way and mining companies need to have a relentless but realistic optimism.

Osisko Mining Corp., the Montreal-based company founded in 1998 that is currently developing the Hammond Reef Gold Mine project 23 kilometres north of Atikokan, is one such company.

Osisko, whose motto professes a “fresh outlook on mining,” first became involved in the Atikokan project when it took over from junior mining company Brett Resources in 2010.

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Lakehead University launches mineral research centre – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – March 4, 2013)

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.

Lakehead University’s mineral exploration research centre is up and running. President Brian Stevenson announced at an alumni breakfast at the Prospectors and Developers show in Toronto, March 4, that the Thunder Bay institution is staking its claim in the mining game in northwestern Ontario.

After a year of planning and laying the administrative groundwork, the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Mining and Exploration is now officially open. The centre will be focused on mineral exploration, the environment, and First Nations engagement.

“The key word is sustainable,” said geology professor Peter Hollings, who was named the centre’s director. “It’s not just about mining and exploration, it’s about doing it in a manner with minimal impact.”

Intended to be a truly interdisciplinary institute, it will utilize all the available faculty expertise from across campus in engineering, natural resources management, chemistry, anthropology, First Nation studies, and other groups. “What excites me about this centre is that it goes beyond the geology department,” said Hollings.

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Don’t take [mining] prosperity for granted, warns Rae – by Karen McKinley (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – March 12, 2013)

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

Northwestern Ontario may be on the brink of an economic boon, but the province can’t take that opportunity for granted, says federal Liberal interim leader Bob Rae.

Rae spoke Monday at a Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce luncheon. The former NDP premier of Ontario confirmed that he could become a negotiator for First Nations with links to the mining zone, and he would working with federal FedNor Minister Tony Clement.

But Rae said nothing about a new job will be finalized until his term at the Liberal helm winds up with the party’s leadership vote on April 14. Rae focused on the potential for prosperity in the region with the Ring of Fire.

“If we can’t take prosperity for granted and we have to work at it, then we must also mean we must not take this project for granted,” he said in his address at the Airlane Hotel and Conference Centre.

He said as premier of Ontario, he learned many hard lessons, like a province should never take prosperity for granted. Rae recalled that the day after he was elected in 1990, he was told that the province was going to go from a surplus in May to an $8-billion deficit in a very short time. By the next year, it was a $10-billion deficit due to falling revenues.

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Get certainty into [northern Ontario] mining – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal Editorial (March 3, 2013)

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

CITY, regional, Ontario and national officials are almost giddy over the prospects of mining development here in Northern Ontario. All levels of government are dealing with economic challenges that result in political challenges due to financial difficulties faced throughout society. Particularly in the North where opportunities for success are relatively limited, the prospect of a new mining boom has rightly got everyone thinking about the good times to come. Well, almost everyone.

If there is one thing that business doesn’t like it is uncertainty. In another time, mining interests would stake wilderness territory, test for minerals and, if the results were good, plan a mine. They got their permissions from the province and maybe dealt with Ottawa on environmental issues.

Today, First Nations are demanding a say in where and how mines are developed and how their communities can participate and profit in mining development. And so they should. This represents an unprecedented opportunity to lift First Nations out of poverty, providing employment and economic stability. But turning this opportunity into reality is proving most difficult.

There is no template to negotiate agreements among mining companies, First Nations and governments. In fact, First Nations don’t want one. Most band councils appear intent on making their own arrangements in their own time and many resent government trying to intervene to move parties toward agreements.

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[Thunder Bay’s] Fort William First Nation prepares for mining opportunities – by Karen McKinley (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – February 26, 2013)

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

A mining boom is coming to Northwestern Ontario and one First Nation is eager to encourage business ties for everyone in the region.

Fort William First Nation is hosting a mining conference March 25-26 to allow companies, businesses and anyone interested to meet and discuss potential employment they could share with the region. Several mining companies are to attend, as well as speakers and training organizations to encourage people to consider a career in the sector.
The event is free and open to the public.

“We are having this conference because we want to be ahead of the game,” Walter Bannon, Fort William First Nation communication and research officer, said in an interview on Monday. “A study from Lakehead University shows there will be around nine mines operational in Northwestern Ontario in the next five to seven years.”

Bannon said the community and region want to be prepared for eventual business and employment opportunities.
The conference is being presented from the point of view of First Nations, but it is open to all interested in getting involved in the mining industry.

The First Nation has also invited the District Catholic School Board, Confederation College, Lakehead Public Schools and Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School to bring students to the conference. The goal is to show students who may want to find work in mining what courses they need.

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New economy community-focused, planning board told – (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – February 20, 2013)

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

There will be nearly 7,000 additional mining jobs in Northern Ontario by 2020, says a Conference Board of Canada study released last month. And to prepare for the challenges that lie ahead, economist Thomas Townsend said the new economy will have to be more localized and more community-focused.

Townsend, president and founder of Townsend-Danis Advantage, provided the keynote address during the Think Globally, Act Locally presentation hosted by the North Superior Workforce Planning Board in Thunder Bay on Tuesday.

Townsend explained that the labour force has to be adaptive to changing economic forces, and that adaptation has to start at the local level. “It starts with the people and their capabilities and skills that are currently here, but it also includes their aspirations,” Townsend said during an interview following his address.

“The development of the region will occur, but it has to match with skills people have in order to fit with that development and the kinds of things they want to do with their life, the kinds of lives they want to lead, and the kinds of communities they want to form.”

Townsend said this will involve reading the future, changing the system for positive adjustment, readying the region and making it happen.

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Minister arrives with cheque book open – by Kris Ketonen (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – February 20, 2013)

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

The Thunder Bay airport is expanding its industrial park with the help of a grant from the federal government. The $1.5 million given to the airport on Tuesday was one of several business grants announced by FedNor Minister Tony Clement in Thunder Bay on Tuesday.

In all, Clement announced that more than $4 million would go to various Thunder Bay companies and agencies. “This is a big announcement for Thunder Bay,” Clement said in an interview.

“It shows, here in Thunder Bay, the depth of entrepreneurial innovation that’s going on. “This shows that these economic building blocks are working in Thunder Bay,” he said at the airport.

The money granted to the airport will allow the creation of several new industrial lots along Derek Burney Drive, along with the extension of the road, said airport CEO Scott McFadden.

“We actually broke ground already in anticipation of getting an early start for the next construction season this summer,” McFadden said. “It’s all very timely. We have a need for more airside accessible lots, and this should create at least three.”

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