Public fears put uranium mining on same path as shale gas in Quebec – by Ross Marowits (Canadian Press/CTV News – September 8, 2015)

http://www.ctvnews.ca/

MONTREAL — Fears about radioactive contamination may close the door to uranium mining in Quebec just as public angst shelved shale gas extraction in the province in 2011. “Like shale gas, it touches a sensitive chord in Quebec,” says Ugo Lapointe of MiningWatch Canada, which opposes mining of the metal that fuels nuclear power plants.

Hundreds of municipalities have joined First Nations to oppose uranium mining, worried that it could threaten their health, harm natural environments and ruin traditional hunting and fishing.

Quebec’s environmental regulation agency (BAPE) has concluded there is no “social acceptability” for uranium mining to proceed at this time. After a year of study, a three-person panel said that it would be premature to authorize development of Quebec’s uranium industry.

While uranium mining has made substantial progress, especially in containing waste, there are still many uncertainties and “significant gaps in scientific knowledge of the impacts of uranium mining on the environment and public health,” it said in a lengthy report.

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PRESS RELEASE: Northern Superior Initiates Final Preparations for Trial Against the Ontario Government: October 5th, 2015

SUDBURY, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – Sept. 8, 2015) – Northern Superior Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE:SUP) (“Northern Superior” or the “Company”) is now in the final phase of preparation for the trial of its lawsuit against the Ontario Government, scheduled to start October 5th, 2015. Following a busy summer of preparing and processing legal documents and organizing witnesses, several key steps have either been completed, or are in the process of being completed, in preparation for the trial.

Of particular importance was establishing Northern Superior’s quantum of economic damages resulting from the alleged acts and omissions of the Government of Ontario (“Ontario”) which Northern Superior claims caused it to lose access to further explore and develop the Company’s Thorne Lake, Rapson Bay and Meston Lake properties, located in northwestern Ontario.

Northern Superior retained NERA, an international economic consulting company specializing in damage assessment and business related valuations, to assist in determining a fair and defensible value for the damages suffered by Northern Superior (see Northern Superior press release, May 11th, 2015). This report was submitted on time, as have all of Northern Superior’s documents to the Ontario Government, on July 21st, 2015.

Subsequently, Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. (” RPA”), the Ontario Government’s expert witness on this matter, had an opportunity to respond to the NERA report. The Court set a date of August 28th for this purpose.

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KGHM, Metis Nation strike Victoria Mine agreement – by Staff (Sudbury Star – September 4, 2015)

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

The Metis Nation of Ontario and KGHM International Ltd. announced Thursday a deal covering development of the Victoria Mine project in Sudbury.

The memorandum of understanding will guide their working relationship as the mine is being prepared for a 2017 opening.

“This agreement is very important to the Metis people because it guarantees that Metis rights will be protected and the Metis way of life in the Sudbury area is being respected,” Metis Nation of Ontario chair France Picotte said in a release.

“We are pleased to continue working with KGHM. Agreements like this one are another benefit that we see coming from the MNO-Ontario Framework Agreement, which was first signed in 2008 and renewed this past year.”

In 2012, KGHM announced plans to spend $750-million to redevelop Victoria Mine near Worthington. One of Sudbury’s oldest and most prolific mines, Victoria would employ more than 200 full-time workers by the time it goes back into full production in 2017. It would produce copper and nickel.

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OPG partners with First Nation for $300M project – by Alan S. Hale (Timmins Daily Press – August 28, 2015)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

SMOOTH ROCK FALLS – Nearly 30 years of work by the members of the Taykwa Tagamou First Nation culminated in a ceremony held along the bank on the New Post Creek north of Smooth Rock Falls on Thursday morning.

The location is the future site of the Peter Sutherland Sr. Generating Station, which is a joint project between Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and a band-owned company, Coral Rapids Power. Although construction began on the $300 million hydroelectric dam months ago, the official announcement of the project was an emotional one for the First Nation members; some of whom have worked for decades to make it a reality.

“It took a big team to put this together. We had to push hard for it, and sometimes it nearly went off the rails. But we had a dream, and it is now a reality,” said band councillor and former chief Peter Archibald, who has worked on the project since 1979. “When this started, I had long hair that was black. Look at me now — falling out and white!”

Once completed, the new dam will produce 28 megawatts of power; enough to power 1,000 to 2,000 homes. The construction of the dam is expected to create 220 construction jobs.

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NEWS RELEASE: Wataynikaneyap Power Signs Partnership Agreement with FortisOntario and RES Canada

www.wataypower.ca

(August 27, 2015 – Thunder Bay) Wataynikaneyap Power achieved a new milestone today by signing a Partnership Agreement with FortisOntario Inc., and Renewable Energy Systems Canada Inc. (“Fortis-RES Partnership”) to expand grid connection to sixteen (16) remote First Nation communities in Northwestern Ontario.

“Our people’s vision is to own, control and benefit from major infrastructure development in our homelands. Through this partnership, we are changing the landscape of how First Nations can do business into the future,” says Margaret Kenequanash, Chair of Wataynikaneyap Power. “Together we have reached a major milestone towards getting our communities off diesel generation, and improving the socio-economic situation for everyone’s benefit.”

Wataynikaneyap Power, owned by 20 First Nation communities, holds a majority interest in the project, which is mandated and supported by community leadership.

The Hon. Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Energy, will attend today’s press conference along with several other key provincial dignitaries. “We acknowledge the ongoing commitment from the Province of Ontario to connect remote First Nations to the provincial grid, and thank Minister Chiarelli and his colleagues for their continued strong support,” says Kenequanash.

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Nunavut mine owner eyes open pit satellite for Meadowbank (Nunatsiaq News – August 21, 2015)

http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/

AEM believes Amaruq gold deposit, at two million ounces and growing, might extend Meadowbank’s lifespan

Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. will study the possibility of transforming its promising Amaruq project, now estimated at two million ounces of gold, into a satellite open pit connected to Meadowbank, the company said Aug. 19.

“This rapidly growing deposit remains a focus for the company given its economic potential, partly due to its close proximity to Agnico Eagle’s nearby Meadowbank mine and mill,” the company said in a news release.

The company said in June that drill teams had continued to find high-grade samples at its new Amaruq site that “exceed our expectations.”

Right now, the Meadowbank mine and mill, which started up in 2010 to become Agnico Eagle’s biggest gold producer, is expected to churn out gold bars until the third quarter of 2018.

But there’s now a possibility that an operation at Amaruq, about 50 kilometres from the existing mine and mill, could extend Meadowbank’s lifespan beyond that date.

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Opinion: Put the brakes on mineral development – by Stewart Phillip and Rob Sanderson (Vancouver Sun – August 19, 2015)

http://www.vancouversun.com/

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip is president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. Rob Sanderson is second vice-president of Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska and co-chair of the United Tribal Transboundary Mining Work Group.

This month marks the one-year anniversary of the Mount Polley tailings dam failure, Canada’s worst mining disaster.

That catastrophe in central British Columbia, which unleashed 24 million cubic metres of mine contamination into nearby lakes and waters, served as a wakeup call for everyone who values clean water, wild salmon, fishing and tourism, and ways of life intrinsically tied to pristine lands.

For First Nations and Alaska Native tribes, in particular, Mount Polley was a lightning rod. The disaster brought us together as never before. Alaskans have a clear stake in what’s happening in neighbouring B.C.; at least 10 large mines in the transboundary region have the very real possibility of tainting Alaska’s downstream waters and the billion-dollar seafood and tourism industries these rivers sustain. More so, these developments have the potential to harm our shared rivers, our coastal waters, and the salmon our cultures rely on.

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[Canadian Election] Confronting the Aboriginal question – by Irvin Studin (National Post – August 19, 2015)

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

The second, growing risk, concerns Canada’s ability to exploit natural resources
and to deliver on major infrastructure projects of national consequence. Growing
lack of clarity on the Crown’s duty to consult and fiduciary requirements,
regular threats of litigation and extremely long turnaround times will make
governments and industry alike increasingly diffident in betting on Canadian
resources and undertaking large-scale national building projects. (Irvin Studin)

Irvin Studin is editor-in-chief and publisher of Global Brief magazine, and president of the Institute for 21st Century Questions.

Apart from the recent Liberal announcement in Saskatoon on First Nations education, the Aboriginal question has not yet really entered the lexicon of the federal election. It should very soon, as it’s by far the most complex and consequential one for Canada today and for the foreseeable future.

What is the Aboriginal question that our leaders must address? On the one hand, it is about how to lift Canada’s indigenous people from the posture of being the losing parties — strategically speaking — in Canadian history to one of being co-equals in Canadian governance this century. On the other hand, it is about ensuring that the Canadian state remains coherent and governable, even as this transition to Aboriginal co-equality takes place.

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New Grand Chief stepping back from Ring of Fire – by Alan S. Hale (Timmins Daily Press – August 18, 2015)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

MOOSONEE – The Grand Chief-elect of the Mushkegowuk Council, Jonathan Solomon, is vowing to consult with the people and chiefs of the council’s member communities more than his predecessor did.

That is likely to please those who thought Grand Chief Lawrence Martin made too many promises and announcements on important issues without seeking enough input from the communities. It is not likely to please proponents of the already stalled Ring of Fire development.

Back in February, Martin stated his support for a proposed energy and railway corridor running across Mushkegowuk territory from Moosonee to the chromite mining development located 600 kilometres northwest of Timmins.

According to Solomon, that announcement “blindsided” many people within the Mushkegowuk Council, and that under his leadership, they would be stepping back from that commitment.

“I need to step back and review everything,” said Solomon.

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B.C. First Nations and Alaskan Natives Join Forces to Fight Border Mines – by Judith Lavoie (Desmog Canada.com – August 12, 2015)

http://www.desmog.ca/

A powerful alliance of B.C. First Nations and Southeast Alaska natives has been forged in the aftermath of the Mount Polley dam collapse and tribes, who have not worked together for generations, are aiming to put the brakes on B.C.’s border mining boom.

Tears flowed after a May meeting in Vancouver when Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) president Grand Chief Stewart Phillip and vice-president Bob Chamberlin agreed to support the newly formed United Tribal Transboundary Mining Work Group in its bid for Alaskan — and particularly tribal — input into B.C.’s decision-making process on mines along the Southeast Alaska border.

“We are bringing together the tribes from both sides of the border and building a relationship. We can make more noise together than when we are separated by a border that has not been part of our tradition,” said Mike Hoyt, leader of the Teeyhittaan clan from the Stikine River.

It was a historic meeting that could be a catalyst for change, according to Phillip.

“It was very significant, coming together with our brothers and sisters in Alaska. I think it was a long time coming,” he said.

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Baffinland ships first load of iron ore to Germany from Nunavut mine (Nunatsiaq News – August 11, 2015)

http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/

Mary River ore heads off to Germany

The first load of iron ore from the Mary River iron mine on northern Baffin Island is now on its way to Germany, Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. said Aug. 10.

A bulk ore vessel, the Federal Tiber, departed from the mine’s Milne Inlet port Aug. 8 carrying 53,624 tonnes of iron ore.

The ship is bound for the North Sea port of Nordenham, Germany where its cargo will be offloaded and eventually used to make high quality steel, Baffinland said.

“This is a great moment for Baffinland, its investors, and its employees, who have worked hard to reach this goal. In just two years, the men and women who work at the site, both Inuit or southern, have collaborated to build the mine and its infrastructure and have now moved the new port into full operation — this is their achievement and they can be proud of what they have accomplished,È Tom Paddon, Baffinland’s president and CEO said in a company statement on the first ore shipment.

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Approving uranium project will only alienate Nunavut Inuit: Mining Watch (Nunatsiaq News – August 5, 2015)

http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/

“Inuit would rightfully feel like their voice does not matter”

Mining Watch Canada is urging the federal government to take the advice of the Nunavut Impact Review Board, which advised that a Nunavut uranium project should not move forward for now.

The mining watchdog group sent a July 28 letter to Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Minister Bernard Valcourt, asking him to uphold the NIRB’s decision on Areva Resources Canada’s Kiggavik mine proposal.

Mining Watch’s letter comes just weeks after Areva asked the federal government to reject the NIRB’s report, which recommends the proposed uranium project not go ahead because of the company’s lack of firm start date.

“It is entirely inappropriate for a proponent to propose a major mining project without any start date, let alone wait until after a review has concluded to bring forward vital arguments and information related to substantial community concerns,” said Ugo Lapointe, Canadian program co-ordinator at Mining Watch Canada, said in a news release.

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In This Heaven/Rings of Fire – by Candida Paltiel and Victoria Foote (Al Jazeera – July 29, 2015)

http://www.aljazeera.com/

Mining Stories Productions produces meaningful stories in a visual format about cultural, social and environmental issues that move individuals and audiences. Relying on solid research, we mine stories that speak to the human and planetary condition with passion and thoughtfulness, and with a view to engaging audiences through multi-media platforms. Our creative team is made up of award winning producers, directors, writers and technical talent who are committed to excellence and care deeply about the subjects and issues that inspire our stories.

Mining Stories Productions has produced a one hour documentary commissioned by Witness, , Al Jazeera English titled In This Heaven, with a broadcast version titled Rings of Fire. The broadcast will be launched on July 29, 2015 at 8pm/20:00 GMT.

In This Heaven/Rings of Fire, documents the tireless efforts of Mae Katt, a First Nations nurse practitioner who runs a mobile drug addiction treatment program in the remote underserved Matawa First Nations communities of Northern Ontario.

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Rings of Fire (AlJazeera.com – July 29, 2015)

http://www.aljazeera.com/

Opiate addiction and mining developments are threatening the future of Canada’s First Nations rural communities.

In the far north of Canada’s Ontario province, where opiate addiction afflicts the First Nation population, nurse practitioner Mae Katt runs a mobile drug treatment programme.

Her urgent mission is to set up effective programmes to treat this devastated population in the hopes that they will be able to shape their future, on their territory, and become the employment workforce backbone of the coming “Ring of Fire” mining operations.

It is a mammoth challenge, especially as up to 80 percent of the adult population of some communities negotiating the mining developments are addicted to opiates.

This pristine territory is set to emerge as one of the richest mining sites in North America.

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Victoria shuts down Yellow Giant gold mine in northwestern B.C. over pollution spills – by Gordon Hoekstra (Vancouver Sun – July 27, 2015)

http://www.vancouversun.com/

Gitxaala First Nation plans legal action against small operation, but environment ministry says risk to animals, humans minimal

The province has shut down the small Yellow Giant underground gold mine on Banks Island in northwest B.C. for spilling pollution on land and into creeks, lakes, and a wetland.

The B.C. environment ministry said the discharge reached the ocean through a creek, several beaver-dam-created wetlands and Banks Lake before entering the ocean at Surrey Bay, but it is not believed it will harm humans or animals.

The Yellow Giant incident is the latest of several mine waste spills — although much smaller in magnitude — since the catastrophic dam failure at Imperial Metals’ Mount Polley gold and copper mine in August 2014. There have been small spills at the Myra Falls and Copper Mountain mines in the past year.

First Nations and conservationists are concerned about the effect of this latest spill on animals and aquatic life, including salmon, at the island located about 100 kilometres south of Prince Rupert.

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