Republic of Mining

NEWS RELEASE: Rainy River Resources Signs Participation Agreement with Rainy River Area First Nations

May 4, 2012

TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – April 3, 2012) – Rainy River Resources Ltd. (“Rainy River” or the “Company”) (TSX:RR) and the Naicatchewenin First Nation, Rainy River First Nations, Mitaanjigamiing First Nation, Couchiching First Nation, Lac La Croix First Nation and Seine River First Nation (together, the “First Nations”) are pleased to announce the signing of a Participation Agreement (“PA” or “Impact and Benefits Agreement”) with respect to the development and operation of the Company’s Rainy River Gold Project, located in Northwestern Ontario. The PA is the culmination of negotiations initiated by the parties pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding entered into in May of 2010.

The PA was developed together with the First Nations, each of which is a member of the Fort Frances Chiefs Secretariat, in order to define their participation in the development and operation of the Rainy River Gold Project. The agreement identifies key project milestones and ways to work together with the First Nations, as the Company initiates mine environmental assessment and permitting in 2012. The PA sets out a schedule of benefits that the First Nations communities will receive, including employment and business opportunities, funding to support skills development, occupational training and education, as well as equity participation. The PA reflects the Company’s continued commitment to environmental stewardship, respect for First Nations’ traditional culture and values and the need for economic sustainability.

Cliffs Natural Resources misleading investors, chief says – CBC News (May 3, 2012)

May 4, 2012

http://www.cbc.ca/thunderbay/

The Chief of Aroland First Nation says Cliffs Natural Resources is misleading its investors about the discussions surrounding its chromite property in the Ring of Fire, located in the James Bay lowlands.

Sonny Gagnon said Cliffs is telling people it is having good discussions with First Nations — and that the environmental assessment (EA) process is moving along.

“Very good discussions with the external stakeholders, and with the First Nations and with the governments and the environmental impact study is moving along,” Cliffs CEO Joseph Carrabba said on a first quarter earnings conference call, April 26. Gagnon says that’s inaccurate.

“I told [the CEO] ‘where did you get your information from? The EA process, we’re not happy with it’,” Gagnon said after he and other chiefs met with Carrabba earlier this week. “‘You’re not discussing nothing with the First Nations, so what are you talking about?’”

[Northern Ontario] Getting rail-roaded again – SOAPBOXING – by Dave Dale (North Bay Nugget – May 3, 2012)

May 4, 2012

http://www.nugget.ca/

Charlie Angus might be a natural front runner for the first premier of Northern Ontario — if the often knee-jerk fascination with separating the province materializes some day.

Comments by the NDP MP for Timmins-James Bay in the House of Commons Tuesday demonstrated an impressive grip on history, politics and the potential mishandling of a major economic opportunity.

Angus was speaking during a debate over federal rail safety legislation, which opened a window for him to touch on the ominous threat facing the Ontario Northland Railway.

Some people are already tired of the the topic. They don’t want to hear another word about the Ontario government’s intention of selling off Ontario Northland Transportation Commission assets. Protesting what they consider inevitable is a waste of their time.

Even those who make a living commenting publicly about news events have to fight off the urge to yawn when community leaders huddle over strategic communication campaigns.

Australia trolling for Canadian skills – by Jameson Berkow (National Post – May 4, 2012)

May 4, 2012

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

CALGARY — Control over scarce resources has spawned more than a few wars throughout history and the fight for skilled labour is simply the latest.

This weekend, dozens of Australian companies will be taking part in a Calgary jobs expo to woo Canadian-trained scientists and engineers to relocate Down Under. The expo, which will move on to Vancouver and Edmonton next week, comes as Canada’s resource sector is struggling to keep skilled workers.

“Right now there is a global war for talent in any resource or mining industry,” Rupert Merrick of Working In Ltd., the Australian company organizing the expo, said during a Thursday news conference. “The skills that they need are not present in sufficient numbers within their own country.”

Australia alone will need to recruit 100,000 skilled professionals to develop more than A$150-billion in mining and liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects set to roll out in the near future. With domestic labour extremely limited, local firms have turned to Canada for talent with great success.

Higher resource prices lead to more deals done – by Bryan Borzykowski (Globe and Mail – May 3, 2012)

May 3, 2012

The 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.

This has been a busy year for Brian Pukier, a partner with law firm Stikeman Elliott LLP and head of its Toronto mergers and acquisitions group. After a slow summer last year, the M&A space is finally back to normal, he says. “We’d always like more deals, but our firm is keeping busy,” he says.

Mr. Pukier’s firm does a lot of work in the resource space; he’s seen a lot of deals done in mining, energy and oil and gas, in particular. He points to high commodity prices, demand from Asia and higher overall confidence in the economy as reasons for the increase.

M&As won’t return to 2006-2007 levels, when everyone was making deals, he says, but the rest of the year will only get better. “As long as banks are lending, which they are, then I think we’re going to stay at least consistent,” he says.

While this country’s M&A market is doing nicely, the same can’t be said for the rest of the world. Global M&A activity last quarter was down 23 per cent year-over-year, according to Dealogic, a London, U.K.-based company that helps banks analyze capital markets.

Quebec’s Front-Line Forests [Plan Nord] – New York Times Editorial (May 2, 2012)

May 3, 2012

http://www.nytimes.com/

In April, the government of Premier Jean Charest introduced a bill in the Quebec National Assembly that seeks to protect nearly 150 million acres — half of northern Quebec, an area the size of France — from industrial development, including logging, mining and petroleum exploration. The bill matters, not just to Canada but to the world: The boreal forests and tundra of northern Canada remain a relatively intact ecosystem, absorbing more carbon than the world’s tropical forests and providing a vital buffer against global warming. Industrial development would weaken that buffer, and, as things stand now, there is almost nothing to prevent it.

As envisioned by Mr. Charest, the bill would have made a firm commitment to prevent all industrial activity. As revised by government bureaucrats, the latest version promises only that, at some future point, steps will be taken to “protect the environment, maintain biodiversity, enhance the natural heritage and promote the sustainable use of resources.” Mr. Charest is the leader of a majority government, so the bill will almost certainly pass. Before it does, it needs to be strengthened to prohibit even piecemeal development in this sensitive region.

N.Y. Times praises Plan Nord but raises concerns – by Michelle Lalonde (Montreal Gazette – May 3, 2012)

May 3, 2012

http://www.montrealgazette.com/index.html

MONTREAL – A recent editorial in the New York Times praises Premier Jean Charest’s Plan Nord bill as “a remarkable precedent,” but critics note it also adds to growing pressure on Charest to strengthen the bill so that it truly protects from development half of northern Quebec, as Charest promised in his re-election campaign.

The $80-billion Plan Nord was billed by Charest as a way to preserve half of Quebec’s north by 2035, while allowing sustainable mining and forestry in the other half.

“The bill matters,” the editorial in Tuesday’s Times says, “not just to Canada but to the world: The boreal forests and tundra of northern Canada remain a relatively intact ecosystem, absorbing more carbon than the world’s tropical forests and providing a vital buffer against global warming.”

The editorial goes on to say that Charest had made a firm commitment to prevent all industrial activity in 150 million acres — half of northern Quebec, an area the size of France — but that government bureaucrats have watered down his intentions. The bill now promises only that at some future point steps will be taken to protect the environment and promote the sustainable use of resources.

Confusion on the ground [Ontario mineral exploration and Miners United] – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – May 2012)

May 3, 2012

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.

Exploration industry mobilizes on new regs, First Nation issues Develop the North, park the south. That was on a popular button making the rounds at the Northwestern Ontario Mines and Minerals Symposium in Thunder Bay last month. The blue sky weather mirrored the optimism at the annual spring fraternity gathering of prospectors and junior
explorers.

But there was also an undercurrent of dissatisfaction with Queen’s Park over new mining regulations coming into force this summer, and the provincial government’s hands-off approach to smoothing tensions between industry and First Nations.

A March story published in the Globe and Mail covering a Toronto meeting of a group of 60 frustrated prospectors and junior exploration executives – dubbed Miners United – only brought to light what has been talked about in industry circles for years. That secret six-figure deals have been made between some companies and First Nations in order to gain access to claims on Crown land that Aboriginals consider traditional territory. For many small junior miners and prospectors, it’s setting an ever-increasing dangerous pattern of cash payouts that will hurt the early grass roots stages of exploration.

Duel between Potash Corp and BHP far from over – by Claudia Cattaneo (National Post – May 3, 2012)

May 3, 2012

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

The hostile takeover battle ended 18 months ago, but the fight to dominate Canada’s potash resources seems far from over between Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. and BHP Billiton Ltd.

After fending off the Australian mining giant’s $39-billion bid with Ottawa’s help, Potash chief executive Bill Doyle said he remains a doubter about BHP’s Plan B — to build a Canadian-based global potash business from the ground up, starting with its proposed Jansen mine.

In an interview, Mr. Doyle suggested BHP’s construction progress at the Jansen mine and its expanding presence in Saskatoon are just part of “horse racing” in a competitive business.

“Until they decide to push ahead, we’ll believe it when we see it,” he said during a stop in Calgary, where he attended a meeting of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives this week.

Barrick defends itself against Occupiers – by Dana Flavelle (Toronto Star – May 3, 2012)

May 3, 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.

Under siege by the Occupy Toronto movement, Canada’s largest gold miner spent a large part of its annual general meeting Wednesday defending its track record as a responsible corporate citizen.

A heavy police presence ensured most Occupy protestors remained in Simcoe Park across the street from the Metro Convention Centre where Barrick Gold Corp. held its annual gathering of shareholders.

But even before a proxy holder representing indigenous groups in Chile raised some difficult questions inside the corporate meeting, Barrick founder and chairman Peter Munk acknowledged the protestors’ presence.

“Last night, I went home and to avoid the demonstrators who try to Occupy Wall Street, who try to Occupy Bay Street — I’m sure they’re all well-meaning and determined people and I was going to ask my driver, don’t avoid them, take me there. I want to talk to them. I don’t have all the facts — but wiser heads than me prevailed and I was taken home through a difficult route.”

[Cliff’s] Smelter decision expected – by Star staff (Sudbury Star – May 3, 2012)

May 3, 2012

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

A decision on where to locate a $1.8-billion Ring of Fire chromite smelter will be made in days, the CEO of Cliffs Natural Resources said this week. Joe Carrabba said Tuesday in Thunder Bay the decision is imminent, CBC Radio reports.

Cliffs, a Cleveland-based mining company, has used a former mine site in Capreol to build a test case for the facility, which would process chromite from northwestern Ontario.

In an email Wednesday, Patricia Persico, the senior manager of media relations for Cliffs, confirmed the company will make the announcement sooner rather than later. However, she said, a date and time has not yet been set.

A number of groups and communities in Northern Ontario have lobbied hard for the smelter, which would create 400 to 500 jobs. Native leaders in northwestern Ontario also say the plant should be built on their land, closer to the mine.

Home of the World’s Greatest Mining Business: Sudbury – by Ross Harkness (Star Weekly – March 14, 1953)

September 5, 2016May 3, 2012

The Star Weekly, which ceased publication in 1973, was the weekend supplement to the Toronto Star.

The real silent service is not the Royal Navy; it is the Canadian nickel industry. While Labrador, Chibougamau, Kitmat and Alberta have been reveling in the white light of publicity, the Sudbury basin of Ontario has gone quietly about he business of building up the most gigantic mining enterprise in Canada and the biggest of its kind in the world.

It is hard to avoid talking in superlatives when the people of Sudbury boast, quite truthfully, that no civilized man in the Western world passes a day of his life without using in some form or other a product of their rocky environs.

They will tell you, and the dominion bureau of statistics confirms it, that Sudbury workers are the highest paid in Canada, earning an average of $66.05 a week, compared with and average of $54.47 in Toronto and $50.75 in Montreal.

They boast, and the department of labour agrees, that they are the most unionized area in Canada, and that their local 598 of the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers is twice as big and twice as rich as any other in Canada.

Mine revitalization [Superior Copper] – by Lindsay Kelly (Northern Ontario Business – May 2012)

May 2, 2012

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.

Superior Copper developing former Sault-area mine

Eyeing up the Batchawana area north of Sault Ste. Marie, Superior Copper Corp. has identified the former Coppercorp Mine as a promising area for exploration, not because of what’s been found there, but because of what hasn’t.

“It was closed to staking for 30 years because they hadn’t covered the old shaft,” said Judy Baker, Superior’s president and CEO. “So there’s been a significant lack of exploration activity out there as a result of that.”

Minimal exploration efforts were carried out by a handful of companies when the property became available for staking in 2002. The copper exploration company, formerly operating as Cenit Corp., sees the lack of activity as a promising opportunity to find significant mineral deposits in the area.

Located 85 km north of Sault Ste. Marie, Coppercorp operated as an underground copper mine from 1965 to 1972, milling 1,021,358 tons of ore and producing 24 million pounds of copper, 2,000 ounces of gold and 228,000 ounces of silver. The mine is characterized by Keweenawan rock and Kincaid breccia just north of the site, Baker noted.

Answers coming [about Cliff’s ferrochrome processor] – by Jamie Smith (tbnewswatch.com – May 2, 2012)

May 2, 2012

http://www.tbnewswatch.com/

For a short news report about teh Carrabba speech click here: http://www.tbnewswatch.com/video/24466/CCAB-Cliffs

The head of Cliffs Natural Resources says an announcement on where his company will put a ferrochrome processor is days away.

But Joseph Carrabba couldn’t say where when asked about the decision and announcement Tuesday afternoon at a Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business luncheon in Thunder Bay.

Recently a group of regional mayors and First Nations leaders signed a document calling for the processor to be built in Greenstone rather than Cliff’s base case of Sudbury. Carrabba said he understands it’s an emotional issue and that every region wants to fight hard for economic development.

“Obviously we’re not going to be able to please everyone,” he said. “If we can’t work it out, we can’t work it out.” Carrabba did say that consultations between Cliffs and First Nation communities needs to continue.

Canadian graphite producers prepare for boom – by Pav Jordan (Globe and Mail – May 2, 2012)

May 2, 2012

The 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.

Move over rare earths – graphite is the new darling of the mining industry. Canadian graphite miners are angling to be high-end suppliers to the global lithium ion battery market, where companies such as LG, Samsung, Mitsubishi and Hitachi are fuelling growing demand for new technologies ranging from smartphones and laptops to electric cars.

After decades of near-dormancy in the graphite industry, an increasing number of companies are racing to produce flake graphite, the purest natural form of the mineral touted for its lightness, extreme resistance to heat and high conductivity.

The mineral is a major component of lithium batteries – lighter and more powerful than traditional batteries – that are finding their way into ever broader markets, from laptops and cordless power tools to hybrid electric vehicles.

“If electric cars start happening, this is going to go through the roof,” said Simon Moores, a graphite market specialist for Industrial Minerals, a group that gathers data on the graphite and other mineral industries.