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Fram brings [mine safety] message to Timmins – by Kyle Gennings (Timmins Daily Press – March 25, 2013)

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

TIMMINS — The shadow cast by the McIntyre No. 11 shaft headframe is a long one, encompassing the life, history and culture of this city.

Less than a kilometre away, a small, humble miner’s memorial may cast an even longer shadow over this Northern Ontario mining community. Etched in marble are the names of the miners who lost their lives in the cold and unforgiving darkness found in the stopes and drifts thousands of feet under-ground.

It was fitting then, that in the shadow of these monuments, a grieving Sudbury woman brought the issue of mine safety to Timmins, hoping to spur the kind of change that saves lives.

“My brother Jordan was 26 years old when he passed away at Stobie Mine (in Sudbury) on Oct. 8, 2011,” said Briana Fram. “He was a miner for a number of years and he was a huge part of our family. He was a great man and when he passed away, it broke all of our hearts and we knew there was something that had to be done.”

Jordan Fram and Jason Chenier, 35, died when they were buried by tonnes of muck — mine water and rock — at the Vale mine.

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ONTC talks include Northern leaders – by Wayne Snider(Timmins Daily Press – March 22, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – Northern leaders will have the chance to provide input into the privatization of the ONTC.

Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle announced Thursday the formation of an advisory committee to provide the provincial government with input into the divestment process of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission.

“I made a commitment to set up this Ministerial Advisory Committee to ensure the voices of Northerners and all those impacted by the divestment of ONTC were heard,” Gravelle said in a press release.

“The advisory committee has also been established to meet the standard our government has set out: To see that divestment recognizes the economic development value of the ONTC, and that the decisions made reflect the need to put in place a Northern transportation strategy that recognizes growth and prosperity.”

The divestment of the provincially owned ONTC was announced on March 23, 2012. The move sparked protests across Northeastern Ontario. The Northlander passenger rail service was shut down in September. Freight rail and Ontera, the telecommunications arm of the ONTC, are still in line for privatization.

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Mine safety milestones celebrated – by Ron Grech (Timmins Daily Press – March 22, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – No mineral is as valuable as the people who mine them. That was the overwhelming sentiment expressed Thursday night at the Dante Club as the Porcupine Safety Group awarded 90 supervisors for achievement in safety.

The supervisors were recognized for managing crews who have undergone anywhere 5,000 to 75,000 man hours without lost time to injury. In addition to the individual supervisor awards, two majors awards were presented to local mines in recognition of their top safety records.

De Beers Victor Diamond Mine was presented the Angus D. Campbell Award for going in excess of 300,000 man hours with no lost time to injuries and lowest medical frequency. Andre Giroux, safety supervisor at Victor Mine, said maintaining an accident-free environment is not an easy tasl.

“There’s quite a bit of work to it,” he said. “Every day we have a safety theme that goes out to the workforce… It’s brought up to every crew’s toolbox talk every morning. Everybody sits in on it, there is a different one each and every day. It drives the message home that we have to work safely to achieve our targets.”

The other major trophy presented Thursday night was the Robert Dye Award, which was shared by two local mines who have undergone less than 300,000 but more than 25,000 man hours with no lost time to injuries.

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Xstrata outlines future in Timmins – by Thomas Perry (Timmins Daily Press – March 21, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – When Xstrata Copper talks the Timmins Chamber of Commerce listens … especially when the words of wisdom contain good news for the community.

Tom Semadeni, general manager of Xstrata Copper, provided chamber members with an update on the efforts to extend the life of the company’s Kidd Mine during Thursday’s instalment of the President’s Series Luncheons at the Porcupine Dante Club.

“Xstrata is the fourth largest mining company in the world and we are split into seven commodity groups,” Semadeni said. “There is a coal group, there is a copper group, there is a zinc group, there is an alloys group, their is a nickel group, those are the main ones.”

And with more than 1,000 full-time workers – including 823 at the Kidd Mine and 220 at the Met Site – Xstrata Copper remains one of the largest non-government employers in the Timmins area. The company also employs an additional 165 contract workers.

Xstrata Copper has hired 250 employees at its Timmins operations in the past two years and 546 in the past five years, partially due to retirements. In addition, it is facing up to 400 more potential retirements during the next seven years.

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Stealing from the pot: Book reveals escapades of [Timmins] gold highgrading – by Liz Cowan (Northern Ontario Business – March 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.

It wasn’t just the shareholders reaping the benefits of the gold mines in Tim¬mins several decades ago – highgraders were getting rich too. Kevin Vincent, a Timmins journalist and broadcaster, released the first of three volumes of Bootleg Gold, which recounts the untold stories of gold smuggling in the city and elsewhere around the world.

A chance encounter with a former Tim¬mins police officer in the 1980s sparked his interest in highgrading. After listening to Jack Atkinson’s tale of his involvement in bringing down the biggest gold smuggling operation in North America, Vincent was hooked.

“I asked Jack where all the books and movies and documentaries were on gold smuggling and he said there was nothing. That’s when I started doing research and it was much bigger than I imagined on a global scale. None of it has been held out as this major crime enterprise,” he said.

Vincent’s first volume recounts the stories of some of Timmins’ highgrading capers, including the 1938 Dome Mine robbery, along with some escapades from other places.

“I didn’t ‘out’ anyone in the book and it wasn’t my intention to do that,” Vincent said. “If I outed one prominent businessperson, I would have to out everyone in Timmins.

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Northern cities fight for forestry – by Benjamin Aubé (Timmins Daily Press – March 14, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – With changes to Ontario’s forest regulations looming on the horizon, municipalities across the North are intensifying efforts to get the government to hear them out.

Earlier this week, the City of Timmins supported a resolution by the City of Kenora for what an associated report called “real sustainable forest management.”

The Kenora resolution, based on a backgrounder report written by the Ontario Forest Industries Association (OFIA) and the Northwestern Ontario Municipalities Association (NOMA), denounces some of the measures of the provincial government’s Endangered Species Act (ESA).

It states that less than half of 1% of Ontario’s forests are harvested each year, and that strict renewal plans must be in place before harvest.

It goes on to read, “Ontario’s forest sector already provides for the needs of species at risk through the Crown Forest Sustainability Act (CFSA), and that the forest sector is required to continuously update their management practices to be consistent with provincial recovery strategies developed under the Endangered Species Act.”

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In spirit of fairness and respect [First Nations and resourses] – by Xavier Kataquapit (Timmins Daily Press – March 14, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – There are many success stories across Canada when it comes to resource development agreements and partnerships between First Nations, companies and government. Most non-Native people don’t realize this.

Even in my home community of Attawapiskat negotiations in general between my people and De Beers has benefited many. The process is obviously not perfect but at the very least, the company, First Nation leadership and governments have bargained in good faith to make a very large project happen in the middle of pristine wilderness.

This is a big change for my people considering that we were largely forgotten and through a process of assimilation and marginalization, my grandfathers and great grandfathers had little choice but to live off a limited amount of land and survive through hunting and gathering. Even though resource development companies and non-Native people were reaping the benefits of huge projects happening on traditional territories, we saw very little coming to us.

These days, people think that First Nations in southern areas such as Timmins, Kirkland Lake, North Bay and Sudbury were the recipients in one way or another of the many huge mining, forestry and hydro projects that occurred over the past 100 years.

If you check with First Nation leaders and Elders in these areas, you will quickly find out that Native people were very much left out of the loop when it came to all this development.

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Tom started Stompin’ in Timmins – by Ron Grech (Timmins Daily Press – March 8, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

Stompin Tom Connors’ Mining Songs: http://republicofmining.com/2013/01/21/stompin-tom-connors-wiki-profile-and-mining-songs/

TIMMINS – His patriotism, twangy music and storytelling lyrics made him a beloved Canadian icon. But for many Timmins residents, Stompin’ Tom Connors, who was born in New Brunswick, was as much a hometown hero as Shania Twain, Frank Mahovolich or Steve Sullivan.

Connors died Wednesday of natural causes at his home in Halton Hills, Ont. He was 77. Connors, who would go on to great fame, got his first break in Timmins.

He signed a contract to perform for 13 months at the Maple Leaf Hotel and recorded his first songs here at CKGB Radio, which was located in the old Thomson building, which was then shared by The Daily Press. He would end up recording 16 tracks at CKGB during his time in Timmins.

One of the first two songs he recorded was Carolyne which opens with the words: “T-I-M-M-I-N-S That’s going to be my new address, ’Cause I just got a new job working in the mine, Hollinger Mine.” Many city residents know it simply as the “Timmins song.”

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Lobbyist hijacking of Queen’s Park must end – by Wayne Snider (Timmins Daily Press – March 6, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – Premier Kathleen Wynne is promising to give the North a new voice in the Ontario legislature, having formed a special Liberal committee to discuss regional issues. She even held a provincial cabinet meeting in Sault Ste. Marie last week to assure Northerners that the government’s new focus on the region is legit.

There are promises to bring Northern leaders and industry to the table, following a history of Queen’s Park ignoring the socio-economic well being of the North.

These promises are all fine and dandy. But if Wynne really wants to make a difference in the North, if she is really sincere about listening to our concerns, she must end one practice that has been going on for decades — even before the Liberals took over the reins of power. Stop letting special interest groups hijack the provincial government.

There are two obvious examples of where environmental lobbyists were allowed to mould legislation that negatively impacted the North: The cancellation of the spring bear hunt and the tabling of the Endangered Species Act. Both hurt the Northern economy, yet allow the government to showcase its warm and fuzzy side to voters in Southern Ontario who have no idea of the true impact these pieces of sh— … er, legislation, have on our region.

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Xstrata Copper’s Kidd Operations launches project to give local birds a wing up

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.

Xstrata Copper’s Kidd Operations has launched an avian biodiversity project in partnership with R. Ross Beattie Senior Public School in Timmins. The Raptor Nesting Project is taking flight through the support of a $1,500 donation from the Kidd Operations’ Community Partnership Program to the Technological Studies program at the school. The goal is to enhance the habitat and breeding success of local raptor species such as falcons, ospreys, owls and eagles.

As part of the project, students will construct four nesting platforms for birds of prey, which will be installed at sites near the Kidd Mine and its metallurgical plant. Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Aboriginal traditional knowledge will be involved in the selection of the location of these platforms.

“In line with Xstrata’s Corporate Sustainable Development Policy, Kidd Operations is committed to preserving the long-term health, function and viability of the natural environment around our operations,” said David Yaschyshyn, Superintendent of Environment at Kidd Operations. “The goal of this project, therefore, is to help enhance the unique biodiversity of our region now and in the future once our operations cease.”

“As part of our efforts to encourage the community to participate in sustainable environmental endeavours, we have partnered with R. Ross Beattie Senior Public School and its Technological Studies students to construct these four nesting platforms,” added. Mr. Yaschyshyn. “This will provide students with an opportunity to gain both hands-on woodworking experience and increased knowledge of the biodiversity of the community.”

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Spirit of Schumacher still lingers – by Benjamin Aubé (Timmins Daily Press March 2, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – The landscape of Schumacher may have changed over the years, but the community’s vibrant spirit and heritage is being kept alive and well.

Like those of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Dr. TJ Eckleburg in The Great Gatsby, legendary philanthropist Frederick Schumacher’s eyes still watch over the town that bears his name.

A party honouring 101 years of the community’s existence and heritage was held at the McIntyre Arena, the building where Schumacher’s portrait is mounted on the exterior. Friday, Mar. 1 was Mr. Schumacher Day, and the Schumacher Arts, Culture and Heritage Association (SACHA) celebrated in style.

“It’s a committee that’s been together for a year now,” said Rob Knox, a member of the SACHA committee. “Our focus has been the preservation of Schumacher arts, culture and architecture, and celebrating the citizenry of Schumacher and the diverse and wonderful history of this small mining community.

“We’ve undertaken a few various community events in an efforts to elevate the notion of Schumacher as a community and its history and its overall contribution to the city of Timmins and the Porcupine Mining Camp.”

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Ground-breaking [First Nation] partnership – by Kyle Gennings (Timmins Daily Press – February 28, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – Local entrepreneurs had the opportunity to explore First Nations partnerships on Wednesday.

As part of the Timmins Chamber of Commerce’s Inisde Their Business series, guests were treated to a unique perspective on an emerging market by the man who has led the way in First Nations partnerships, Compass Carriers president Chris McKay.

Compass Carriers is a transportation company whose creation was made possible through a ground-breaking partnership between Mattagami First Nations and BazCorp Inc. and as a consultant, McKay helped to forge the already successful business venture.

“When the forestry industry took a downturn, our First Nation had no other choice but to look for an alternative to employ our skilled workforce,” he said. “This opportunity, which we created, took several years to come to fruition. It wasn’t something that we had to scramble to accommodate, it was something that took time and effort to build.”

In building this business venture, one of many that McKay has helped to create, the First Nation entered into some unfamiliar territory as it took its first step into modern business. “We had a skilled workforce trained to operate heavy equipment, which had been scattered all over the place in their search for work,” he said.

“We wanted to bring as much of that skilled work force back home as we laid the foundations that this company was built upon.”

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Call out for Northerners to support forestry – by Kyle Gennings (Timmins Daily Press – February 22, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – The Federation Of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) wants citizens to speak up. The organization wants the help of Northerners to help ensure the economic potential of the boreal forest isn’t stifled by increasingly expanding changes driven by special interest groups.

Al Spacek, mayor of Kapuskasing and head of FONOM, feels that current environmental practices have more than proven themselves as not only viable. But forward thinking and any further rigidity will only result in the strangulation of a potential economic boom in the North.

“What we really have been emphasizing is the fact that the current legislation under what is called the Crown Forest Capability Act is more than adequate to protect our forests,” he said. “The industry has developed around that act, which is very detailed in how we need need to take care of the environment and we are concerned that the environmental groups are going to be successful in adding more bureaucracy and more restrictions on what forestry companies have to comply with.”

With area forests currently thriving at the same size and density that they did 100 years ago, before major settlement. Spacek said that further changes will only serve to flush the province’s economy further down the drain.

“The MNR is currently asking for input on the the act itself and this whole question of whether or not we need more protection,” he said. “This is why we are encouraging people to get on the record saying that the current legislation is accurate and viable.”

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Judge calls [DeBeers mine] blockade an act of extortion – by Ron Grech (Timmins Daily Press – February 21, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – The ongoing blockade outside the Victor diamond mine is not an Aboriginal protest but an act of extortion, a Timmins Superior Court judge declared Wednesday.

Judge Robert Riopelle said the men who are spearheading the blockade are not fighting for constitutional rights, land claims, treaty issues or anything that would benefit the community of Attawapiskat.

These are “individuals with private financial interests, holding a large multinational corporation to ransom,” Judge Robert Riopelle. “It smells of coercion.” Riopelle felt there was sufficient basis for the Ontario Provincial Police to lay criminal charges against the six demonstrators who have prevented access to the mine site since Feb. 11.

The hearing on Wednesday was hastily called late Tuesday, at the request of De Beers Canada, as a followup the injunction order that was made on Friday. Its purpose was to provide direction on enforcing the order.

Riopelle had issued the order, demanding the barricades be removed from the ice road and prohibiting any further obstruction of access to the mine site by the demonstrators.

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De Beers threatens legal action – by Ron Grech (Timmins Daily Press – February 14, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

ATTAWAPISKAT – De Beers officials are getting fed up with the repeated illegal blockades of the winter road leading to the Victor diamond mine.

Since the road opened 13 days ago, blockades have prevented supplies and equipment from being delivered for nine of those days. After resolving a blockade that began early last week, another one started up this week.

On Tuesday night, “representatives from De Beers Canada met with Attwapiskat First Nation Chief Theresa Spence, in person, to deliver a formal letter to chief and council stating that is the community does not take immediate action to remove the current illegal blockade of the winter road leading to the De Beers Victor mine, we will pursue all options at our disposal, including legal action,” said Tom Ormsby, the company’s director of external and corporate affairs.

Ormsby said after meeting with the chief, De Beers officials went to the location of the blockade where they delivered a formal letter to those blocking the road, indicating the company’s intention to explore legal options. At last report, the blockade remains in place.

While the mine continues to operate at full capacity, Ormsby said there are economic implications to these disruptions that pose a serious threat to the future of the mine.

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