Republic of Mining

Quebec Snapshot: Nine juniors with active exploration and development projects – by John Cumming (Northern Miner – September 27, 2017)

September 28, 2017

http://www.northernminer.com/

Quebec has proven to be a hotbed for junior mining company activity and perennially one of the industry’s favourite jurisdictions in which to operate. Gold remains the target of interest, but the province’s rich mineral endowment means juniors are also on the hunt for silver, platinum group metals, copper, lead-zinc, nickel, iron ore, rare earth elements, graphite and lithium.

ALEXANDRIA MINERALS

Toronto-based, Eric Owens-led junior Alexandria Minerals (TSXV: AZX) is in the midst of a 30,000-metre, mid-year drill campaign at its Orenada gold property, situated on the Cadillac Break geological structure, immediately southeast of the city of Val-d’Or, Quebec.

Alexandria’s near-term goal is to expand the deposit to the east and west — especially the deposit’s Zone 1 — with an eye to completing a resource estimate before year-end. As of 2009, Orenada had a near-surface resource of 4.3 million measured tonnes grading 1.36 grams gold per tonne (189,000 contained oz. gold), 6 million indicated tonnes of 1.01 grams gold and 4.7 million inferred tonnes.

[Rio Tinto Copper Mining] Will Bougainville Hold Its Independence Referendum? – by Grant Wyeth (The Diplomat – September 28, 2017)

September 28, 2017

http://thediplomat.com/

Tensions between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) have again arisen concerning Bougainville’s independence referendum scheduled for June 2019. PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has informed the national parliament that the criteria established in the Bougainville Peace Agreement of 2001 — which would enable the region to hold a referendum — have yet to be met.

According to O’Neill, the region has yet to establish a solid rule of law, maintain functional government structures, nor has it fully disarmed the island’s militias. However, the ABG has been arguing for some time that the PNG government has failed to live up to its financial obligations to allow the ABG the resources to fully implement the required conditions.

That the PNG government earlier this year had the power cut to government buildings due to unpaid bills, and lost its vote at the United National General Assembly because of a failure to make its annual contributions, could indicate that the ABG may be justified in its complaints.

Diamond Dealers Cling to the Old Days – by Thomas Biesheuvel and Franz Wild (Bloomberg News – September 28, 2017)

September 28, 2017

https://www.bloomberg.com/

Ashit Mehta was stunned. Without notice, the representatives of Dutch bank ABN Amro marched into the offices of his global diamond empire, confiscated $150 million of rocks, locked them in a vault and left with the key.

What began on that overcast December day in 2012 turned out to be just the start of the problems for the secretive family-run diamond trading houses that have defined the Belgian city of Antwerp for centuries.

They make up the invisible link between African mines and jewelry stores in New York, London and Hong Kong, and are being squeezed like rarely before. The banks whose loans they relied on to buy gems are pulling out of a business they no longer think is worth the risk in the post-financial crisis age of increased regulation and scrutiny.

Marikana: death and fear still stalk platinum belt – by Theto Mahlakoana (Business Day – September 27, 2017)

September 28, 2017

https://www.businesslive.co.za/

The eyes of SA and the world have turned away from the platinum belt, returning there only when the Marikana massacre is commemorated every August. Yet mine workers there are being continually snuffed out.

Union leaders, fathers, sons and brothers are being gunned down by unknown assailants for reasons that may never surface. Law enforcement authorities have not paid special attention to the region to solve the crimes, despite several pleas by civil society and political formations.

In the past two weeks, the bodies of four regional leaders of the Association of Construction and Mineworkers Union (Amcu) were found riddled with bullets at the Lonmin and Impala mines.

Rio Tinto boss lauds B.C.’s clean energy as trade advantage – by Nelson Bennett (Business Vancouver – September 26, 2017)

September 28, 2017

https://www.biv.com/

Kitimat aluminum smelter facing stiff competition from huge production in China

When Gervais Jacques was invited to speak to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade last week about the $6 billion modernization of an aluminum smelter in Kitimat in 2014 and 2015, the context of the discussion was free trade with the U.S. The U.S., after all, is a major customer for B.C. aluminum.

But Jacques’ talk ended up sounding more like a promotion for large-scale hydroelectricity for heavy industry and manufacturing – something Jacques called “the Canadian advantage.”

It was B.C.’s hydro power potential that drew Alcan to B.C. to build the Kemano hydroelectric dam, completed in 1954, and aluminum smelter. It was at the time the largest private investment made in B.C. With a workforce of 1,000, the smelter is Kitimat’s largest employer.

China to cancel a third of iron ore mining rights in fight against smog – by Muyu Xu and Manolo Serapio Jr (Reuters U.S. – September 27, 2017)

September 28, 2017

https://www.reuters.com/

QINGDAO, China (Reuters) – China will cancel about a third of its iron ore mining licenses, mostly belonging to small polluting mines as part of Beijing’s efforts to improve air quality, a mining association official said on Wednesday.

Over 1,000 mining rights will be eliminated under China’s campaign against pollution, Lei Pingxi, chief engineer at the Metallurgical Mines’ Association of China, told an industry conference.

“Some small miners who didn’t pay attention to environmental issues simply closed down temporarily to cope with inspections,” said Lei. “However, these small miners will be forced to upgrade their production processes in order to survive, otherwise they will be cleared out.”

Zimbabwe’s economy is worsening as food lines grow and investors are left frustrated – by Tawanda Karombo (Quartz Africa – September 27, 2017)

September 28, 2017

https://qz.com/

Harare – Dejection, hopelessness and desperation are written over the faces of the majority of Zimbabweans as they queue up for fuel and foodstuffs that have become scarce across the country amid fears that the country has started to slide back into the 2008 hyper-inflation era.

Even bitcoin rates, which some ordinary Zimbabweans have turned to as a storage of value, has started to soar on a local Zimbawean exchange Bitcoinfundi. It was up to $5,600 for a bitcoin versus $4080 per bitcoin on the Coinbase global index. The discrepancy is caused by the difficulty Zimbabweans will have in cashing out their bitcoins locally.

President Robert Mugabe on Monday (Sep.25) promised to deal with the current wave of foodstuff and fuel shortages in double quick time. He blamed “economic saboteurs” for the sudden worsening of the economic situation, ordering retailers to speedily reduce prices or face action from the government.

Major Grassroots Victory: Last Coal Export Terminal Goes Down In The Northwest – by Mary Anne Hitt (Huffington Post – September 27, 2017)

September 28, 2017

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

Mary Anne Hitt is the Director of the Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign.

Grassroots leaders just won a major victory for public health and the climate. The last surviving coal export terminal proposed in the Northwest was denied a permit by the state, spelling the end for the project.

On Tuesday the Washington Department of Ecology denied a necessary water quality permit for the proposed Millennium Bulk Terminals coal export facility in Longview, citing the project’s negative impacts on climate, clean air, and water. This renders the project formally dead!

If you needed a reminder that people power can defeat polluters with big money, have I got a story for you. This project was one of six coal export terminals proposed in the Northwest over the past decade, as coal mining companies promised big markets in Asia were hungry for coal mined in Montana and Wyoming.

$5M for Timmins mining supply firms – by Len Gillis (Timmins Daily Press – September 27, 2017)

September 28, 2017

http://www.timminspress.com/

TIMMINS – The importance of the mining supply and service sector for Timmins and the rest of Ontario was highlighted Wednesday when the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation came to town with more than $5-million worth of investments in the Timmins area alone.

The news was announced by Northern Development Minister Michael Gravelle, who is also the chairman of the NOHFC board, which was meeting in Timmins this week. He made the announcement at the OK Tire Mining Division shop on Laforest Road, which was one of the grant recipients.

“Around the world, Ontario has a reputation as a global mining hub,” said Gravelle. He said there are 39 mines operating in the province, making it the leader in Canada. This includes 17 gold mines, 10 base metal mines and one diamond mine, he said.

Canadian miner’s plan incite protest in Irish town – by Valentina Ruiz Leotaud (Mining.com – September 27, 2017)

September 28, 2017

http://www.mining.com/

Anti-mining activists from Cookstown, Northern Ireland, were escorted out of a hotel by police after they tried to enter an invite-only conference where they thought representatives from Dalradian Resources (TSX:DNA) (LON:DALR) would be in attendance.

The protesters belong to a group called Greencastle Community Voices and, together with another local organization called Save Our Sperrins, they oppose Toronto-based Dalradian’s plans to build a gold mine at Curraghinalt, in County Tyrone, due to its potential environmental impact.

Dubbed “The Future Search,” the event the activists broke into is being held this week under the sponsorship of four different local governments, which spurred the activists’ fury. They say that there was a lack of transparency in releasing both the guest list and a detailed account of how the district councils involved are spending the £40,000 destined to cover the costs of the meeting.

Excerpt from J.P. BICKELL: The Life, the Leafs, and the Legacy – by Jason Wilson, Kevin Shea and Graham MacLachlan

September 28, 2017

To order a copy of “J.P. BICKELL: The Life, the Leafs, and the Legacy”: https://www.dundurn.com/books/JP-Bickell

Jason Wilson is a bestselling Canadian author, a two-time Juno Awards Nominee, and an Adjunct Professor of History at the University of Guelph. He has performed and recorded with UB40, Ron Sexsmith, Pee Wee Ellis, and Dave Swarbrick. Jason lives in Stouffville, Ontario.

Kevin Shea is a renowned hockey historian and bestselling author of fourteen hockey books. He is the Editor of Publications and Online Features for the Hockey Hall of Fame, a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs Historical Committee, and a founding member of Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer. Kevin lives in Toronto.

Graham MacLachlan is a relative of J.P. Bickell who has an extensive business background in international trade that is equalled by his involvement in hockey in the IIHF, the WHL, Hockey Canada, Hockey Alberta, and Hockey Calgary. Graham lives in Calgary, Alberta.

OVERVIEW

He stayed out of the spotlight, but Leafs fans know J.P. Bickell cast a long shadow.

A self-made mining magnate and the man who kept the Maple Leafs in Toronto and financed Maple Leaf Gardens, J.P. Bickell lived an extraordinary and purposeful life. As one of the most important industrialists in Canadian history, Bickell left his mark on communities across the nation. He was a cornerstone of the Toronto Maple Leafs, which awards the J.P. Bickell Memorial Award to recognize outstanding service to the organization.

Bickell’s story is also tied up with some of the most famous Canadians of his day, including Mitchell Hepburn, Roy Thomson, and Conn Smythe. Through his charitable foundation, he has been a key benefactor of the Hospital for Sick Children, and his legacy continues to transform Toronto.

Northern Ontario First Nations go to court to increase their share of resource development funds – by Rob Csernyik (CIM Magazine – September 26, 2017)

September 28, 2017

http://magazine.cim.org/

A lawsuit aimed at increasing a treaty annuity unchanged since 1874 is being heard in Thunder Bay, Ontario, three years after it was initially filed.

The Robinson-Huron Treaty has nearly 30,000 Indigenous beneficiaries in Northern Ontario and the lawsuit on their behalf contends that the federal and provincial governments have not abided by the terms of the treaty, particularly in regards to a clause related to annuity augmentation.

“This is one of the only treaties, if not the only, that has this annuity escalator clause incorporated right in the treaty,” Chief Dean Sayers of the Batchewana First Nation told CIM Magazine.

Electric vehicles trigger search for lithium and cobalt – by Chris Tomlinson (Houston Chronicle – September 27, 2017)

September 27, 2017

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/

Automakers this summer touted plans to offer more electric vehicles, with Mercedes-Benz announcing it will spend $1 billion to add a battery factory to its plant in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Ford is investing $4.5 billion in electric vehicle production, Volkswagen has promised 30 electrified models, and Volvo plans to go all electric or hybrid by 2019. Even Porsche will offer a battery-powered sports sedan called Mission E in 2020.

Automakers expect to sell 20 million all-electric vehicles in 2030, according to conservative estimates, prompting questions about where the raw materials will come from to make all of those batteries.

[Australia Coal Mine] The hunt for Adani’s 10,000 jobs brings up ‘zero results’ – by Charis Chang (News.com.au – September 27, 2017)

September 27, 2017

http://www.news.com.au/

THERE’S a bit of an in-joke among Townsville residents about Adani’s mega coal mining project that if you ask them to explain, is an instant conversation killer. The first time I hear it is from a local scientist touching on some potential environmental concerns linked to the construction of railway line.

“Not having a go at it (the mine) but just making a point,” he says. “Coming from Townsville I’d be shot if I had a go at it.” There’s laughter among those listening but when I ask him later to clarify, the conversation takes on a serious tone and he’s reluctant to expand further.

He tells me opinion within Townsville is split and when I ask him if he feels he can’t be open he says: “I just feel like without having all the information I wouldn’t want to judge either way”.

Africa: Stage Set for African Countries to Renegotiate for Fair Mining Deals – by Socrates Mbamalu (All Africa.com – September 26, 2017)

September 27, 2017

http://allafrica.com/

The paradox of plenty is a reality for many African countries. There’s an abundance of natural resources such as oil, gas and minerals, but there hasn’t been much economic growth and development for many countries.

The natural resources abundant in most African countries tend to benefit not the communities and countries within which the minerals are extracted. Tanzania’s President John Magufuli has started the process of renegotiating the mining contracts his country has with various mining companies. Other African countries need to borrow a leaf out of Tanzania’s book.

The resource curse, also known as the paradox of plenty, is a reality for many African countries. The term refers to the paradox that countries with an abundance of natural resources such as oil and certain minerals, tend to have less economic growth, and worse development outcomes than countries with fewer natural resources, for various reasons.