March 10, 2015 – Republic of Mining

Chamber report slams government inaction on Ring – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – March 10, 2015)

March 10, 2015

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

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has given the federal government a failing grade — an F — for not recognizing that the Ring of Fire should be a national economic opportunity.

The Ontario umbrella group and the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce coreleased a report today saying little progress has been made in the year since they issued a first report, “Beneath the Surface: Uncovering the Economic Potential of the Ring of Fire.”

That report said the Ring of Fire would generate $25 billion in economic activity and create thousands of jobs in Ontario in its first 32 years.

The report is being presented this afternoon in Toronto to movers and shakers whom the Ontario Chamber of Commerce is trying to interest in development of the vast chromite deposits in the James Bay Lowlands.

The new report, “Where Are We Now? A Report Card on the Ring of Fire,” concludes permitting delays, a lack of infrastructure and “intergovernmental quarrelling” have stalled development in the Ring.

The report evaluates progress in seven key barriers to developing the region and concludes it will be years before a first mine is opened in the Ring.

[Ontario Chamber of Commerce] Business Group Gives Failing Grade on Development of Ontario’s Ring of Fire

March 10, 2015

Click here for the report: http://www.occ.ca/Publications/ReportCardonRingofFire.pdf

Little progress made on development of resource-rich region in Ontario’s Far North

TORONTO, March 10, 2015: A new report from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce finds that permit delays, an absence of infrastructure, and intergovernmental quarrelling have stalled development in Ontario’s Ring of Fire, the mineral resource-rich region in the province’s Far North.

The report, Where are we Now? A Report Card on the Ring of Fire, evaluates progress against seven key challenges to development in the region. It finds that it will be years before a first mine is opened in the region.

The provincial government receives a failing grade when it comes to clearing the regulatory logjam. Delays in issuing exploration permits and approving environmental assessments are preventing mining firms from breaking ground on their projects.

The federal government also earns a failing grade, as it has yet to demonstrate that the Ring of Fire is a national economic development priority. Ottawa has declined to match the provincial government’s commitment of $1 billion for the development of transportation infrastructure.

The report also rebukes the lack of transparency in the negotiations between the Government of Ontario and the Matawa-member First Nations, which will outline an approach for resource extraction in the First Nations’ traditional territories.

BHP, Rio Tinto Say Chinese Demand for Iron Ore Not Fading – by Rhiannon Hoyle (Wall Street Journal – March 10, 2015)

March 10, 2015

http://www.wsj.com/

BHP executive says outlook for China’s resource demand remains compelling

SYDNEY—The world’s two largest mining companies say they are convinced China’s hunger for iron ore isn’t about to fade, even as the price plumbed new lows after Beijing’s official acceptance it is set for slower economic growth.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, BHP Billiton Ltd. ’s iron-ore president Jimmy Wilson said the outlook for China’s resource demand remained compelling, as the world’s second-largest economy expands from a larger base level.

He said demand for steelmaking ingredient iron ore from the country’s manufacturing sector had been running above BHP’s expectations in recent months and the country’s cooling property market could also be set for an uptick.

“I think we have to appreciate that China is getting bigger—they are targeting 7% [growth] and they are actually uncannily capable of delivering against those targets,” Mr. Wilson said. “We should never underestimate what is happening in China, and what continues to happen in China.”

His remarks echoed earlier comments from Rio Tinto PLC’s iron-ore chief executive Andrew Harding, who expressed optimism Beijing can maneuver the Chinese economy into a new stage of growth during a speech in Perth on Tuesday.

Little Italy in Copper Cliff, Ontario: a nice place for reminiscing – by MK Keown (A Thousand Points of Light – June 10, 2013)

March 10, 2015

http://marykkeown.com/

As soon as I turn the car onto Craig Street, it greets my nostrils. It is undeniable. It is pacifying. It is the aroma of rich, delicious homemade fare – spaghetti, roasted chicken, sausages and meatballs the size of golf balls – wafting from Copper Cliff’s Italian Club. The kitchen doors are open on this fiery July day, the scents intoxicating the street’s residents. My knees go weak. I have come to photograph Little Italy and this is my first stop. I fear I may not make it any further.

Josie Apolloni, 75, watches over the beehive of a kitchen. The head chef is a diminutive lady who can barely see over the tops of some of the massive cooking pots, but she keeps vigil beside the meatballs and homemade sauce.

“(The recipe) comes from my roots, from Italy, from Fano,” Apolloni says, pointing to her knee when I ask about Fano’s location. The recipe, which dates back to 1935, is a heavily-guarded secret and Apolloni will only disclose that she uses canola oil rather than lard, which is more traditional.

The day I visit, there are three cooks and about a dozen volunteers scurrying about in preparation for the lunch rush – the Club serves a weekly Friday buffet that brings in admirers from all corners of the city. There is a lot of laughter in this kitchen, with jokes being tossed back and forth like a ping-pong ball.

Ontario Chamber blames Ottawa for Ring of Fire delays – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – March 10, 2015)

March 10, 2015

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.

Although the report cautions that the intent of the report was “not to point the finger,” the federal government was criticized for not committing funds for mining-related infrastructure.

The chamber lamented the current state of affairs which has seen the departure of Cliffs Natural Resources this past year, leaving the mineral camp without a major mining company capable of spending private capital on infrastructure.

But the chamber also points to other factors in the glacial pace of development including the absence of foundational agreements with First Nations and government permitting delays. The chamber also is calling for more transparency on the pace and progress made on the First Nations front.

Despite the province signing a framework agreement with the Matawa First Nations tribal group last spring, the chamber remarked it’s largely unknown to the general public if any further progress has been made beyond the signing ceremony.

Creating a climate of “openness” would ease the uncertainty which is hindering the ability of companies operating in the Ring of Fire to raise money.

Province renewing mineral development strategy – by Jonathan Migneault (Sudbury Northern Life – March 09, 2015)

March 10, 2015

http://www.northernlife.ca/

Ontario late to notice mining downturn, says prospectors association

The province’s decision to renew its mineral development strategy – first established in 2006 – comes at a time when the sectors is in a downturn, says the executive director of the Ontario Prospectors Association.

When the strategy was developed nine years ago, Ontario’s mining sector was on an upturn, but the timing for the renewed strategy will give the province a very different picture, said Garry Clark.

“They have to understand – and they are coming to grips with the fact – that the only way we stay as a vibrant mining province is to have lots of things in the pipeline coming up from prospectors and junior companies to look at and put into production,” he said.

While Ontario’s mining sector has been in a downturn for two years, Clark said the province has only taken notice over the last six months.

Their statistics, he said, are usually a year behind. In a discussion paper meant to inform the renewed mineral development strategy, the province admits “Ontario could face many challenges in the years ahead.”

Commentary: Aboriginal Peoples score 200 legal wins in Canada’s resources sector – by Bill Gallagher (Northern Miner – March 4, 2015)

March 10, 2015

The Northern Miner, first published in 1915, during the Cobalt Silver Rush, is considered Canada’s leading authority on the mining industry.

Pipelines, energy exports, fracking, clear-cuts, tailings ponds and access to resources are daily in the news as the industry faces pushback on traditional lands from natives who feel that their way of life is threatened. But what’s different now is that the tone of the dialogue is changing — and not necessarily for the better.

For example, here is a quote from Northern News of Gino Chitaroni, president of the Northern Prospectors Association, recently speaking in Kirkland Lake, Ont.: “We are now at a crossroads, where our whole industry and way of life is completely threatened … the empowerment of First Nations at the expense of the mining and exploration industry … this is a massive sleeper problem that nobody wants to talk about in the press, because those who do may be targeted for reprisals and branded bigots and racists.”

We’ve seen a lot of court-bashing in the Canadian media from think tanks, former politicos and a former media tycoon. But the fact is that the native legal winning streak has rolled out in a highly consistent fashion. Indeed, it’s the courts themselves that have promoted the need for constructive dialogue for over 15 years now, based on the poignant closing in Delgamuukw, wherein the Supreme Court admonished one and all by writing: “Let us face it: we are all here to stay.”

Unfortunately, resource-centric governments have continued to do their talking in the court, with devastating results. Because today, after amassing 200 legal wins (I’ve been keeping track), Aboriginal Peoples are well on their way to redrawing the map of Canada not only at the resource sector’s expense, but also at the expense of the national economy.

Ring of Fire mining project needs First Nations consent, Bob Rae says – by Jody Porter (CBC News Thunder Bay – March 10, 2015)

March 10, 2015

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay

Negotiator for Matawa First Nations says no community can be left behind in development

Moving ahead with the Ring of Fire will require not just consultation, but the consent of the First Nations nearest to the mining development area in northern Ontario, according to Bob Rae. Rae is the negotiator for the nine Matawa First Nations in their discussions with Ontario about the proposed mining project.

Last week the province and the federal government announced they would jointly fund a $785,000 study to look at the viability of a road that would connect four fly-in First Nations to the provincial highway at Pickle Lake, Ont. The route being studied would also provide an industrial corridor for a nickel mine planned by Noront Resources.

“This can’t be a process that is driven exclusively on the interests of one project or another,” Rae said. “It has to be seen as responding to a broader concern which is the isolation, the poverty, the real needs of these communities.”

To that end, Rae said, more than one road will be needed. First Nations envision a loop that begins near the provincial highway at Nakina, Ont. travels through Aroland and Marten Falls First Nations, connects with the route currently under study and ends at Pickle Lake, he said.

Waubetek’s plan to engage mining stakeholders – by Lindsay Kelly (Northern Ontario Business – March 3, 2015)

March 10, 2015

Waubetek Business Development Corporation has developed a new mining strategy designed to help stakeholders navigate the intricacies involved with resource development in Northeastern Ontario.

The three-year Aboriginal Mining Strategy for North-East Ontario outlines priorities in four strategic areas, including developing Aboriginal mining industry knowledge; building mining industry relations; engaging a skilled Aboriginal workforce; and promoting Aboriginal business and partnerships.

The steering committee behind the strategy, which includes representatives from First Nations, training organizations, mining research institutions and others, held its inaugural meeting in Sudbury on Feb. 6.

“This is an important strategy for Aboriginal people,” Martin Bayer, Waubetek’s chair, said in a news release. “As we are located in northeast Ontario, in the hub of significant mining activities, we believe it is important to provide the opportunities and tools to Aboriginal businesses in our region and open doors to the mining sector for our clients.”

New Ring of Fire report card gives Ottawa failing grade, urges immediate action – by Lisa Wright (Toronto Star – March 10, 2015)

March 10, 2015

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.

Exclusive: Ontario is still years away from building mines rich in chromite and other metals due to government stalling and red tape, yet there is a strong business case for moving ahead, says Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

Ontario’s Ring of Fire mineral belt is years away from being built despite an expected turnaround in metal prices and First Nations’ dire need for development of the far north, says the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

“Despite its significant potential, we are no closer today than we were a year ago to realizing the benefits of the Ring of Fire,” says the new one-year report card obtained by The Star.

“After a year of delays, public and expert perception on the viability of the Ring of Fire as a sound economic investment has soured,” it says.

The site, 400 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, Ont., is estimated to have $60 billion of mineral value including base metals, platinum and palladium, along with North America’s largest deposit of chromite, which is used to make stainless steel.