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NEWS RELEASE: GLEN MURRAY: TIME FOR NORTHERN ONTARIO TO HAVE ITS OWN VOICE

For immediate release 

November 16, 2012

As Ontario Liberal Premier, Murray Wants Northern Regional Government

THUNDER BAY – Ontario Liberal Leadership Candidate Glen Murray says it’s time for Northern Ontario to have its own regional government.

“Ten years from now, I would like to look back and be able to say ‘I was the Premier when we took the steps to make Northern Ontario stronger,'” Murray said today, during a visit to Thunder Bay and other Northern Ontario communities.

“The North should have more authority over energy, infrastructure and natural resources. Northerners would choose by referendum the kind of regional authority they want – a general northern government or a separate regional government in the Northeast and Northwest.”

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Canada remains world’s top destination for mineral exploration investment

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.

An event at the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) this week reminded participants that Canada is the world’s preferred destination for mineral exploration investments. In 2011, $3 billion, or 18% of all global mineral exploration expenditures were made in Canada. For 2012, this number is expected to surpass $4 billion.

The Mining Association of Canada in cooperation with the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada and the Ontario Mining Association organized this industry event. Federal Natural Resources Minister Honourable Joe Oliver, who is the MP for the riding of Eglinton-Lawrence, was the featured speaker.

“We all know Canada is a global mining economic powerhouse,” said Minister Oliver. “Mining and mineral exploration play a pivotal role in creating growth and jobs in Canada. The natural resource sector accounts for close to 20% of all economic activity in Canada and contributes to meeting Canada’s social priorities.”

Mr. Oliver spoke about his government’s support in working to open new and to expand existing markets for mineral producers and of its financial assistance to geoscience.

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You’ll have energy, McGuinty tells NWO – (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – November 16, 2012)

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

Ontario’s premier is reassuring Northwestern Ontario residents that the region will have all the energy it needs, regardless of the eventual Thunder Bay Generating Station outcome.

The station’s conversion to run on natural gas has been put on hold by the Ontario Liberals, because the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) says there are better, and cheaper ways to power the North.

Halting the conversion, the OPA said, will save $400 million, and required power can be generated from other sources, such as southern Ontario via an expanded east-west tie-line. The government has not made a final decision about the conversion, as the OPA is still finalizing its alternative plan.

“The issue for us is not whether we have the power in place to meet those energy needs,” Premier Dalton McGuinty said in Thunder Bay on Thursday. “It’s, what’s the best way to do that? “I think everybody wants us to act responsibly in that regard.”

McGuinty said the conversion project was paused because the “experts are telling us that this is the best way to do it at this point in time.”

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North pays for OPA mess: Hampton – by Kris Ketonen (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – November 16, 2012)

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

The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) is trying to solve southern Ontario problems at the expense of the North with its push to halt the Thunder Bay Generating Station’s conversion to natural gas, the former leader of the provincial NDP said Wednesday.

“I don’t think the OPA is thinking about Northwestern Ontario and what’s good for the Northwest,” Howard Hampton said Wednesday.

“I think they’re thinking about solving some of the problems they’ve created in south and eastern Ontario. They’re thinking more about that, and using Northwestern Ontario as a piece of the puzzle.”

The Ontario government, at the behest of the OPA, has put a hold on plans to convert the Thunder Bay Generating Station from coal-fired power to natural gas. The OPA has said halting the project will save $400 million, and the region’s power needs can be met by other means, such as the to-be-expanded east-west tie-line that moves electricity between Northern and southern Ontario.

And while the government has not cancelled the plant conversion — Energy Minister Chris Bentley is waiting to see the OPA plan before making his decision — the hold has representatives in the region sounding the alarm.

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BP agrees to plead guilty and pay a record $4.5 billion over Gulf spill; 3 employees charged – by Michael Kunzelman (Toronto Star – November 16, 2012)

The Toronto Star has the largest circulation in Canada. The paper has an enormous impact on federal and Ontario politics as well as shaping public opinion.

The Associated Press – NEW ORLEANS—A day of reckoning arrived for BP on Thursday as the oil giant agreed to plead guilty to a raft of criminal charges and pay a record $4.5 billion in a settlement with the U.S. government over the deadly 2010 disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Three BP employees were also charged, two of them with manslaughter.

The settlement and the indictments came two and a half years after the fiery drilling-rig explosion that killed 11 workers and set off the biggest offshore oil spill in U.S. history.

The settlement includes nearly $1.3 billion in fines — the biggest criminal penalty in the United States’ history. As part of the deal, BP will plead guilty to charges involving the 11 deaths and lying to the U.S. Congress about how much oil was spewing from the blown-out well.

“We believe this resolution is in the best interest of BP and its shareholders,” said Carl-Henric Svanberg, BP chairman. “It removes two significant legal risks and allows us to vigorously defend the company against the remaining civil claims.” Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer said the deaths and the oil spill “resulted from BP’s culture of privileging profit over prudence.”

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Stornoway strikes new deal with Quebec on diamond mine road – by Nicolas Van Praet (National Post – November 16, 2012)

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper.

MONTREAL – Stornoway Diamond Corp. has struck a new deal with the Quebec government on a controversial highway leading to its Renard diamond mine that will see it pay a bigger share of the total costs but ensures construction of the mine itself remains on target for 2013.

The renegotiated agreement is the first of several the Parti Québécois government is looking to revamp as it grapples with significant cost overruns on 20 major infrastructure projects inherited from the previous Liberal administration. The new deal saves Quebec taxpayers $124-million and marks the start of new effort to recoup public money that was bargained away to benefit the private sector, PQ ministers said.

“There are other cases where it will be harder to save money, but we’ll do as much as we can on all the projects,” Quebec Finance Minister Nicolas Marceau told reporters. “We will make sure that, in those deals, Quebecers are not paying too much.”

The Stornoway deal involves the Route 167 extension, a 243-kilometre all-season highway leading to the company’s Renard site. The road, championed publicly by former Premier Jean Charest as one of the centrepieces of his Plan Nord development project, had become a political lightning rod after costs ballooned from initial estimates of $260-million to more than $470-million.

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Energy literacy cuts both ways – by Yadullah Hussain (National Post – November 16, 2012)

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper.

The energy industry and Canadians opposed to its plans seem to be speaking in different tongues. One side is focused on economic climate, the other on climate change. One brandishes impressive employment numbers, the other embarrassingly high CO2 emissions. One talks about provincial and federal permits, the other highlights the absence of a ‘social licence’.

A common gripe among industry executives is that the average Canadian doesn’t comprehend the economic benefits and job creation the industry brings to the table, nor does he or she trust the safety of the technologies deployed.

“It’s an image of ships passing in the night, going in opposite directions,” said Michal Moore, professor of economics at the School of Public Policy, University of Calgary.

Prof. Moore, together with colleagues André Turcotte and Jennifer Winter, wrote a report aimed at measuring Canadian energy literacy. Released Oct. 31, it surveyed more than 1,500 Canadians to determine their understanding of energy issues.

“The survey revealed that Canadians have a good general knowledge of energy use and relative cost but lack detailed knowledge about sources of energy fuels, as well as sources and linkages with environmental impacts,” the report says.

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Thomas Mulcair offers Alberta an updated version of a bad idea – by John Ivison (National Post – November 15, 2012)

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper.

Tom Mulcair cast himself as a latter-day Sir John A. Macdonald when he talked in Calgary about his vision of Western Canada oil being shipped by pipeline to central and eastern provinces to be processed and then sold domestically.

It would be a nation-building project on a par with railway construction in the 1800s, “a win-win situation,” he said.

But the net effect of supplying Eastern consumers with cheaper Western oil would be closer to a less celebrated federal initiative — Pierre Trudeau’s late and unlamented National Energy Program.

Mr. Mulcair was not specific and it’s not clear how much government intervention in the process he is proposing. But if he is talking about landlocking Canadian oil and supporting the domestic refining industry with discounted Western crude, it starts to look very much like a back-door transfer from one group of Canadians to another.

The New Democratic Party leader said he is not opposed to exporting Canadian oil, as long as the country’s own energy needs are taken care of first. Ottawa’s command and control of the oil industry didn’t end so well last time out: Albertans still blame the federal government for a 40% drop in house prices in Calgary and Edmonton, and a bankruptcy rate that rose 150%.

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NEWS RELEASE: An open letter to all Ontario Liberal Party leadership candidates on behalf of stakeholders supporting the New Deal for Northern Ontario

Dr. Eric Hoskins, MPP, St. Paul’s; Mr. Glen Murray, MPP, Toronto Centre; Ms. Sandra Pupatello; Mr. Charles Sousa, MPP, Mississauga South; Ms. Kathleen Wynne, MPP, Don Valley West

NORTH BAY, ON, Nov. 15, 2012 /CNW/ – Dear Candidates,

We are writing you to make you aware of our plan to revitalize the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC) and create significant new job and economic opportunities in Ontario’s North.

Our initiative, called the New Deal for Northern Ontario, will save existing transportation and communication services and hundreds of jobs in the North, while also creating thousands more jobs by providing rail access to the Ring of Fire mineral deposits. The plan, which includes the development of other competitive infrastructure components into the Ring of Fire region, will deliver significant benefits to First Nations, the region and the mining and related industries.

The New Deal calls for transferring ownership of the railroad and other assets of the provincially-held ONTC to a new ports authority to be operated under the Canada Marine Act. This will ensure that important infrastructure assets are kept in public hands for the benefit of all stakeholders. The first step in this process was recently completed with the creation of The James Bay & Lowlands Ports Trustee Corporation. The new Ports Authority will be led by Roy Hains, who successfully ran ONTC for several years and developed strategies to make Ontario Northland strong and sustainable.

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Nickel Quest a reality: A Virtual Underground Mine Tour

 

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.

The “Nickel Quest” educational resource, was originally launched in June 2007, to complement aspects of the grade seven to grade nine curriculum.

The project was launched with the idea that it isn’t possible to provide all Ontario students with the educational experience of touring an underground mine. The Ontario Mining Association (OMA) took the route of using technology to create a virtual mine tour and take the underground mine experience to the classroom.

The development of Nickel Quest was led by the OMA Virtual Mine Tour Advisory Panel. This group, had representation from the mining industry, education and government, and worked together to produce an educational — and entertaining — resource that will help provide the link for students from mining activity to the products they use everyday and show why mining is important to all.

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Qatar backing puts Glencore’s takeover of Xstrata on track – by Sarah Young (Mineweb.com – November 15, 2012)

http://www.mineweb.com/

Qatar said on Thursday that it will vote in favour of two key resolutions on the takeover aimed at creating a mining and trading powerhouse.

LONDON (REUTERS) – Commodity trader Glencore’s $32 billion takeover of miner Xstrata looked set to go ahead after Qatar Holdings – the bid target’s second-largest shareholder – backed the deal.

Qatar, an unexpected kingmaker in Glencore’s bid for Xstrata, said on Thursday that it would vote in favour of two key resolutions on the takeover aimed at creating a mining and trading powerhouse.

In a snub to Xstrata management, Qatar said that it will abstain from voting on a multimillion-pound management retention plan, which increases the chances of that aspect of the deal being voted down. “In a nutshell, this means the deal is all but done,” Liberum analysts said.

Qatar’s support for the deal, first announced in February, comes after its surprise opposition to terms in June and brings Glencore within weeks of sealing its long-running pursuit of the Swiss mining company.

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Lights, camera, action: Let Season Five of Ontario Mining Association’s SYTYKM begin

 

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.

So You Think You Know Mining (SYTYKM)

The Ontario Mining Association has launched season five of its province-wide high school video competition So You Think You Know Mining. Every year, this contest has grown in interest, in the number of entries and in prizes. This year is no exception. Available prize money for season five is $36,500, up from $33,500 last year.

The award for the Best Overall video is $5,000 and most other Oscar-type award categories carry $2,500 cash prizes for winners. “We strive to make SYTYKM interesting and innovative every year,” said OMA President Chris Hodgson. “The SYTYKM award prizes are like scholarships and we have been gratified at how past winners have utilized their prizes to help finance their post-secondary education and in some cases film and arts careers. We want to enable, inspire and engage the opinion makers and story tellers of tomorrow.”

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Let’s not buy a power plant – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal editorial (November 15, 2012)

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

THE devolution of central government has seen municipalities forced to pick up responsibilities and costs on many fronts. We don’t need more. Ottawa has been offloading programs onto provinces and “downloading” has become a dirty word in Ontario where municipalities with limited local tax bases have been expected to take on everything from selected health care to courtroom security.

Social services are legislated by the province but the costs that are apportioned over every municipality in Thunder Bay District are staggering for some. In order to secure a new regional hospital, Thunder Bay taxpayers voted to assume $25 million of the cost. This week, Thunder Bay Mayor Keith Hobbs resurrected the idea of buying the provincial power plant located on Mission Island. Let’s not. Instead, let us insist the province fulfill its mandate to supply electricity.

As part of widespread cost-saving measures, the Ontario Power Authority is considering cheaper methods of providing electricity to Northern Ontario. It claims it can supply all the power needed — including that for a new mining boom — by expanding the main east-west transmission line. Closing the Thunder Bay Generating Station would save $400 million, OPA says. Local officials scoff at this notion and insist that planned conversion of the coal plant to natural gas is essential if the region is to provide all the power needed to feed dozens of existing and pending mines.

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As bribery rules get tougher, resource firms put on notice – by Laura Cameron (Globe and Mail – November 15, 2012)

Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

U.S. regulations will force Canadian commodity extractors to disclose all payments made to governments over $100,000

For Canadian resource companies, the cost of doing business abroad is about to go up. New reporting requirements passed under the U.S. Dodd Frank financial overhaul bill will require resource extraction issuers to disclose all payments made to governments over $100,000, beginning in 2014. The Securities and Exchange Commission regulations will add new expenses for Canadian mining and energy companies listed in the U.S., and may hinder their competitiveness overseas.

Section 1504 of the bill is intended to empower citizens of resource-rich countries to hold their governments accountable for the money they receive, which often lines the pockets of corrupt officials rather than going to the betterment of the population. The regulations also seek to shed light on illegal payments made by companies to gain access to resources in developing nations.

The SEC’s new requirements are part of an international crackdown on corruption, which has been steadily gaining momentum since the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development signed its anti-bribery convention in 1997. As part of its obligations as signatory, Canada passed the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act (CFPOA) in 1999. But it is only in the past five years that Canadian authorities have been taking serious steps toward enforcement.

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Skittish investors abandon Iamgold – by Martin Mittelstaedt (Globe and Mail – November 15, 2012)

Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

Iamgold Corp. shares sagged nearly $3 or more than 19 per cent in active trading, after the gold producer reported weaker-than-expected third-quarter earnings and announced a major reduction in its production outlook for next year.

The stock tumble follows the recent pattern in the gold-mining industry, where companies that disappoint investors have seen their stocks get crushed as skittish owners rush for the exits.

Operating profit in the quarter fell to 16 cents (U.S.) a share, down almost half from 30 cents earned in the same period a year ago. The consensus estimate among analysts had been 24 cents.

“Execution in the gold space is very important and when you mis-execute, investors shoot first and ask questions later,” said Pawel Rajszel, an analyst at Veritas Investment Research Corp. who slapped a sell recommendation on Iamgold Wednesday.

Iamgold, which has mines in Suriname in South America and in West Africa, said gold output this year will be “at the lower end” of its guidance of 840,000 to 910,000 ounces; for next year the company is expecting between 875,000 to 950,000 ounces, a major reduction from previous forecasts that ranged up to 1.1 million ounces.

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