January 30, 2015 – Republic of Mining

Attention Premier Wynne: Turn Laurentian Into Global Harvard of Hardrock Mining – by Stan Sudol (January 30, 2015)

May 4, 2015January 30, 2015

Stan Sudol is a Toronto-based communications consultant, mining columnist and owner/editor of www.republicofmining.com He can be reached at stan.sudol@republicofmining.com

This essay was also published in the Sudbury Star in two parts:

http://www.thesudburystar.com/2015/02/07/accent-laurentian-as-harvard-of-hardrock-mining-2

http://www.thesudburystar.com/2015/02/09/sudbury-needs-premier-needs-to-act-boldly

Sudbury Byelection

Laurentian University economics professor David Robinson, who is running for the Green Party in the current municipal by-election, has done a terrific job in highlighting mining issues and his plans to ensure that Sudbury continues to become Ontario’s centre of mining excellence.

It’s a refreshing policy approach that often gets overlooked by other politicians but in fairness to Glen Thibeault and even Premier Wynne, both have also mentioned – but not with the same passion as David Robinson – and promoted Sudbury’s mining sector.

However, as with many issues related to Premier Wynne and the mining sector – including the Ring of Fire – there seems to be more “political talk” and very “little solid walk”, actually dodging and spinning would be a better description of her government’s mining policy in general.

If Premier Wynne is truly serious about promoting and establishing Sudbury as a centre of mining excellence, than she must merge and relocate all of Ontario’s university mining programs to Laurentian and significantly expand and establish a “Global Harvard of Hardrock Mining” with a mandate to educate the next generation of miners in Canada and from around the world.

Reports of fisticuffs and blood after alleged spat at TD mining conference turns ugly – by Barry Critchley (National Post – January 29, 2015)

January 30, 2015

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

The old story has it that a visitor to Canada arrived eager to take in our national sport. Asked about it afterward, he remarked: “I went to a fight the other night, and a hockey game broke out.”

A visitor to TD Securities’ annual mining conference this week in Toronto, may have been mistaken had they thought they were at a fight – and not a mining conference.

The conference, held on Tuesday and Wednesday at Toronto’s Shangri-La Hotel, has been a regular TD event for the past few years. At the two-day session, presentations were made by about 60 issuing clients.

According to a post on the website IKN Daily Digest, which deals with “Latin America stocks, economics, politics and stuff like that,” it seems events got a little bit out of hand on Tuesday evening.

On IKN’s gossipy post Wednesday night, and under the heading “unconfirmed though decently sourced,” it alleged: “Clive Johnson, CEO of B2Gold (BTO.to) (BTG) and Daniel Earle, sell side analyst at TD Sec, got into a fistfight last night and according to reports picked up at IKN Nerve Centre, The Clive came off second best and today has a black eye and a pair of broken glasses for his troubles. Red wine was a third party in the fracas.”

B.C. report on Mount Polley results will decide Morrison mine’s fate – by Justine Hunter (Globe and Mail – January 29, 2015)

January 30, 2015

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.

VICTORIA — One of the little-known casualties of the Mount Polley mining disaster was a proposed new mine hundreds of kilometres away, its fate left in limbo since the tailings pond dam collapsed.

When the provincial government releases a report Friday on the cause of the massive breach at Mount Polley, it will be forced to reconsider its decision on the Morrison mine project.

In the fall of 2012, British Columbia refused to issue a certificate for the Morrison copper-gold mine, despite the fact a government report had concluded it would not result in significant adverse effects if mitigation measures were followed. It was a surprising decision from a pro-resource government that had systematically streamlined regulation and reduced oversight to encourage investment. Suddenly, the industry was questioning whether the ground rules for mining in British Columbia had changed.

A B.C. Supreme Court judge overturned the government’s decision in December, 2013, saying the province had failed to meet the requirements of procedural fairness. At the time of the original decision to reject the Morrison mine, then-environment minister Terry Lake explained that his government had applied new “risk versus benefit” criteria that the proponent, Pacific Booker Minerals Inc., failed to meet.

Russia’s biggest miner faces Arctic prices challenge – by Polina Devitt (Reuters India – January 30, 2015)

January 30, 2015

http://in.reuters.com/

NORILSK, Russia – Reuters) – Russia’s financial crisis is posing a stark challenge to the country’s largest mining company. How can Norilsk Nickel protect the living standards of thousands of workers cut off inside the inhospitable Arctic while also satisfying its shareholders?

The slump in the ruble and a resulting rise in inflation could have an outsize effect in Norilsk, a town 300 km inside the Arctic Circle where more than a quarter of the 220,000 population work for the company, and it’s hard to shop around.

Winter temperatures in Norilsk plunge to levels that visitors can find distinctly uncomfortable, but for the isolated workers who live there any hint of a rise in the cost of living is equally unwelcome.

With the rouble down 50 percent against the dollar since early last year and Russian food inflation above 15 percent, it falls partly to the company to bear the cost of holding down prices in the grimy industrial city where it is based.

Norilsk Nickel, the world’s largest producer of nickel and palladium, owns a loss-making chain of seven shops called “Sunflower”, which have sold staples such as milk and bread more cheaply than other stores in the city since 2011.

The company also helps other retailers bring food supplies to the city and subsidizes their transport costs. It increased its workers’ salaries on Jan. 1 and plans another review on April 1, said Vladimir Potanin, chief executive and co-owner.

Mining looks to First Nations for future manpower – by Len Gillis (Timmins Daily Press – January 29, 2015)

January 30, 2015

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – Back in the day, spring was the time of year when many Northern prospectors would take some time off and get out of the bush before the snow melted and the creeks and rivers were opened up. Soon enough, they would be heading back in, with fresh supplies, a new tent, a canoe and a packsack full of hope for a new season.

And all across Northern Ontario, the brief spring break found hundreds of prospectors and mining executives heading to Toronto to take part in the annual convention of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) which was formed 83 years ago.

The convention continues to be Canada’s largest mining and mining exploration event that brings together people from every level of the industry to discuss common concerns. One of those concerns is how to deal with growing shortage of trained workers, especially in more remote areas of the country — usually where the mines are developed.

Convention organizers say the Toronto event will be attracting hundreds of First Nations representatives who will be networking with mining companies, not only to explore business partnerships, but also to discuss job opportunities. More than 500 Aboriginal representatives took part in last year’s event and the association expects the same level of interest this year.