[Sudbury] Citizens question Cliffs – by Jonathan Migneault (Sudbury Star – October 16, 2012)

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

A group of citizens in Capreol voted unanimously Monday night to form a citizens’ committee to explore the net benefits and potential downsides of the planned Cliffs chromite smelter near the community.

Environmental concerns were front and centre at the meeting. Judy Sumner, a retired chemistry teacher at Cambrian, explained how chromite turns into a carcinogen when it comes into contact with oxygen.

That hazard was publicized in the case of Erin Brokovich and her fight against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company of California in 1993. Her exploits were later made into a film starring Julia Roberts.

Sumner said a modern closed smelter was built in Tornio, Finland that does not allow the burned chromite to escape into the surrounding air. She said her concerns about the project would be alleviated if Cliffs built a similar plant.

Elie Martel, who was voted the committee’s chair, said he attended an open-house meeting hosted by Cliffs, but the answers he received on environmental issues were not very forthcoming.

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Goodman makes historic donation [to Laurentain’s School of Mines] – by Jonathan Migneault (Sudbury Star – October 16, 2012)

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

A substantial donation to Laurentian University’s upcoming School of Mines will help propel the school to the top of the world heap in the discipline, said Laurentian President Dominic Giroux.

On Monday the university announced that an “historical gift” from Ned Goodman, the president and CEO of the Dundee Corporation, has put the school ahead of the halfway mark to create a $20 million endowment fund for the new mining school.

“To have the Goodman name associated with Laurentian University is exceptional,” Giroux said.

Through the Dundee group of financial companies Goodman helped build a $50-billion mutual fund entity. After he was laid off by Noranda in 1960 he went on to get his MBA from the University of Toronto and eventually became an important financier of Canada’s mining industry.

To honour Goodman and his donation, the exact amount of which has not been disclosed, the new school will be officially named The Goodman School of Mines. “It’s a school that needs the investment,” Goodman said about Laurentian. “It’s in the right place and it has the right background and it should be one of the best mining schools in the world, but it’s not there yet.”

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The decline of Canadian juniors – by Brent McNiven (Canadian Mining Journal – October 15, 2012)

The Canadian Mining Journal is Canada’s first mining publication.

The junior mining and exploration sector that once formed a discreet, integrated and dynamic economic entity has become a fragmented and isolated group of investors and managers with narrow focus and short term (often short sighted) mandates, operating too many companies (excess supply) lacking sufficient resources to be effective.

The contracting and consulting sectors have been sharply reduced in scope and capacity, and they face increasing international competition, for example Australia, but also local actors in every market, resulting in consolidation, increased barriers to entry and opportunities have been lost.

Where Canada once produced world class exploration geologists, the failed industry-university link consistently graduates students without any field experience and lacking even the most basic exploration skills.

Competition for geology careers is fierce, as many low cost developing countries have improved quality (often trained by Canadian companies). Open education, which should be considered a disruptive technology, is expected to continue this trend. It offers affordable, high quality education to anyone, worldwide, and that erodes the advantage of Canadian universities, and by extension the potential value of their graduates.

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