Make native groups partners [in Ring of Fire] – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – March 7, 2013)

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

First Nations are cheering on development of the Ring of Fire, looking to its chromite-rich deposits as a way out of poverty.

But they are calling for — and have a right to expect — “quality consultation” with governments and companies about how First Nations can share in the mineral wealth located in the backyards, says Claude Gravelle.

The Nickel Belt New Democrat MP is hoping a Conservative MP, Treasury Board president Tony Clement, will move discussions with aboriginal people forward in his role as federal lead for the Ring of Fire.

First Nations want to “sit at the same tables” as government and industry, said Gravelle, who attended a morning session on the Ring of Fire on Wednesday at the annual convention of the Prospectors and Developments Association of Canada.

Representatives from First Nations near the ring and companies who will be mining there participated in the session.

There are enough riches in the Ring of Fire, located in the James Bay lowlands, to create economic benefits for all of Canada, said Gravelle, “and it will probably be a life-saver for First Nations.”

At the Wednesday session, First Nations chiefs called for treaties dating back to the late 1800s to be updated, the same way municipalities update their bylaws, said Gravelle.

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Stompin’ Tom Connors dies at 77: A look back at a Canadian country icon – by Greg Quill (Toronto Star – March 7, 2013)

 

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.

Stompin Tom Connors’ Mining Songs: http://republicofmining.com/2013/01/21/stompin-tom-connors-wiki-profile-and-mining-songs/

Stompin’ Tom Connors, the lanky, cranky country music legend who extolled Canada’s pastoral and working-class virtues in song has died. He was 77.

Stompin’ Tom Connors , the lanky, cranky country-folk music legend who extolled Canada’s pastoral and working-class virtues in song for more than 40 years in saloons, festivals and concert halls across the country — all the time railing against a global music industry that he considered had betrayed the nation’s character and song treasury — has died. He was 77.

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Cash-hungry governments are digging into the mining boom – by Tasha Kheiriddin (iPolitics – March 5, 2013)

http://www.ipolitics.ca/

Welcome to the twenty-first century gold rush. Or lithium, chromite or iron: take your pick. This week the Toronto Convention Center turned into the set of Bonanza, as over 30,000 miners, prospectors and processers convened for the annual meeting and trade show of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC), the largest such gathering in the world.

Not surprisingly, the political class turned out in force. The federal government dispatched forty Conservative MPs, its biggest contingent ever. Treasury Board President and Minister for FedNor Tony Clement kicked off the festivities Sunday night, speaking about the development of Northern Ontario’s “Ring of Fire”. Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver gave the next morning’s keynote. Newly-minted Liberal Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne cut the ribbon on the Ontario Pavilion Monday, while Parti Quebecois Natural Resources Minister Martine Ouellette held court at a Quebec reception the previous evening.

Ottawa, Ontario and Quebec all have high stakes in the lucrative mining game. The federal government wants to slay the deficit, stave off the threat of America’s fiscal cliff and boost international trade. Ontario and Quebec — both ‘have-not’ provinces — are grappling with the decline in their manufacturing sectors. Resource extraction could provide the ticket to prosperity for all — but it comes with a host of challenges.

Those include opposition by environmental movements and First Nations. It’s no accident that Premier Wynne opened her remarks by acknowledging that the conference was taking place on the territory of the Mississaugas of New Credit. The Ring of Fire, which boasts over 30,000 claims and could yield one fourth of the world’s chromite, affects First Nations like the Webequie and Marten Falls, who blockaded landing strips in the area in 2010.

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Author mines copper’s history, complexities – by Gerald M. Gay (Arizona Daily Star – March 7, 2013)

http://azstarnet.com/

A startling discovery in Bill Carter’s backyard led the Arizona author to write his latest book, “Boom, Bust, Boom: A Story About Copper, the Metal that Runs the World.”

Carter lived in Bisbee for nearly a decade. He met his wife and they had two children in the former mining town, which sits nestled in the Mule Mountains, nine miles north of the Mexico border.

In his book, Carter notes a local saying that Bisbee is “100 miles and 100 years from Tucson” with evidence of its past found all over town.

“The big open pit was not far off from our house,” said Carter, who now lives in Flagstaff and who will sit on three panels at this weekend’s Tucson Festival of Books.

“If you live in Bisbee, you just kind of use it as a landmark. You stop thinking about its history. It’s just that thing down the road.”

It wasn’t until the corporation Freeport-McMoRan acquired Phelps Dodge, owners of the dormant mining operations in Bisbee, in 2007, that Carter began thinking about the remnants from the past that he couldn’t see.

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Northern Ontario first nation chiefs seek Bob Rae as lead negotiator – by Gloria Galloway (Globe and Mail – March 06, 2013)

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.

When Bob Rae’s job as interim Leader of the federal Liberal party ends next month, chiefs in Northern Ontario say they expect him to be their voice at the negotiating tables when first nations and governments decide how to proceed on the potentially massive Ring of Fire development.

The native leaders were in Toronto on Wednesday to talk about the resource project with Premier Kathleen Wynne.

They asked Ms. Wynne to join them in launching community-driven talks about the exploration and exploitation of minerals, including chromite, nickle and copper, that have been found in the region west of James Bay – an enterprise that could last decades, creating thousands of jobs and huge wealth for the province.

“As nine first nations, at a regional level, we will appoint one senior negotiator who will report directly to our chiefs’ council,” the chiefs told Ms. Wynne in a statement prepared in advance of the meeting. “Subject to final arrangements and his acceptance, we plan to appoint Bob Rae to this position. We are asking you to appoint your own senior negotiator who will report directly to cabinet.”

Mr. Rae refused to discuss the matter on Wednesday.

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Auditor to probe ONTC sale – by Gord Young (North Bay Nugget – March 6, 2013)

http://www.nugget.ca/

Ontario’s auditor general will conduct an investigation of the Liberal government’s predicted savings from the divestment of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission.

Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli announced Wednesday that the Standing Committee on Public Accounts has voted to approve a motion directing the auditor to probe Liberal financial claims regarding the ONTC.

“This is a game changer,” said Fedeli. “We will now have an independent opinion as to whether the government is being honest when it claims it will see large savings through the sale of the ONTC.”

In light of the investigation, Fedeli said he is hopeful the Liberal government will “hit the pause button” on the divestment process pending the outcome, suggesting there is now a moral obligation to do so.

But there was no such commitment from Northern Development Minister Michael Gravelle in a statement issued later in the day.

“Our government remains committed to a divestment process that makes sense and facilitates community involvement,” said Gravelle. “We will take our time to do it right; to ensure a sustainable transportation system for Northern Ontario and to get the best value for Ontarians.”

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NEWS RELEASE: The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada 2013 Convention Exceeds 30,000 Attendees for Second Year in a Row

 Toronto, March 6, 2013 – The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) is pleased to announce that for a second year in a row over 30,000 people attended the PDAC 2013 International Convention, Trade Show & Investors Exchange. With 30,147 investors, analysts, mining executives, geologists, government officials, students and international delegations, the PDAC Convention remains the world’s premier event for the mineral industry.

“We are so proud of the tremendous success of the PDAC 2013 Convention,” said PDAC Executive Director, Ross Gallinger. “The level of excitement and interest in the mineral exploration and development industry continues to be strong, and the PDAC Convention has once again provided an outstanding program that attracts government, industry, financial institutions and Aboriginal communities to attend.”

Now in its 81st year, the PDAC 2013 Convention is more diverse than ever before. A number of events including the CSR Event Series, Aboriginal Program and Investors Exchange garnered overwhelming support from the general public, reflecting the dynamic nature of our industry. More elected officials attended the convention than in previous years. The role natural resource development plays in the economic sustainability for Aboriginal communities across Canada is evident by the increased interest from the Aboriginal People present.

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Lobbyist hijacking of Queen’s Park must end – by Wayne Snider (Timmins Daily Press – March 6, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – Premier Kathleen Wynne is promising to give the North a new voice in the Ontario legislature, having formed a special Liberal committee to discuss regional issues. She even held a provincial cabinet meeting in Sault Ste. Marie last week to assure Northerners that the government’s new focus on the region is legit.

There are promises to bring Northern leaders and industry to the table, following a history of Queen’s Park ignoring the socio-economic well being of the North.

These promises are all fine and dandy. But if Wynne really wants to make a difference in the North, if she is really sincere about listening to our concerns, she must end one practice that has been going on for decades — even before the Liberals took over the reins of power. Stop letting special interest groups hijack the provincial government.

There are two obvious examples of where environmental lobbyists were allowed to mould legislation that negatively impacted the North: The cancellation of the spring bear hunt and the tabling of the Endangered Species Act. Both hurt the Northern economy, yet allow the government to showcase its warm and fuzzy side to voters in Southern Ontario who have no idea of the true impact these pieces of sh— … er, legislation, have on our region.

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Future is with rails, not cars – by John R. Hunt (North Bay Nugget – March 5, 2013)

http://www.nugget.ca/

NORTH BAY – The battle to save the ONR continues. It is too important to leave it to all the well-meaning politicians and municipal leaders. The people must do their part.

So, do not throw away Monday’s Nugget. If southern Ontario’s blockheads, politicians and people are to be convinced, then everyone must get into the act. Check Monday’s paper and you will see that Maria Calabrese has written an article full of dynamite stuff that should convince many in southern Ontario to think again. It includes research and facts. This article could be the basis for an effective campaign to change southern thinking. Various municipal leaders and politicians are fighting to save the ONR. The best proposal is to create a port authority. It has to be sold and there is little evidence that these distinguished citizens could sell a hamburg to a starving man. It is up to the people.

Look at Calabrese’s article. She interviewed Linda Savory-Gordon, a professor of community development at Algoma University. Too many dismiss professors as idealistic eggheads. Savory-Gordon is concerned with human development and survival.

Most important, the article contains dynamite facts. Calabrese quotes an engineering company which has studied the costs.

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Fort William prepares for mining boom – by Rick Garrick (Wawatay News – March 5, 2013)

http://wawataynews.ca/

Fort William First Nation is looking to prepare community members for the expected northern Ontario mining boom by hosting a mining conference from March 25-26.

“We want to get our community members, as many as we can, involved with the mining sector,” said Michael Pelletier, Fort William’s director of economic development. “A lot of the jobs that come up in mining are specialized and you need training, so (with) a couple of years of school or the training required, hopefully we can have our folks ready when things are booming.”

Pelletier said the community also wants to work with Thunder Bay to develop the area as a hub for mining.

“A lot of things have to come through Thunder Bay to get to the north, so we’d like to ready here in Thunder Bay and Fort William so we can help with some of the support services and all the other industry that needs to happen to make mining work.”

Pelletier said everyone is welcome to attend the Fort William First Nation Mining Conference, which will be held at the Fort William First Nation Community Centre. The conference will feature mining company presentations by a number of companies, including Bending Lake Iron Group, Cliff’s Natural Resources, Noront Resources and Treasury Metals.

“The main thrust of this came out of a study done by Lakehead University on mining in northwestern Ontario,” said Walter Bannon, Fort William’s communication officer.

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NEWS RELEASE: KWG, BOLD VENTURES JOIN FORCES TO DRILL BLACK HORSE CHROMITE DISCOVERY TO DETERMINE ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY

 Toronto, Canada, February 4th, 2013 – KWG Resources Inc. (TSXV: KWG) announces that it has agreed to fund Bold Ventures Inc. (“Bold”) as the Operator to drill off the Black Horse chromite discovery, commencing with an initial program starting as soon as the transaction with Bold closes. The intent of the program is to determine whether this chromite ineralization occurs in sufficient quantity and quality to demonstrate the feasibility of mining it and transporting it to market by rail via the claims of KWG subsidiary Canada Chrome Corporation.

“The Black Horse discovery encountered 55 meters of 45% chromite, the richest drill core recovered in the Ring of Fire”, said KWG President Frank Smeenk. “There is compelling geological and geophysical evidence to suggest that this mineralization could be part of an extensive continuous emplacement. If this drilling program is able to confirm that, we would wish to be the first Canadian companies to develop markets for the Ring of Fire chromite by providing transportation over Canada Chrome Corporation’s contiguous claims.”

Bold recently concluded a four-stage option to acquire the Black Horse claims from Fancamp Exploration Ltd., subject to Fancamp retaining a price-variable gross metal royalty (the “Fancamp Option”). Under the terms of an agreement now concluded between KWG and Bold Ventures, KWG can acquire up to 80% of Bold’s interest in the Fancamp Option by funding 100% of Bold’s earn-in expenditures and option payments. The current program has budgeted $2 million to drill the chromite horizon. An additional $1 million has been budgeted to drill a contiguous possible nickel target.

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High-achieving First Quantum chief Philip Pascall keeps a low profile – by Matt Chambers (The Australian – January 26, 2013)

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business

WHEN the publishers of the Harvard Business Review this month said Origin Energy’s Grant King, at number 88, was the only one of its top 100 global chiefs of 2013 based in Australia, it wasn’t quite right.

Ten spots ahead of the Origin boss, at number 78, is an intensely private mining chief executive and chairman who has built an African-focused $10 billion copper miner from an office in Perth.

From the same office he is now trying to turn his company into a top-five global copper miner through a hostile $C5.1bn ($4.9bn) takeover of Canada’s Inmet.

The man is Zimbabwe-born Philip Pascall, whose 1.3 per cent stake in the copper miner he co-founded is now worth about $120m. The company is the Canadian-listed First Quantum Minerals, whose original shareholders have seen the company grow by $US9bn under Pascall’s tenure and, according to HBR, had total returns of about 2000 per cent in that time.

HBR listed Pascall’s location as Vancouver. But the technical base of First Quantum is West Perth, where the respected process engineer and fellow founder Martin Rowley — a former Bond Group executive — are based.

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