Republic of Mining

TransCanada mulls switching natural gas mainline to oil service – by Claudia Cattaneo (National Post – April 28, 2012)

April 28, 2012

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

CALGARY — TransCanada Corp. said it’s taking a serious look at converting its underused mainline, Canada’s largest natural gas pipeline, to oil service, a prospect that would give a big boost to the idea of a Canadian solution to anti-oil sands activism by shipping more of Canada’s Western oil to Eastern consumers.

CEO Russ Girling said Friday refiners in Eastern Canada and oil producers in Western Canada are keen on the concept and have asked TransCanada to look into the feasibility of converting parts of the system.

“We are going to actively pursue it and see if we can turn it into an opportunity for both, the oil and gas industry and TransCanada,” Mr. Girling told reporters after addressing the company’s annual meeting.

The giant pipeline is TransCanada’s original business and is one of Canada’s nation-building infrastructures. For decades, it is has moved natural gas from Empress, Alta., down to the U.S. northeast and into Ontario and Quebec.

Growing underground [in closed copper mine]: Canadian medicinal marijuana producer trys to put down U.S. roots – by Tom Blackwell (National Post – April 28, 2012)

April 28, 2012

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

The sprawling copper mine that stretches deep below White Pine once employed thousands of people, helping make the remote Michigan town a thriving outpost of the state’s northern hinterland.

Prices for the metal started to plummet, however, forcing the facility to shut down in 1996 and leaving White Pine a virtual ghost town. Suburban bungalows that once housed copper miners and their families now sell to vacationers for as little as $10,000.

Now a Canadian company is promoting an unorthodox form of salvation for the area, floating a plan to grow marijuana inside the cavernous mine to serve the state’s legion of 180,000 licensed pot users. Like a similar subterranean operation that Prairie Plant Systems (PPS) owns in Manitoba, the Michigan site would offer security from theft, natural climate control and little chance of contamination, its supporters argue.

Legislation expected to be introduced in both Michigan state chambers in the next week or two would set the stage for such industrial-scale production, outlining a series of standards that medical marijuana producers must meet. Michigan approved personal use of cannabis as a health product in 2008, but its somewhat chaotic implementation has undermined patient and public safety, said Brent Zettl, CEO of Prairie Plant.

Follow the development [Thunder Bay] – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Jouranl Editorial (April 27, 2012)

April 28, 2012

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

IT SEEMS there is so much going on in Thunder Bay that it’s hard to keep track of. In one way, that’s a good thing. Thunder Bay needs development to complement what’s left of forestry, build on the next big mining boom and capitalize on the emergence of medical research clusters.

But citizens need to keep aware and be apprised of all these initiatives. It’s our community, our region, and the power brokers must always bear in mind who’s in charge. Grand plans cost money and it mostly comes from taxpayers.

There are two distinct camps among supporters of a proposed event centre. Those who favour a downtown waterfront site agree it will build on and feed off the city’s designated entertainment district surrounding it. Those set on Innova Business Park like the wide-open space to allow for on-site parking and access from adjacent expressways.

A letter writer today wonders if Thunder Bay and area’s notoriously fickle sports fans will troop to a new arena when so few fail to attend events like the Dudley Hewitt Cup.

Direct action threat shows fragile peace on Nishnawbi Aski land [Northern Ontario First Nations] – by Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – April 26, 2012)

April 28, 2012

This article came from Wawatay News: http://www.wawataynews.ca/

Remember back in January when all sides were talking about the new relationship between the federal government and First Nations? Phrases like resetting the relationship, unlocking the potential and realizing the promise were being bandied about by everyone involved.

Those days seem like a long time ago. Since then a number of major resource projects have taxed the federal government-First Nations relationship. Paramount is the Northern Gateway pipeline that would bring oilsands bitumen to BC’s west coast, for transport by supertanker to Chinese refineries. Over 50 First Nations oppose that project, including nations with traditional lands all along the pipeline’s route.

Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver lumped together opponents to the pipeline, including First Nations, environmentalists and labour organizations, as “radicals” out to stop all development. He stated publically that these radical groups are being funded by foreign money in order to “undermine Canada’s national economic interest.”

[Ontario] North fights for ONTC – by The Daily Press (April 27, 2012)

April 28, 2012

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

Municipal, business and union leaders demand meeting with premier to discuss Ontario Northland

Northern leaders are refusing to give up the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission without a fight. Northern Ontario municipal, business and labour leaders met via teleconference this week to discuss strategy for saving Ontario Northland.

On Tuesday, the provincial Liberal budget was passed, even though opposition could have vetoed it in the current minority government situation. The plan to privatize the ONTC was left in the budget.

The group is making its second request for a meeting with Premier Dalton McGuinty to discuss the issue. In addition, they are requesting meetings with leaders of the opposition.

“Although the opposition parties are suggesting we are going into Round 2 in the fight, not being made aware of the process or even the rules of engagement, we are feeling that we have been knocked to the canvas and once again abandoned in the North,” said Iroquois Falls Mayor Gilles Forget.

NEWS RELEASE: IAMGOLD expands gold production pipeline in Canada with acquisition of Trelawney

April 27, 2012

All amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated

TSX: IMG NYSE: IAG

TORONTO, April 27, 2012 /CNW/ – IAMGOLD Corporation (TSX: IMG) (NYSE: IAG) (“IAMGOLD” or “the Company”) and Trelawney Mining and Exploration Inc. (TSX Venture:TRR)(“Trelawney”) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement (the “Agreement”) whereby IAMGOLD will acquire, through a plan of arrangement, all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Trelawney. Trelawney is a Canadian junior mining and exploration company, focused on the development of the Côté Lake Deposit located adjacent to the Swayze Greenstone Belt in northern Ontario.

Under the terms of the Agreement, each Trelawney shareholder will receive $3.30 in cash for each Trelawney share held. The transaction price represents a 36.6% premium based on Trelawney’s 20-day volume weighted average price (“VWAP”) for the period ending April 26, 2012.

“The acquisition of Trelawney creates a larger and more geographically balanced portfolio of long-life gold assets for IAMGOLD. This transaction provides an accretive return on invested capital as we are effectively redeploying the cash proceeds from the sale of non-core assets last year into a Canadian gold project that significantly strengthens our future gold production profile.

Rough patch over, Potash CEO assures – by Peter Koven (National Post – April 27, 2012)

April 27, 2012

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

After another very poor quarter from Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc., chief executive Bill Doyle maintained that the rough patch is over and a recovery is well underway. But so far, investors are staying cautious and waiting to see the evidence for themselves.

Potash Corp. shares have been stuck in a rut for several months as fertilizer buyers deferred purchases amid global economic uncertainty. They fell another 3% on Thursday after the company reported first-quarter earnings of US56¢ a share, well short of expectations.

It was the second straight quarter of disappointing results. Saskatoon-based Potash Corp., which has been operating far below capacity, also slashed its full-year outlook.

Mr. Doyle rarely says anything negative about potash demand. Yet on Thursday, he acknowledged that demand took longer to pick up in Q1 than he expected, only doing so at the end of the quarter. He noted that buyers waited until the “last possible minute” to stock up on fertilizer before the spring planting season arrived.

Transmountain: Same pipeline, new realities – by Claudia Cattaneo (National Post – April 27, 2012)

April 27, 2012

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

In 2008, Kinder Morgan Canada added 75,000 barrels of capacity to its Trans Mountain pipeline from Edmonton to Vancouver at a cost of $750-million, which included 13 new pump stations, twinning the system through Jasper National Park in Alberta and Mount Robson Provincial Park in British Columbia.

It faced little opposition, completed its regulatory hearing within a week, and provided contracting and employment to the Aseniwuche Winewak and Simpcw First Nations and the Alberta Metis Zone IV community. When the project was completed, the Town of Jasper and the Village of Valemount thanked Kinder Morgan Canada for the opportunity.

Today, the company’s president, Ian Anderson, has cleared his deck and plans to dedicate the next five years of his career to a single goal — win support for and build a $5-billion expansion of the same pipeline, which has been in operation for 62 years. He is planning a campaign of unprecedented magnitude for his company, a unit of the Houston-based infrastructure giant, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners.

NEWS RELEASE: Rare earth elements: A rare opportunity for Canada

April 27, 2012

Canadian Chamber of Commerce Rare Earth Elements Report

Published: 04/26/2012

Ottawa, April 26, 2011— In a report issued today: Canada’s Rare Earth Deposits Can Offer A Substantial Competitive Advantage, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce sheds light on the opportunity for Canada to start punching above its weight in leveraging what is often referred to as the “oil of the 21st century.”

Rare earth elements are a series of 17 chemically similar metals that have unique chemical, magnetic and fluorescent properties. They are found in hybrid and electric cars, fluorescent lights, plasma screens, portable computers, hand-held electronic devices, wind power generators and optical and medical devices. Several rare earth elements are essential constituents of automotive pollution control catalytic converters and petroleum fluid cracking catalysts. They have a wide variety of defence applications, some of which are critical to countries’ national security and are used in precision guided munitions (missiles and smart bombs), lasers, satellite communications, jet fighter engines and radar systems.

“Canada has 1.1 billion pounds of rare earths locked in black shale deposits (the Alberta Black Shale Project) worth an estimated $206 billion. In addition, several other Canadian mines across the country show great potential,” said Perrin Beatty President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. “We have been blessed with great geology and we have a tremendous opportunity to turn our resource richness into a significant competitive advantage,” he added.

Strictly Legal: Creating Cree Corp. makes perfect sense – by Kathryn Leger (Montreal Gazette – April 27, 2012)

April 27, 2012

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

When Cree Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come visited law firm Lavery LLP’s offices recently for a packed encounter with local mining entrepreneurs, his talk began with the up-close and personal.

“I am a son of a hunter, a fisher and a trapper,” said Coon Come, 56, the head of the Grand Council of the Crees, the political body representing Quebec Cree.

“My dad lived on the land and so did my mother. I am a father to five children. I have three daughters and two sons. I am a husband to Mary Ann Coon Come. We have been married for 35 years and I am also a grandfather to two children.”

With that informality out of the way, which he later said is essential to relationship building with the Cree, Coon Come proceeded to enthrall those in attendance as he explained the aboriginal perspective on Quebec’s Plan Nord.

Goldcorp Inc. pledges its commitment to Timmins – by Len Gillis (Timmins Times – April 26, 2012)

April 27, 2012

http://www.timminstimes.com/

Goldcorp holds its first ever corporate annual meeting in Timmins

Goldcorp President and Chief Executive Officer Charles “Chuck” Jeannes told a Timmins audience Thursday that his company has made a substantial investment in both the Porcupine camp and in Porcupine Gold Mines and Goldcorp has every intention of growing that investment.

Jeannes was presiding at Goldcorp’s first ever annual general meeting held outside of Toronto or Vancouver. The meeting, with most of the board of directors in attendance, was held in Timmins in honour of the city’s 100th anniversary celebrations.

“You know we’re a dynamic business and we buy new assets and on occasion we’ve sold assets. I think the fact that we’ve continued to invest so much in Porcupine should be indicative of the commitment we have to this operation,” said Jeannes.

He said the commitment of the company made this year for the Hollinger Project, combined with the decision made in 2010 to expand the Hoyle Pond operation is a commitment of hundreds of millions of dollars and is clear evidence the company has long term plans for the city.

[Goldcorp Latin American] Mine closing sparks concerns – by Kyle Gennings (Timmins Daily Press – April 27, 2012)

April 27, 2012

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

Activists travel from Central America to share concerns at Goldcorp AGM

Here in Timmins we are reminded of mining operations everywhere we look. It’s written on the sides of trucks, headframes thrust into the skyline and shafts driven deep into the Earth. Here, mining means life, prosperity and reason.

For some in Central America, however, they claim mining means many other things: Suffering, loss of independence and sickness. Activists blame mining corporations.

“Goldcorp does not operate in Honduras and Guatemala the way it does in Canada,” said Reina Gamora, a Honduran school teacher and activist, who made the 6,000-kilometre trek to appeal to the hearts and minds of those who understand mining. “They operate through utilizing the corrupt government that operates in Honduras. They ignore the human rights and environmental impacts their operations have.”

Gamora and two colleagues made the trip to appeal to the shareholders in Goldcorp at the firm’s annual general meeting in Timmins on Thursday. They want to ensure proper cleanup measures are taken as the San Martin mine undergoes its closure process.

Ceremony honours fallen workers – by Rita Poliakov (Sudbury Star – April 27, 2012)

April 27, 2012

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

Hans Brasch spent 40 years working in the mines, where every work-related fatality led to the same question. “The question always came up. Who was next?”

Brasch took his first-hand experience to St. Gabriel’s Villa of Sudbury on Thursday, where he participated in a ceremony remembering those who died in the workplace.

The event, which took place for the residents during the villa’s chapel service, comes several days before Canada’s National Day of Mourning on Saturday, which commemorates workers who have been killed or injured on the job.

Several Sudbury miners were included in the list of names read out during the villa’s ceremony, including Jason Chenier, 35, and Jordan Fram, 26, who died in Stobie mine when they were hit by a run of muck. Miners like Stephen Perry, 47, who died while working at Vale’s Coleman mine this year, were remembered during a moment of silence.