Northern Life, Greater Sudbury’s community newspaper, gave Republic of Mining.com permission to post Bill Bradley’s article. www.northernlife.ca

There is an old saying around farmyards. Don’t be surprised if, when you go to get the horses, you find the barn door was left open and the horses have stampeded out the door. This seems to be the case with the Sudbury Soils Study, according to its critics.

Why is it that the original terms of reference did not include the influence of metal contamination on area mining workers, including contractors? It would seem obvious that these workers face a double whammy of workplace exposure and environmental exposure, especially if they live near the old smelter sites at Copper Cliff, Gatchell, Falconbridge and Coniston.

This would mean that Ontario government representation would have to include the Ontario Ministry of Labour and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care on the technical committee (TC), which is responsible for the whole process.

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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.

Ontario Mining Association member De Beers Canada is sharing its passion for diamonds through its sponsorship of an exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum.  “The Nature of Diamonds” exhibit is scheduled to be on display for all until March 22, 2009.  “For thousands of years, diamonds have held a special place in many cultures around the world,” said Jim Gowans, President and CEO of De Beers Canada.  “We are proud to be associated with the ROM to showcase the origins, history and allure of one of the rarest materials on earth.”

At a special event to mark the opening of the exhibit, recordings of Shirley Bassey singing the theme song from the James Bond movie “Diamonds Are Forever,” the presence of Canadian triathlon Olympian and medal winner Simon Whitfield and the opening of the vault to show the world´s third largest cut diamond and other spectacular gems and jewelry enhanced the celebrations.

The first diamond mine in Canada is celebrating its 10th anniversary of production this month.  Mr. Gowans pointed out that in that short time, Canada has advanced to become the third largest diamond producer in the world.  “Canada is now a diamond superpower,” said William Thorsell, Chief Executive Officer of the ROM.  “We are enjoying our relationship with De Beers Canada and (he suggested) I think we need to invent a single line of diamonds for men.”

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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 mining industry in Ontario is leading the way with innovative ideas and agreements which promote sustainable development in Aboriginal communities.  A document produced by Natural Resources Canada titled “Agreements Between Mining Companies and Aboriginal Communities or Governments” shows that 105 agreements have been signed between mining enterprises and Aboriginals.  The document shows that 29 of those agreements are in this province.  Ontario Mining Association member companies have a strong track record for building bridges and working in collaborative partnerships with Aboriginal communities.  

These contracts documented by Natural Resources Canada have been identified and validated by the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Mineral Industry and do not represent an exhaustive list of existing agreements in Canada.  The types of agreements identified range from joint-ventures to impact-benefit agreements to exploration agreements and socio-economic agreements.  At the recent Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association conference in Saskatoon, its President Hans Matthews said there are now more than 120 of these agreements in Canada.

Several examples of mutual benefit and cooperation among OMA members and Aboriginal communities can be found.  The Musselwhite gold mine, in Northwestern Ontario, which opened in 1997, established a creative agreement with a number of First Nations that provides for education, training, employment and business related opportunities in local communities.  Xstrata Nickel and the Wanapitei First Nation reached a mutual benefit agreement concerning the development of the Nickel Rim project in the Sudbury area. 

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Poet Susan Ioannou

METAMORPHIC

The Earth is never still.
Even as it crumbles
it is building,
great plates pushing
sediments up from the oceans
or sliding them under the continents.

There massive heat and stress
flatten minerals into bands
or leaf them into layers
or squeeze their particles so tight
atomic patterns rearrange
and recrystallize
limestone roughness into marble, 
sandstone into quartzite,
shale to slate.

Deepest and hottest,
diamonds are hardened.
Higher, beryls and topaz cool.
Like sulphur,
without any air some form
as minerals and bacteria mingle
or, with oxygen, are reborn
like a brassy chalcopyrite
deepened to azurite blue.

Even the oldest,
like a foliated gneiss,
after remelting into magma,
hiss back up volcanic vents
and overflow as mountains
—repeating Earth’s cycle.