Republic of Mining

New group shows oil sands industry serious about environment – by Claudia Cattaneo (National Post – March 2, 2012)

March 2, 2012

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

Some will say it’s about time, others that it doesn’t stop expansion plans, still others that they want to see results before getting too excited, but Canada’s oil sands sector deserves recognition for launching the world’s biggest collaborative effort by any industry to do better by the environment.

In a ceremony in Calgary Thursday, the top executives of 12 major oil sands companies came together to sign a founding charter in which they committed to accelerate improvement in four major areas: tailings ponds, greenhouse gas emissions, land disturbance and water use.

They are doing it as part of a new group, Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), representing 80% of oil sands production: BP PLC, Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Cenovus Energy Inc., ConocoPhillips, Devon Energy Corp., Imperial Oil Ltd., Nexen Inc., Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Statoil ASA, Suncor Energy Inc., Teck Resources Ltd. and Total S.A.

Solid Gold, Wahgoshig Nation clash – by K. Lagowski (CIM Magazine – February, 2012)

March 2, 2012

Founded in 1898, the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) is a technical society of professionals in the Canadian minerals, metals, materials and energy industries.

Junior miner takes on injunction against exploration

Toronto-based Solid Gold Resources filed a notice for leave to appeal an Ontario Supreme Court injunction that ordered them to stop drilling for 120 days on territory claimed by Wahgoshig First Nation (WFN). The company has also sued the Ontario government for $100 million in damages.

The disputed area is 200 square kilometres near Matheson, Ontario, which is adjacent to the Wahgoshig reserve. The First Nation says the site contains burial grounds and is frequented by the community for hunting, trapping, fishing, medicine gathering and ceremonial purposes.

WFN first discovered Solid Gold’s drilling crew on Treaty 9 land in the spring of 2011. According to the court decision, the crew did not say who they were working for, and the First Nation was only able to ask for consultation after research and enquiry revealed Solid Gold’s identity. After WFN tried and failed to contact the company, the provincial government wrote Solid Gold in early November to let them know about their duty to consult.

Mediator called in for Solid Gold talks – by Ron Grech (Timmins Daily Press – March 2,2012)

March 2, 2012

Mining firm, First Nation and provincial government continue discussions

A facilitator has been brought in to help mediate discussions involving Solid Gold Resource Corporation, Wahgoshig First Nation and the provincial government.

Solid Gold is a mineral exploration company that was forced by an injunction to halt drilling on a 200 square-kilometre claim outside the boundary of the Wahgoshig reserve. Darryl Stretch, president of Solid Gold, said the discussions held in the presence of a facilitator were an

“attempt to honour the court order that says we need to do consultation” with Wahgoshig. However, it appears both sides are still far from reaching an agreement.

“In their Statement of Claim, the First Nation is asking for a declaration that no one will explore on that Crown land there unless they get written permission from that First Nation,” said Stretch.

Vale says it will go to arbitration in case of fired strikers – by Star Staff (Sudbury star – March 2, 2012)

March 2, 2012

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

A Vale official says the company will “move forward” with arbitration in the case of eight fired production and maintenance workers, as directed by the Ontario Labour Relations Board last week.

A Vale spokeswoman, Angie Robson, says the company has taken United Steelworkers’ request for a month of mediation before arbitration “under advisement.” The labour board ruled the fate of eight Steelworkers fired during the union’s yearlong strike against Vale should be decided by just cause arbitration.

Vale had insisted for two years it had the right to fire the eight for bad behaviour on picket lines and in the community. John Pollesel, chief operating officer for Vale, wrote a letter to USW Local 6500 members this week saying the company acknowledged the labour board’s decision and would agree to arbitration.

Still no comment [from Ontario Government/Vale Sudbury deaths] – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – March 2, 2012)

March 2, 2012

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

Labour Minister Linda Jeffrey appreciates the work United Steelworkers has done to uncover the causes of an accident at Vale’s Stobie Mine last year that took the lives of supervisor Jason Chenier, 35, and miner Jordan Fram, 26.

But she won’t be able to comment on the report’s three top recommendations — two of which pertain to her ministry — until the ministry completes its investigation into the June 8, 2011, fatality.

USW has called for the Government of Ontario to establish a public inquiry into the causes of the Stobie deaths, with special attention to water management, monitoring and enforcement issues.

Chenier and Fram died when they were overcome by a run of muck from the No. 7 ore pass while working at the 3,000-foot level of the 111- year-old mine. The union believes excess water contributed to treacherous working conditions, as well as clogged drainage holes and other factors.

McGuinty-Redford war of words keeps simmering – by Karen Howlett, Dawn Walton and Shawn McCarthy (Globe and Mail – March 1, 2012)

March 1, 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.

TORONTO, CALGARY AND OTTAWA— Dalton McGuinty concedes he never should have blamed his province’s economic woes on the “petro dollar,” marking a rare climbdown for a political leader not known for speaking off the cuff. Alison Redford insists he still owes her an apology, rebuffing him once again in favour of a tried-and-true Alberta strategy of picking a fight with Ontario.

The he-said, she-said exchange between the two provincial leaders was supposed to end on Wednesday morning, when Mr. McGuinty, Premier of Ontario, blamed the perils of working in “real time” for making a comment he now regrets – that he would prefer to have a low Canadian dollar instead of a booming oil-and-gas sector in Western Canada.

Instead, Ms. Redford, the Alberta Premier, suggested Mr. McGuinty still owes her province an apology for his earlier refusal to support the oil sands.

Alberta needs to earn national support for oil sands – Toronto Star Editorial (Toronto Star – March 1, 2012)

March 1, 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.

Ontario gets such substantial benefits from the oil sands that we should all be advocates for their speedy development. That’s Alberta Premier Alison Redford’s view of the world. Premier Dalton McGuinty’s version is that Ontarians would be better off without the high “petro dollar” that hurts our manufacturing sector.

It’s a she-said, he-said that has pundits across the nation weighing in on everything from the merits of the oil sands to the supposedly pathetic state of Ontario’s economy.

McGuinty has acknowledged that he should have “self-edited.” There was no benefit to sounding ungracious about Alberta’s success or defensive about Ontario’s economic challenges. But the premier was not wrong to make clear the Ontario perspective on Redford’s demand that everyone jump onboard the oil sands train.

The facts are irrefutable: the vast majority – an estimated 94 per cent – of economic benefits from the oil sands remain in Alberta. The booming oil and gas sector has contributed mightily to the high Canadian dollar. That has damaged Ontario’s traditional strength in manufacturing.

Don’t ask for our love, Alberta – by Matthew Mendelsohn (Toronto Star – March 1, 2012)

March 1, 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.

Matthew Mendelsohn is director of the Mowat Centre at the University of Toronto.

The national media have all sided with Alberta Premier Alison Redford over Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty on the impact of the oil sands on the Ontario economy.

The Alberta premier went down to Chicago and chastised the Ontario premier for not loving the oil sands. When McGuinty declined to profess his love, the media piled on him for being ungracious.

But Redford should understand that with Alberta’s new economic and political power comes responsibility. Demanding that everyone prostrate themselves at the feet of the oil patch is not the right approach.

Let’s turn to the substance of the issue. The national media objected to McGuinty stating aloud the truth: the value of the Canadian dollar is heavily impacted by the price of oil and the dollar’s appreciation has hurt many in the manufacturing sector.

Former First Nation chief becomes face of Canadian mining [at the PDAC] – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – March, 2012)

March 1, 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.

Taking the lead

When Glenn Nolan first attended the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada’s (PDAC) annual spring convention in 2004, there were a couple dozen Aboriginal faces in the crowd among the world’s mining heavyweights.

The agenda set aside for First Nations discussion was small, and was reflective of the state of the mining industry’s relations with Canada’s indigenous people.

“When we started doing Aboriginal sessions, it was all about conflict,” said Nolan, who serves as Noront Resources’ vice-president of Aboriginal relations. Things are decidedly different heading into this month’s show in Toronto.

PDAC corporate membership rolls list about 400 who are self-identified Inuit, Metis and First Nation delegates.

Let’s get North [Ontario] growing – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal Editorial (March 1, 2012)

March 1, 2012

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

CRISIS management is hardly the best way to govern. But it does focus leadership on the narrow necessities instead of the big picture it likes to ponder. Ontario’s descent into economic purgatory has caused its government to consider the cost and effectiveness of every program inside every ministry as its grapples with a $16-billion annual budget deficit.

Ahead of this month’s budget, there are scenarios being played out at Queen’s Park that would shock many Ontarians. There is no way around some of the revisions that are coming, so prepare to be shocked.

Queen’s Park tends to look outward from its downtown Toronto edifice at two-thirds of the jurisdiction about which some in its employ have no idea. They’re not really sure where Thunder Bay is (let alone Terrace Bay), just that it’s far away.

Wahgoshig First Nation/Solid Gold Conflict – CBC Radio Sudbury (Morning North Program – Markus Schwabe – February 29, 2012)

March 1, 2012

CBC Radio Sudbury – Morning North Program Mining claims and First Nations traditional territory CBC Reporter Martha Dillman looks at the mining claims system in Ontario as a case between a northern First Nation and a junior mining company continues to be discussed in provincial court. Click here to listen: http://www.cbc.ca/morningnorth/past-episodes/2012/02/29/mining-claims-and-first-nations-traditional-territory/

Wahgoshig First Nation/Solid Gold Conflict – CBC Radio Sudbury (Points North Program – Jason Turnbull – January 26, 2012)

March 1, 2012

CBC Radio Sudbury – Points North Program Northern mining company suing Ontario Gov’t Wahgoshig First Nation recently won an injunction against junior mining company Solid Gold Resources claiming it was exploring on its traditional territory. The mining company is now suing the province over claims it had on the land in question. Click here to …

Conflict, confusion over provincial mining claims -(CBC Thunder Bay – March 1, 2012)

March 1, 2012

This article is from CBC Thunder Bay website: http://www.cbc.ca/thunderbay/

Ontario’s mining act being updated to address relations between exploration industry and First Nations

Last year, the exploration industry spent close to a billion dollars looking for minerals in Ontario. But some prospectors say the rules are not clear when it comes to staking claims — particularly on First Nation traditional territory.

That’s resulting in conflict and court cases. Mining companies or prospectors are granted exploration claims through the province.

But, traditional land surrounding First Nation territory is not marked on the province’s mining map — because the province can’t actually pin it down.

Clive Stephenson, a provincial mining recorder with the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, said traditional territory is a relative term.

Call for inquiry [Vale mining deaths] premature: Bartolucci – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – March 1, 2012)

March 1, 2012

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

For the full report: Run of “Wet Muck” Double Fatality Investigation Report by USW Local 6500

Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci says it may be premature to call for a public inquiry into the deaths of two Sudbury miners before the Ministry of Labour completes its investigation of the fatality and a mandatory coroner’s inquest is held.

Bartolucci said he is looking forward to reading the USW report and its recommendations. “Listen, just like Vale’s recommendations, I want to read and study the Steelworkers’ recommendations.

“At the end of the day, we don’t want anybody dying” at work, said Bartolucci. “Two families lost loved ones. That’s serious. And we have to do what we have to do to ensure we take every possible precaution to ensure that that doesn’t happen again.”

Jason Chenier and Jordan Fram were killed June 8, 2011, by a run of muck at Vale’s Stobie Mine.

Report will make mining safer: [Sudbury] union – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – March 1, 2012)

March 1, 2012

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

For the full report: Run of “Wet Muck” Double Fatality Investigation Report by USW Local 6500

There has been a lot of talk about Jason Chenier and Jordan Fram since they were killed on the job June 8, 2011, at Stobie Mine. Wednesday morning, Mike Bond wasn’t talking about the men. He was speaking for them and their families.

Bond, the Health, Safety and Environment chair for United Steelworkers Local 6500, local president Rick Bertrand and USW lawyer Brian Shell presented findings of the union’s investigation into the men’s deaths to reporters.

“Today’s the day we’re speaking for the Frams and the Cheniers, and miners across the province. It’s a tragic day also,” said Bond, a former Creighton miner.

“I feel that, with our recommendations, we are going to make (mining) safer.” Bond has been involved in several investigations, but never one like this. “This is a one-of-a-kind report,” he said.