Republic of Mining

Global Prosperity to Impact on Mining – Dr. David Robinson

April 5, 2015July 27, 2008

The Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal gave Republic of Mining.com permission to post Dr. David Robinson’s column. This Sudbury-based magazine showcases the mining expertise of North Bay, Timmins and Sudbury. (This article was originally published last winter.)

It is Christmas in the mining industry. Rio Tinto is handing out money to Alcan shareholders. China just signed a three billion dollar iron deal with Gabon. Xstrata has a $3.1 billion takeover offer for Perth-based Jubilee mines.

Talk of a takeover by BHP Billiton in September sent Rio Tinto shares up close to 18 per cent in just over a week.

South Korea is setting up a $22 billion fund to invest in global oil and gas projects, vying with China, Japan and India for resources as prices soar.

Where is all the money coming from? In a sense, it all comes from the imagination. The entire world is looking to a global society with a rich China, a rich India, rich Eastern Europe, and maybe even a rich Africa. The value of today’s ore deposits depends on whether you think they will be needed tomorrow.

OMA joined by MiningWatch Canada to Support Voluntary Rehabilitation Provisions in Ontario Mining Act

August 7, 2008July 27, 2008

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 Ontario Mining Association is finding allies in its support for a proposal to amend the Mining Act to include voluntary, or Good Samaritan, provisions for the reclamation of abandoned Crown-owned mine sites. “We commend the Ontario Government for removing the legal barriers to the industry´s hands-on participation in the voluntary rehabilitation of Crown-held abandoned mine hazards by amending the Mining Act and proposing regulations that establish clear rules for undertaking voluntary rehabilitation projects,” said Adrianna Stech, OMA Manager of Environment and Sustainability.

While it does include some qualifications, it is interesting to note that MiningWatch Canada has also come out in support of this proposed amendment. “MiningWatch Canada is very concerned about this legacy and supports efforts that will see abandoned mine sites secured and rehabilitated so that current impacts and future risks are minimized,” said Ramsey Hart, Canada Program Coordinator for MiningWatch. “The proposed regulation to amend (a specific section of the Mining Act) O.Reg. 240/00 is intended to facilitate voluntary rehabilitation of mine sites by companies that have no legal requirement to do so. We feel this is a helpful step in addressing a daunting challenge and welcome all contributions that the industry can make towards cleaning up its legacy of abandoned mines.”

Encouraging Smelter Plans Dashed by Lack of Support Outside Village of Sudbury – by Gary Peck

May 4, 2015July 27, 2008

Some 85 years ago, quite a stir probably was created in the village of Sudbury with the announcement of the Sudbury Customs Smelting Company. In February 1892, the company, after considerable initial discussion, was proclaimed; yet by the end of April the initial excitement had turned to disappointment.

The Sudbury Customs Smelting Company, according to the prospectus, had a provisional board consisiting of James Commee, MPP, president; A.J. Macdonnell, treasurer; James Stobie, vice-president; Alfred Merry, consulting chemist; W.J. Skynner, secretary.

The directors, many from Sudbury, included James McCormick, Stephen Fournier, R.B. Struthers, MD, James A. Orr, Has B. Hammond, D. O’Connor, Frank Cochrane, D.T. Flannery, A. Hoffman Smith, J. McCormick, C.J. Kettyle, Charles Jessop, Rinaldo McConnell, of Mattawa, J.R. Gordon, of Toronto; C. Gordon Richardson, of Toronto, and Wm. McVittie of Whitefish.

Vale’s Brazilian Tree Factory – By Francisco Luiz Noel

July 27, 2008

Vale is a Brazilian mining company that is committed to the protection and scientific knowledge of Brazil’s globally significant biodiversity. Vale protects more than 1.3 million of hectares of primary forests in the Amazonian and Atlantic regions of Brazil and plants about six million native trees per year in its various mining projects throughout the country.

The following article was first published in Engagement, Vale’s magazine for socially responsible and sustainable mining.

From the Vale Nature Reserve in Linhares (Espirito Santo) come 4.5 million seedlings per year for forest regeneration projects

From seedlings barely a hand’s width in height have come mighty trees that have helped to rescue the green of the Atlantic Forest in various parts of Brazil. This has also been happening in various parts of Espírito Santo’s capital Vitória: on the city’s hillsides and at the Vale Botanical Garden located in the Industrial Port Complex of Tubarão, as well as in the historic Convent of Our Lady of Penha, in neighboring Vila Velha. Natives of Espírito Santo, known as capixabas, have given their endorsement to this growth with the more than 450,000 visits paid to the park since 2004, while seedlings are also being planted in the states of Maranhão, Pará and Minas Gerais. With appropriate environmental technology and tropical silviculture, Vale is contributing to restoration of the ecosystem in the cities where it operates, for the sake of the quality of life and the conservation and safeguarding of biodiversity.

The source of this environmental undertaking is the Vale Nature Reserve, located in Linhares, in northern Espírito Santo. A national model for the planting of seedlings of species from the Atlantic Forest, it has a production capacity of 55 million seedlings per year, involving 800 species from some of the ecosystems of this biome. A great many of the seeds used for this production are gathered in the reserve’s 22,000 hectares – 40% of what remains of the old-growth Atlantic Forest in the state.

Ontario Mining Association Feels Mining/Aboriginal/Environmental Communities Can Cooperate in the North

May 12, 2010July 22, 2008

The Ontario Mining Association (OMA), is an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

This letter from Ontario Mining Association President Chris Hodgson to member companies maps out the Association´s position concerning various aspects of Premier Dalton McGuinty´s announcement on plans for the future of Ontario´s northern boreal forest.

Recently, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty made an announcement concerning the launch of the Far North Planning Process. A land use plan for the Far North has been requested by various groups for years and the lead up to this announcement has taken some time. A fundamental principle of the Ontario Mining Association since its inception in 1920 has been to work productively with the government of the day and, in keeping with this, we have been engaged in an ongoing dialogue on this issue.

You may recall a memo that was sent on June 21, 2007, outlining the points of concern regarding a proposed Far North Planning Initiative that the OMA discussed with various ministers, members of the civil service and political staff. Since that memo was sent, our discussions with the government have taken on greater depth and, lately, more urgency, but the essentials remain the same. The government is faced with a large task, which requires management of many competing interests. Recent media reports have been giving rise to mounting expectations for a radical overhaul of the rules around access to land by resource companies. While the OMA supports changes to improve the systems in place, our concern has been that the scope of the initiative not become overwhelming and, therefore, drawn out and largely unmanageable, resulting in irrational decisions and regulatory uncertainty.

Chickens Coming Home to Roost with Inco Contract – by Michael Atkins

November 3, 2015July 18, 2008

Northern Life, Greater Sudbury’s community newspaper, gave Republic of Mining.com permission to post Michael Atkin’s column. www.northernlife.ca

Michael Atkins

Buzz Hargrove, the feisty (I’m being kind) president of the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union, recently said they would go on strike against General Motors (GM) if the auto maker did not promise new car products for Windsor, Oshawa, and St. Catharines, Ontario. A few days later, he changed his tune completely.

“You strike after something you think is achievable,” he said. “If we thought there was a product out there that we could strike and fight and win, then you can bet your boots we would be striking over it.”

Of course, what happened between the ultimatum and the climb down was that GM announced unceremoniously it would close a transmission plant in Windsor, whether the union liked it or not. Buzz is now negotiating severance packages, not new jobs.

Xstrata Nickel Wins Provincial Mine Rescue Competition

August 7, 2008July 17, 2008

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.

Xstrata Nickel´s Fraser/Thayer Lindsley mine rescue team captured the top prize in the 2008 competition, which was held in Sudbury. Let´s applaud all team members in earning the coveted gold helmets as overall competition winners. This team earned first place overall as well as in the team firefighting and team first aid categories. The competition was held in Onaping at the NORCAT Training Centre, which is the former Fecunis Mine.

“Congratulations to the members of the Fraser/Thayer Lindsley team. They were outstanding representatives of both Xstrata Nickel and the Sudbury District with their performance,” said Mike Romaniuk, Vice President of Sudbury Operations for Xstrata Nickel. “This is a clear demonstration of the quality of our mine rescue program and the commitment of all employees to ensuring the health and safety of our workers.”

The Forgotten Northern Ontario Workers During the Great Depression – Michael Barnes

April 5, 2015July 16, 2008

The economy isn’t exactly bouncing along these days but not much more than sixty years ago,it was down right flat. This was the time of the Great Depression, the lost years, when production in many industries in Canada and around the world came almost to a standstill.

There were few social umbrellas then. Help for the unemployed had to come from financial strapped communities and also the generosity of those who had a job.

By and large the unemployed wanted to work and would take anything they could get rather than go on relief. This spurred the Province of Ontario to use its strained resources to salvage something from the funds expended on public assistance.

Between 1929 and 1932, overall employment fell by 32% in the province.

Guide Book Issued for 1939 Royal Tour Includes Northern Ontario Sites – Gary Peck

May 4, 2015July 16, 2008

Today when many travel often, it is with an array of brochures outlining the points of interest one should note during the trip. Certainly, this is not a new phenomenon. In 1939, Their Majesties King George VI and Queen Elizabeth traveled across Canada. For the use of the Royal visitors, their entourage and others, Canada’s two transcontinental railways compiled a guide book. Extracts from the account are of interest for a variety of reasons including the way in which sites along the route were described.

On May 23, it was anticipated the train would pass “through a land of great rock hills and tall pines, the railway wanders through deep cuts on its approach to Romford, seven miles east of Sudbury, on the main transcontinental line, and the train, on arrival at Sudbury, has traversed one of the finest sporting regions of Canada”. Suffice to say, the sporting regions described in glowing terms were, among others. Parry Sound, Point au Baril and French River.

Honourable Sandra Pupatello – Ontario Minister of Economic Development and Trade – OMA Conference Speech in Windsor, Ontario

July 27, 2008July 15, 2008

Good evening everyone. I hope you enjoyed the tour of the Windsor Salt Mine and your round at the Canadian Salt Golf Challenge. Mining and golf, now there’s a tourism package in the making!

The mining industry is very important to Ontario’s prosperity. Our province is a major global player in mining and has produced $300 billion in metals over the last century. In 2007 alone, the value of mineral production in Ontario exceeded $10-billion.

Exploration spending this year is expected to exceed $600-million. Over 1,000 companies employ more than 22,000 skilled people in this province. Hundreds of Ontario companies supply the industry with everything from contract mining services to custom equipment design.

The expertise supplied by people in the Ontario mining industry supports economic growth across the province, throughout Canada and around the world.

Honourable Sandra Pupatello – Ontario Minister of Economic Development and Trade – An Introduction

July 15, 2008

Sandra Pupatello was elected to the Ontario legislature in 1995, and re-elected in 1999, 2003 and 2007. Pupatello has served as Minister of Economic Development and Trade since 2006. She previously served as Minister of Education, Minister of Community and Social Services and Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues. Under Pupatello’s leadership in education, school infrastructure …

Ontario Mine Reclamation Symposium: A Green Mining Success

August 7, 2008July 7, 2008

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 success of the inaugural Ontario Mine Reclamation Symposium has cleared the path to make the workshop an annual event. Close to 60 people representing a number of companies and organizations participated in this event, which was held in Kirkland Lake June 24 and 25. This environmental event designed to share best practices and new technologies in mine reclamation was organized by the Ontario Mining Association in partnership with the Canadian Land Reclamation Association and Northgate Minerals.

One of the highlights of the conference was the presentation of the inaugural Tom Peters Memorial Mine Reclamation Award, which was won by the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines for its work on the Kam Kotia property in Timmins. Though this honour was first presented at the OMA´s “Demographics, Global Markets and the Future Workforce” conference in Windsor, it was re-presented to Dick Cowan, who is retired from MNDM and who was heavily involved in mine rehabilitation in general and the Kam Kotia property in particular.

Housing Came with the Job in Northern Ontario Mining Communites – Michael Barnes

April 5, 2015July 4, 2008

In earlier years in the teaching game in Ontario, school boards were able to secure teachers because they were offered accommodation at either free or a cheap rate as part of the deal.

One young teacher had a house in an isolated community in 1956 for $30 a month. Now mind you it was not worth that much because it was cold, leaned in the wind and had no amenities, but at least the place to live was an incentive to take the job.

Big mining companies like Falconbridge and Inco in Sudbury offered their educators most pleasant living quarters. Many of these were for single men and women and were known as teacherages. Actually there were places for other employees as well but none had a job specific name like those for teachers.

The mines in the smaller camps provided homes for many workers.

Copper Cliff Courier at Century Dawn Described Community Enthusiastically – Gary Peck

May 4, 2015July 4, 2008

At the turn of the century, residents of Sudbury could turn to one newspaper for local news. The Sudbury Journal, under James A. Orr, had published continuously since 1891. Over the years competition had appeared in the form of The Star and the Sudbury News, yet neither was still operating by 1900. However, the monopoly was to be challenged in 1902 from afar – namely Copper Cliff.

On a Saturday in early March, 1902, the Copper Cliff Courier made its initial appearance. At the time it was described by the Journal as being “a seat five-column of quarto, well-printed”. It contained a “good list of advertisements” and proposed to be independent in politics. The Courier, published and edited by J.T. Pratt and sold for $1.00 a year, had its office on Main Street, Copper Cliff.

Few copies of the Courier appear to have been saved with a special 1903 issue being the one that appears most frequently. In that particular issue can be found community news with the new smelter of the Canadian Copper Company being a major feature.

Hockey and Mining Rivalry Between Cobalt and Haileybury – Michael Barns

July 16, 2017July 3, 2008

Every Canadian knows something of the NHL. The National Hockey League dominates Canadian sports culture. But few likely know of the National Hockey Association, the forerunner of the now famous league.

Teams in this genesis of the NHL included the Renfrew Millionaires, so called because after all their biggest sponsor, M.J.O’Brien, was a millionaire many times over, the Montreal Wanderers and a team that has made a comeback in recent years, the Ottawa Senators.

In the heyday of Cobalt when the town was rich and booming, all the mines had their own hockey teams. Both Haileybury and Cobalt had teams in the National Hockey Association and had no trouble finding corporate sponsors among the many big firms represented in both towns.

The silver town had a real Stanley Cup contender. This was the Cobalt Silver Kings. Although the players gave their all on the ice in association play, the fiercest battles were reserved for games with the Haileybury squad.