February 1, 2012 – Republic of Mining

Hemlo Mines creates opportunities for First Nations students

February 1, 2012

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 Barrick Hemlo Mines is providing opportunities for residents of two nearby First Nations, Pic River and Pic Mobert, in Northwestern Ontario. In 2009, the original 1992 agreement between Hemlo and these First Nations was broadened. It creates a framework to train First Nations people in skills for present and future mining employment, to support business development and to include involvement in environmental stewardship programs.

“The agreement helps build capacity in First Nation communities to ensure that they benefit from mining,” said Roger Souckey, Superintendent of Employee Relations at Hemlo Mines. “About 50 First Nations people work at Hemlo Mines, or about 10% of the workforce. The mine is a benefit to the area.”

The Hemlo Operations of Barrick include the Williams and David Bell gold mines. The mines purchased goods and services worth $35 million in Ontario in 2010 and $147 million in Canada. In 2010, Hemlo Mines paid taxes and royalties of $8 million and contributed a further $800,000 in a variety of donations to local communities.

Joint [Vale/union] investigation preferable in accidents – Editorial by Brian MacLeod (Sudbury Star – February 1, 2012)

February 1, 2012

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

The tragedy of death underground has revisited Sudbury in a manner that leaves all of us asking how this could happen again at a company that has more than 100 years of experience in mining.

Stephen Perry, 47, a 16-year miner at Vale, died at the 4,215-foot level at Coleman Mine in Levack on Sunday after he was struck by loose rock while he was working at a development heading.

The incident happened just days after Vale officials presented their findings about the deaths in June of two miners, Jason Chenier and Jordan Fram, after they were overcome by 350 tonnes of muck and sand while they were working at the 3,000-foot level of Stobie Mine.

Vale has suspended all five of its underground mining operations, affecting more than 1,500 workers, in order to come up with plans to ensure a safe working environment.

Mass for killed [Vale Sudbury] miner set for Friday – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – February 1, 2012)

February 1, 2012

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

A memorial mass will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at Christ the King Church for Stephen Perry, who was killed Sunday afternoon on the job at Coleman Mine in Levack.

Perry was from Corner Brook, Nfld., but had worked with Inco and Vale for 16 years. Vale vice-president Kelly Strong called Perry a skilled and experienced miner who was respected by his colleagues. Family in Newfoundland said he was a kind and giving man, who would do anything to help someone in need.

Perry is survived by a daughter and several siblings.

Vale suspended operations at all five Sudbury mines after Perry was killed working on a piece of machinery to load blasting equipment to open up the 4,215-foot heading off the Coleman shaft in the main ore body.

The Ontario Ministry of Labour and Greater Sudbury Police Service have been at the site beginning their investigations. Vale and the union representing Perry, United Steelworkers Local 6500, will also conduct investigations.

Why Republican voters are up in arms over Keystone XL – by David Weigel (National Post – February 1, 2012)

February 1, 2012

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

THE VILLAGES, Fla. — Newt Gingrich’s schedule, 72 hours before the Florida primary, went like this: church, parking lot of a retirement mega-city, church. His only speech of the day is here, in a grove of tidy homes and souped-up golf carts. As the Villagers stand, or sit in their chairs, or stay in their carts to sip Arizona Iced Tea or frappes, Gingrich explains why Barack Obama is failing them.

“He recently vetoed the Keystone pipeline,” says Gingrich. Boo! Boo! Boo!

“Now, think about it! He did it to appease left-wing environmental extremists in San Francisco.” “Ugh,” mutters a retiree near the press riser. Gingrich laid on the scares with a trowel; an ugh was the least he could do.

“Think about what would come of this,” Gingrich continues. “Here was an opportunity to have oil come from Canada through the United States, to the largest petrochemical complex in the world, in Houston.

What is holding Northern Ontario back? – by David Robinson (Northern Ontario Business – February, 2012)

April 5, 2015February 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.

Dave Robinson is an economist with the Institute for Northern Ontario Research and Development at Laurentian University. drobinson@laurentian.ca

Premier Brad Wall is proud of Saskatchewan. The province is booming. Migration from other provinces is up 40 per cent —people are streaming in from places like Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta. The province is even planning a jobs mission to Ireland to recruit workers.

But here is a question. Is our premier proud of Northern Ontario? Is anyone proud? In fact, is there anyone to be proud?

Saskatchewan, with about 33 per cent more people than Northern Ontario, and with only 80 per cent of the area of Northern Ontario, is managed by 58 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). In efficient Northern Ontario, we make do with 10 MPPs. And 10 per cent of a premier.

But if Ontario is so efficient, why is Saskatchewan doing so well by comparison?

Our peak oil premium – by Thomas Homer-Dixon (Globe and Mail – February 1, 2012)

February 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.

Thomas Homer-Dixon is director of the Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation and CIGI Chair of Global Systems at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, Ont.

Peak oil – it’s history, right? Everything has changed so fast.

Two years ago, the world was facing an intractable oil crisis. “By 2012, surplus oil production capacity could entirely disappear,” the U.S. Defence Department declared in a major report. “A severe energy crunch is inevitable without a massive expansion of production and refining capacity.”

But now we’re told that the world is awash in oil. Deepwater production from the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Brazil is soaring. New “elephant” fields have been discovered off Ghana and possibly Angola. Meanwhile, hydrofracking technology is liberating hundreds of thousands of barrels a day from “tight” shale oil formations in North Dakota and Texas, with more coming on line from Colorado, Wyoming and even Ohio.