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Goldcorp shows council pit concept – by Benjamin Aubé (Timmins Daily Press – October 21, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – Goldcorp has finally received a draft of its air and noise control permit from the Ministry of the Environment regarding the Hollinger open-pit mining project. The news was among the updates provided by Goldcorp/Porcupine Gold Mines general manager Marc Lauzier and superintendent of surface operations Paul Miller at city council on Monday.

“We’re hopeful this will move on fairly quickly,” said Miller, relating to the company receiving news on its MOE permit. “We’ll be stripping overburdens of old construction and getting into the mining activity.”

Also presented to council was an initial rendering of what the Hollinger open pit could look like while mining activity takes place there over a projected 10-year lifespan. Designs show three individual pits, which will be the focus of mining activity on the site.

Miller said the design might be modified as the project moves on. Lauzier added the shape of the pit could change “depending on the economics” and the price of gold.

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NEWS RELEASE: Timmins Kidd Operations’ outstanding safety performance recognized — again

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

Ontario Mining Association member Kidd Operations, a Glencore Company, has been presented with the President’s Award for being the top safety performer by Workplace Safety North (WSN). The honour was bestowed at WSN’s inaugural workplace excellence awards and this honour recognizes continuous improvement in occupational health and safety.

“Everyone is really proud of the win,” said Tom Semadeni, General Manager for Kidd Operations, a Glencore Company. “It is really icing on the cake because earlier this year, we won the John T. Ryan award for the best safety performance for a Canadian metal mine. So it is further reinforcement that we’re on the right track.”

“I think it is great to promote success,” added Mr. Semadeni. “A lot of times businesses have a tendency to notice and follow up on things when they are going badly, or wrong, but you need to recognize success. We need to do that internally for our own business but also out in the public. Just having an award like this demonstrates to the public that there is a good commitment to improving.”

In May of 2013, the Kidd Operations in Timmins was presented with the John T. Ryan national safety trophy in the metal mine category for having the best reportable injury rate of all metal mines in Canada.

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PoV: Responsibility for black bear management belongs to MNR – by Wayne Snider (Timmins Daily Press – October 2, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

The battle for Northern Ontario is heating up, even though a provincial election has yet to be called. A trio of Northern Progressive Conservative candidates were pushing pro-North policies at the party’s recent convention. One component of the proposed policy — which has not yet been endorsed by the party –would be to allow municipalities to reinstate the spring bear hunt in their areas.

If the Tories form the next government and legislate this change, it would reverse a decision made by the Mike Harris-led Conservatives in 1999 to cancel the spring bear hunt. The decision came after the Tories caved in to animal rights groups, which threatened a major advertising blitz in eight key swing ridings shortly before an election.

“When the spring bear hunt was removed, it was done for political reasons after a large lobby by southern special interest groups,” said Steve Black, Tory candidate for Timmins-James Bay. “A misguided campaign was launched to convince people that ending the hunt was the right thing to do.”

This proposal came on the heels of the Northeastern Ontario Municipal Association supporting a similar resolution being presented to the provincial government.

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Tories consider return of spring hunt – by Ron Grech (Timmins Daily Press – September 26, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – The provincial party that cancelled the spring black bear hunt is now considering including its reinstatement as a campaign promise. At the Progressive Conservative policy convention held in London this past weekend, Tory delegates voted in favour of having its policy team consider the hunt’s reinstatement as part of the party’s next platform.

The motion was put jointly forward by three Northern Tory candidates including Steve Black of Timmins-James Bay riding and Peter Politis of Timiskaming-Cochrane. The other delegate was Randy Nickel of Kenora-Rainy River.

“Three Northern associations recommended the spring black bear hunt be reinstated mostly due to the dangerous shift in bear behavior,” Black told The Daily Press. “That was a large focus. We discussed what’s transpired in Cochrane this year, the fact bears are now seen entering homes and the increased bear-human interactions.”

The idea would be reinstate a spring hunt in which only male black bears would be targeted, mirroring the policy of the previous hunt before it was cancelled.

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First Nations seek economic partnership with NEOMA – by Wayne Snider (Timmins Daily Press – September 23, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – First Nations and municipalities in the North face many of the same challenges in terms of economic development.

Now, it appears two key groups are ready to come together to foster growth. Mushkegowuk Council, which represents eight First Nation communities, has approached the Northeastern Ontario Municipal Association (NEOMA) to develop a growth strategy.

Deputy Grand Chief Les Louttit of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) spoke to NEOMA members on Friday. Mushkegowuk Council is part of NAN, which represents 49 First Nations across Northern Ontario.

“We would like to propose an official entity of some kind to partner with NEOMA and Mushkegowuk Council,” Louttit said. “We would have an organization together, with people from your and our organizations, to foster business development, to take advantage of future business opportunities and economic development from the mining, forestry and tourism sectors.”

At the request of Mushkegowuk Council, NAN helped develop a proposal. This plan is currently being reviewed by Mushkegowuk Council and its member First Nations.

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New Tory platform fighting caribou ESA plan – by Ron Grech (Timmins Daily Press – September 12, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – Two key criticisms of the caribou conservation plan will be addressed by the Ontario Tories’ revamping of Endangered Species Act, says the party’s natural resources critic.

MPP Laurie Scott (PC – Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock) told The Daily Press Thursday the Progressive Conservatives will unveil a natural resources/northern development platform in Thunder Bay on Monday which outlines promised changes to the ESA.

Scott said the Tories would make it mandatory to consider the socio-economic impacts of any recommendations made under the ESA before its implementation. “Right now the legislation has it that the minister may consider socio-economic factors. We’re saying it must consider the socio-economic factors,” said Scott.

The Tories would also require that any scientific analysis used to determine recommendations would have to be posted publicly to the Environmental Registry to allow stakeholders to provide input.

While these changes would apply to the ESA as a whole, they also respond to key concerns raised by organizations like the Ontario Forest Industries Association about lack of peer-reviewed science and absence of any consideration of socio-economic impact in the caribou conservation plan.

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[Timmins] Mine reclamation conference set to start – by Kyle Gennings (Timmins Daily Press – September 10, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – The impact of mining and the importance of reclamation practices will be the topic of conversation over the next few days as Whish Ki Yak It 2013 kicks off on Tuesday morning.

The conference is a joint venture between AMAK, Goldcorp Porcupine Gold Mines, the University of Waterloo and Golder Associates and will host a number of key speakers which will comment on the current state of mining in the country.

“We are a partner on the final conference night for Wish Ki Yak It,” said Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre curator Karen Bachmann. “This is the final conference night and we’ve brought in Joseph Boyden a Canadian Author and the entire evening is geared as a cultural exchange.”

Participants will be introduced to reclamation on Tuesday morning with a tour of Goldcorps award winning Coniaurum Reclamation site, where the geomorphic approach, environmental monitoring and traditional ecological knowledge and traditional knowledge will be cross examined.

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Local ghost tale subject of book – by Kyle Gennings (Timmins Daily Press – September 5, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – Timmins is a community built on harrowing tales. There are many stories of men and women who overcame everything under the sun to build a life for themselves in the wild and unforgiving North.

But for a local educator, it was one story that inspired him. It is a story that has stayed with him and moved him to share it with the world.

That story is Popchuck’s Ghost. “Let me tell you a little bit of the history of the book,” said author and educator Paul Toffanello. “Back in the mid ’80s when I was teaching at Schumacher Public, I had a bunch of boys who were pretty reluctant readers and I had to find some way to engage them.

“And it just so happened that the Joe Cameron from Camp Bickell asked me to be the director at Camp Bickell and I found out there was a ghost called Arnold Popchuck. “I just took all of the little stories that the kids at the camp had about him and put it all together into a story that I hand wrote.

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Industry facing cut in wood allocation for caribou – by Ron Grech (Timmins Daily Press – September 3, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – Despite reassuring words from provincial politicians, the forest industry still faces a massive reduction in wood volume due to caribou conservation efforts being proposed in this region.

“On the Abitibi River Forest, it’s a disaster because they have not changed the long-term management direction one iota,” said Cochrane Mayor Peter Politis. “The existing long-term management direction sees about a 65% volume loss in 25 years which will devastate towns right from North Bay to Hearst.”

This is a marked change in tone from two months ago. Industry and municipal politicians were hailing Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources when it formally acknowledged the Crown Forest Sustainability Act fulfils the requirements of the Endangered Species Act.

However, the decision to harmonize these acts hasn’t made any difference to the caribou conservation efforts being implemented on the Abitibi River Forest.

“What the MNR is doing, they’re trying to recover caribou all over the place, all the way down south of Lake Abitibi where they don’t exist right now,” said Politis. “That’s what’s causing the problem.”

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Sell-off [Ontario Northland] “not only option” – by Wayne Snider (Timmins Daily Press – August 28, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – As Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Michael Gravelle is arguably the most important link to Queen’s Park for Northerners.

Gravelle took time out of his schedule to sit down with editorial staff at The Daily Press for an exclusive interview on Tuesday.

The minister discussed at length provincial issues specific to the region. He admitted one of the biggest bones of contention in the Northeast is the divestiture of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission.

“In the 2012 budget the decision was made,” Gravelle said. “There certainly was some very clear fiscal challenges and there was a decision made at that time, obviously in terms of the budget that indeed the divestment of the ONTC was the direction the government needed to go in. It was certainly a very tough decision at the time and one that (drew) a very strong reaction from Northern Ontario.”

Since that time, there has been a change in the premiership, with Kathleen Wynne replacing Dalton McGuinty. The provincial government has somewhat softened its response on the ONTC sell-off, but has not yet made any concrete promises.

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Lobby effort vital to growth in North – by Wayne Snider (Timmins Daily Press – August 28, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – For several years, there has been an ongoing effort by municipal leaders to lobby Queen’s Park on Northern Ontario issues.

The charge has been led in part by Timmins Mayor Tom Laughren and Kapuskasing Mayor Al Spacek. Through organizations like the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM), Northeastern Ontario Municipal Association (NEOMA) and the Northern Ontario Large Urban Mayors (NOLUM), they have met with provincial cabinet ministers on numerous occasions.

They have attempted to get Northern leaders to speak with one voice on key issues such as the divestiture of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, regional infrastructure needs, and potential closure of local provincial parks.

But how effective is this process? To answer that question, we went straight to the horse’s mouth. Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle has discussed these issues and many others, several times with the Northern lobby groups.

During an editorial board session at The Daily Press on Tuesday, he said such efforts allow the provincial government to clearly hear Northern concerns. “I think it is a very effective way for us to communicate,” Gravelle said. “I’ve built up some extraordinary positive relationships with Northern mayors in particular.”

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NEWS RELEASE: A Letter from Brigus Gold’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

HALIFAX, Aug. 27, 2013 /CNW/ – (NYSE MKT: BRD; TSX: BRD)

Dear Fellow Shareholders:

Given the recent volatility of the precious metals markets, I would like to share my perspective on what’s occurred in the sector, while reviewing our progress at Brigus and outlining our strategy and outlook for the quarters ahead.

The second quarter saw a precipitous drop in precious metal prices, including gold’s one day dip of ~9% in April. Lower gold prices led to reduced financial results for gold mining companies compared to the previous quarter, and a significant reduction in the valuation and equity prices for virtually all gold mining companies, including Brigus.

Since hitting a 46 month low of $1,179 on June 27th, spot gold prices have now rebounded to the $1,400 level and equity prices are also beginning to recover. Investor sentiment for the sector, having reached extreme negative levels, is in the process of reverting to a more reasonable range.

Regardless of the short term volatility over the past few months, we at Brigus remain steadfast in our belief that gold will continue to play a very important role as a store of value for investors. We believe high quality gold mining companies will prove to be a worthwhile investment for years to come.

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1919 was a watershed year for Timmins – by Karen Bachmann (Timmins Daily Press – August 16, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – Can you believe that summer is almost over – and if you are wondering “what summer?” I concur completely. In just a scant few weeks, everyone will be returning to school, be it for the first time or for the last, or for somewhere in between.

The rest of us will just “get on with it,” and enjoy the fall and the return to busy days. However, today is still mid-August, we have a few weeks of lollygagging left to us, so I will not spoil things just yet.

In keeping with the last lazy days of the season, I give you a totally irreverent article focusing on small town happenings back in 1919.

As always, a little context – the Great War to End All Wars came to an end on Nov. 11, 1918, so slowly but surely the armies were standing down and the young men and women who survived the conflict were finally on their way home.

Your heart has to go out to Pte. Manley Cole, a resident of Timmins. He served in all four years of the war, was wounded in battle not once but twice, each time recuperating quickly. 

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[Timmins] City to collect own data on open pit – by Benjamin Aubé (Timmins Daily Press – August 8, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – It’s another sign that the Hollinger Mine will soon be coming back to life, courtesy of Goldcorp/Porcupine Gold Mines.

As Timmins residents well know, with renewed activity at the historic gold mine will come daily blasts and the bustle of trucking and transporting its precious resources.

A big part of the success of the Hollinger open-pit project will depend on the company keeping noise, vibrations, dust levels and emissions to a minimum so as not to disturb the properties and daily lives of neighbouring residents.

Timmins city council ensured measures will be taken to monitor such levels, entering into an eight-year agreement with Aercoustics. The contract will give the city its own set of information regarding the mine’s activities.

“They will provide us with our own monitoring equipment so we can compare that information to the information collected by Goldcorp,” explained city head of public works and engineering Luc Duval.

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Mining engineer an “oddity” in Canada – Women in Mining: Imola Götz – by Liz Cowan (Northern Ontario Business – August 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.

Imola Götz’s choice to study mining engineering wasn’t an unusual one while growing up in Romania. “There were many mines around my home town and I knew the possibilities and thought this was a very interesting career,” said the chief engineer at Goldcorp’s Porcupine Gold Mines in Timmins.

It was not unusual to find women working in the industry, with many filling technical positions. However, when she immigrated to Canada more than two decades ago, she was surprised there were not as many women working in the industry or pursuing engineering.

“When I got to Canada I was an oddity and I often got asked why I chose mining,” said Götz. She has been with Goldcorp for nearly 10 years and previously spent about 15 years in Manitouwadge. Her husband, Laszlo Götz, also works for Porcupine Gold Mines as its environmental manager. The couple decided to leave Romania early in their careers since the communist regime was “getting more and more intolerable.”

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