Don’t blame resource sector for lack of innovation: study – by Barrie McKenna (Globe and Mail – June 29,2012)

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.

OTTAWA – Canada has an innovation problem, but it can’t be pinned on the performance of the booming oil sands and mining industries.

The resource sector scores higher than most other Canadian industries when it comes to innovation, concludes a report released Friday by the Ottawa-based Centre for the Study of Living Standards.

“It’s not inconsistent to have an innovation problem and also have sectors that do well,” said Andrew Sharpe, the centre’s director. “And that’s the case in Canada.” While the resource sector is vital to the Canadian economy, it generates a relatively modest share of the country’s employment and economic output.

So the innovation problem lies elsewhere, most likely in the large service industry, which dominates the Canadian economy and generally suffers from weak productivity, Mr. Sharpe suggested.

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‘A proud day for Vale’ [Sudbury Clean AER Project] – by Heidi Ulrichsen (Sudbury Northern Life – June 22, 2012)

http://www.northernlife.ca/

Ontario Premier breaks ground for $2 billion project

Vale’s $2 billion emissions reduction project will not only deliver a major boost to the economy, it will be “good for the lungs of our children and grandchildren,” according to Premier Dalton McGuinty.

He made the remarks while speaking at the June 22 groundbreaking for the emissions reduction project, known as Clean AER, at the Copper Cliff Smelter. McGuinty said he’s impressed that Clean AER actually aims to exceed the province’s air emissions standards — some of the toughest in North America.

“This is a huge project,” McGuinty, who was joined at the ceremony by a number of other politicians, including Environment Minister Jim Bradley, Sudbury MPP and Minister of Northern Development and Mines Rick Bartolucci and Mayor Marianne Matichuk, said. “As you heard, it’s the single largest environmental investment in Sudbury’s history, and it’s certainly one of the biggest ever for Ontario.”

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$2B Sudbury smelter clean-up spells jobs, cleaner air – by Tanya Talaga (Toronto Star – June 23, 2012)

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.

SUDBURY—Since the 1970s, the giant super stack that looms over the Sudbury skyline has spewed foul-smelling pollutants into the air. Now a $2 billion clean-up of the Vale Copper Cliff smelter is underway, a project being billed as one of the larger single environmental investments in Ontario’s history.

Against the backdrop of the official ground-breaking ceremony, Premier Dalton McGuinty addressed local dignitaries Friday and opened the provincial Liberal council weekend meeting — a chance for the party to regroup and recharge after coming perilously close to a summer election few wanted.

“I wish we had a few more Sudbury’s around the province,” McGuinty said, pointing to 8,300 new jobs that have been created in the area since the Liberals formed government in 2003.

The Clean AER Project, which stands for atmospheric emissions reduction, will see sulphur dioxide at the smelter reduced by 70 per cent from current levels, said Dave Stefanuto, the project director.

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McGuinty touts Clean AER project: $2-billion initiative promises to reduce smelter emissions by 70% – by Rita Poliakov (Sudbury Star – June 23, 2012)

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

The significance of Vale’s Clean AER project goes beyond the City of Greater Sudbury. “It’s good for the North, good for the province and good for the lungs of our children and grandchildren,” said Premier Dalton McGuinty, at the $2-billion project’s groundbreaking on Friday.

McGuinty was joined by several cabinet ministers and Vale executives at the ceremony, which marked the beginning of construction. The Clean AER (atmospheric emissions reduction) project, called the largest single environmental investment in Sudbury’s history, will reduce sulphur dioxide emissions at Vale’s Copper Cliff smelter by 70%.

The project’s goal is to bring emissions down to 45 kilotonnes per year, well below the province’s regulatory limit of 66 kilotonnes per year. During construction, which should last until 2015, the smelter complex will be retrofitted and new secondary baghouse and material handling facilities, which prevents dust from entering the community, will be constructed.

The most complicated area of the project will stem from the smelter itself, which will continue to operate during construction. “It’s very complicated,” said Dave Stefanuto, the project director. “We’ll be replacing four converters.”

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NEWS RELEASE: VALE BREAKS GROUND ON HISTORIC $2 BILLION CLEAN AER PROJECT

 

(L to R) David Pearson, Laurentian University Biology Professor; Kelly Strong, VP of Vale’s Mining and Milling, North Atlantic Operations, and General Manager of Ontario Operations; John Pollesel, Chief Operating Officer of Vale Canada and Director of Vale’s North Atlantic Base Metals; Rick Bartolucci, Sudbury MPP and Ontario Minister of Northern Development and Mines; Marianne Matichuk, City of Greater Sudbury Mayor; Honourable Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario; Jim Bradley, Ontario Minister of the Environment; Dave Stefanuto, Vale Clean AER Project Director 

For Immediate Release

SUDBURY, June 22, 2012 – Joined by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, government cabinet ministers, community leaders, local residents and employees, Vale today officially broke ground on its $2-billion “Clean AER Project”, one of the largest single environmental investments in Ontario’s history.

The Clean AER Project, where AER stands for ‘Atmospheric Emissions Reduction’, will see sulphur dioxide emissions at Vale’s smelter in Sudbury reduced by 70% from current levels, as well as dust and metals emissions reduced a further 35 to 40%. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2015.

“This is an historic day for Vale and demonstrates the importance that Greater Sudbury plays in our global operations,” said John Pollesel, Chief Operating Officer of Vale Canada Limited and Director of Vale’s North Atlantic Base Metals operations. “Starting today, we are building a lasting legacy for our employees, the community and future generations who will live and work in Greater Sudbury, and that is truly a reason to celebrate.”

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NEWS RELEASE: Cementation recognized as leading apprenticeship provider in Ontario

June 20, 2012    

NORTH BAY – Cementation Canada is one of four Ontario employers to be recognized for their dedication to training the province’s next generation of skilled workers. The annual Ontario Minister’s Awards for Apprenticeship Training celebrate employers that show leadership in training apprentices, support the apprenticeship training system, and promote careers in skilled trades. Through apprenticeship programs employers have the opportunity to make an important contribution to the success of their businesses and industry as well as Ontario’s economy.

In a luncheon held Tuesday, June 19, 2012, in North Bay, Cementation Canada was recognized as a top 2012 apprenticeship provider for Northern Ontario by the Ontario Government.  In a time when the mining industry is concerned about the future labour pool and attracting young people into the industry, Cementation has taken positive steps in bringing young trades people into the mining sector through a well-developed apprenticeship program.

Eric Hodgins, Personnel Manager for the company, stated that “The employees involved in the program are committed to advancing their careers and they are all grateful for the opportunity. This program benefits both the individual and the company and we appreciate this recognition from the Ontario Government.” Cementation presently has 17 employees involved in the company’s apprenticeship program in the mechanical and electrical fields throughout Ontario, and an additional 7 apprentices working on projects in other regions of Canada.

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Mining school celebrates its 100-year legacy – by Kyle Gennings (Timmins Daily Press – June 19, 2012)

Alumni gather for celebration

The roots of the mining industry in Northern Ontario sink deeper than the countless resulting mine shafts do. From Cobalt to Red Lake, mining is more than just a livelihood, it is a mindset, a way of life, one that can be taught and has been since 1912.

The Haileybury School of Mines has been an integral key in the development of mining operations around the globe, known and celebrated for the quality of its graduates and the accomplishments the school and it’s students have achieved.

The school celebrated 100 years over the weekend, bringing countless alumnus thousands of kilometres to celebrate their alma mater.

“It is incredibly important to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this world class institution,” said Haileybury School of Mines alumni president Brian Dobbs. “There have been graduates from this school who have worked in virtually every corner of the globe. It is a proud moment for us here.”

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‘Meet at the Center of the Earth’ – by John W. Miller (Wall Street Journal – June 12, 2012)

http://online.wsj.com/home-page

Miners Take On New Risks as They Drill Deeper for Copper; Rio Tinto’s $5 Billion Lode in Utah

BINGHAM CANYON, Utah—Miners have drilled, blasted and dug 19 million tons of copper out of this valley—enough for all the nickels, dimes and quarters ever minted—in what is the world’s deepest surface mine.

There is plenty more in an untapped region far below the mine, and owner Rio Tinto, the global mining behemoth, is investing $165 million to explore the area, which may hold some $5 billion worth of copper.

Some mining companies that have relied mostly on surface mining—the removal of ground over minerals near the Earth’s surface—are going deeper. Mineral deposits are often concentrated in the same region. Once the surface deposits are depleted, miners can now dig further, rather than scout for new reserves and then have to build infrastructure to mine, process and transport those resources.

New technology—robotic drills and high-strength pipe alloys, for instance—makes it possible to go twice as deep, and the relatively high prices for commodities make it financially feasible, too.

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Exhausting the Earth’s Resources? Not So Fast – John W. Miller (The Wall Street Journal – June 4, 2012)

http://online.wsj.com/home-page

Some Fearing Minerals Shortfall Look to Asteroids, but Miners See Planet as Almost Bottomless Pit

Is the earth running out of minerals? A recent and widely publicized proposal to mine asteroids for nickel, platinum and other key ingredients for metals is based in part on the notion that we face scarcity in the not-too-distant future.

How much is a matter of debate, as is the capacity of sonar, radar and drilling technology to find new resources—which may not match civilization’s ever-growing appetite for metal-based products from replacement knee joints and oil pipes to catalytic converters and iPads.

Investors led by Google Inc. Chief Executive Larry Page and film director James Cameron in April launched Planetary Resources Inc., based in Bellevue, Wash., with a message that the Earth’s resources could soon fail to meet the technological needs of a population spiraling toward 10 billion.

Caterpillar Inc., one of the world’s largest makers of mining equipment, has already joined with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to design space-mining gear.

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Sudbury plays host to world’s miners – by Heidi Ulrichsen – (Sudbury Northern Life – June 11, 2012)

http://www.northernlife.ca/

Mass mining makes low grade deposits profitable

The fact that Laurentian University is hosting the International Conference and Exhibition on Mass Mining June 10-14 is a pretty big deal, according to the chair of the conference.

“Getting this conference into Canada is a huge deal,” Greg Baiden, a Laurentian University engineering professor and the owner of a local mining technology firm called Penguin Automated Systems, said. “The fact that Sudbury and Laurentian got to host it is an even bigger deal. All the big mining schools were vying to get access to it.”

About 700 delegates and exhibitors from more than 30 countries are attending the conference, which is being held in Canada for the first time. Federal Minister of Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver was on hand to open the conference.

He highlighted the importance of the mining industry to Canada’s economic growth and long-term prosperity, adding that Greater Sudbury is a centre of job creation and innovation in the mining sector.

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Deep dive on mining innovation [Sudbury mining research]- by Denise Deveau (National Post – June 12, 2012)

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

{ISSUE} Deep mining has been identified as one of few means to meet the unprecedented demand for base metals over the next 25 years, but the practice comes with risks

{SHIFT} Engineers, academics and mining companies are collaborating to develop new means of monitoring underground rock activity to make deep mining safer

The mining industry is looking deep for reasons that have everything to do with supply and demand. Despite a wealth of reserves on the planet, easy-to-access reserves in open-pit and shallow, underground mines are declining.

It’s the shift to deep mining that is drawing a team of the country’s best mining researchers and leading mining operations to the table in an Ontario-based project that members say could dramatically improve global mining activities.

The SUMIT (Smart Underground Mining and Integrated Technologies) for Deep Mining project was launched in 2010 under the auspices of the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI).

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Will SYTYKM winners today be celebrities tomorrow?

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

So You Think You Know Mining (SYTYKM)
 
The filmmaking, writing, musical, comedic and overall artistic talents of a number of high school students from different regions of the province were given a well-deserved spotlight this evening at the Ontario Mining Association’s So You Think you Know Mining awards gala.  The event, which attracted more than 200 invited guests, was held at the Royal Ontario Museum on June 5, 2012.

The potential of all the winning student filmmakers was front and centre at the award ceremonies.  The Best Overall winner was Scott Keyes from H.B. Beal Secondary School in London for his production “The Melodic Miners.”  He received $5,000 and his school will also receive a $500 donation to support future filmmaking.

There were two excellent close contenders for the top honour.  Brooklyn Vercruyssen from St. Anne’s in Clinton was First Runner-Up for “Surviving the Storm,” which included spectacular footage of a tornado lashing Goderich’s beach area on Lake Huron.  Second Runner-Up was Jeremy Keith from Canterbury High School in Ottawa for the whimsical “Billy’s Breakfast Bash.”  Each runner-up received $1,250.

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Axing outdated views: Mining Week gets an overhaul in Sudbury – by Lindsay Kelly (Northern Ontario Business – May 2012)

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.

When it comes to modern-day mining, the pickaxe and shovel are out and robots and technology are in.

It’s a message the organizers of Sudbury Mining Week worked hard to promote this year as students from across the city participated in the annual event designed to raise the awareness of the importance of mining to the area and enhance its profile amongst would-be future miners.

The shift from traditional mining to a high-tech version has been occurring over a number of years, but many in the community aren’t aware of it, said Nicole Tardif, Sudbury Mining Week chair. The city needs to change long-held, outmoded perceptions of the industry if it wants to interest the next generation in mining as a viable career option.

“We have all these great companies and all these great things that are happening in our city,” Tardif said. “If we want those to continue when our baby boomers retire, who better to replace them than the people who have grown up in this area?”

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Success is measured by the quality of succession [Sudbury’s Norcat]- by Michael Atkins (Northern Ontario Business – May 2012)

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.

Occasionally, we do the right thing in Northern Ontario. We focus on the right stuff, stay with it, attract broad-based support, stop competing with one another long enough to get something done and we move the hash marks forward.
 
Usually this success comes from one person or a group of like-minded people who form a working trust and are determined, fearless, single-minded, often rude, sometimes arrogant and always in a hurry.
 
You see this in business, politics, sports and economic development. What you don’t see often is succession from one hard-driving generation to another. One of the reasons is that, just like entrepreneurs who start their own businesses, larger than life groups or individuals in the civil society suck up the oxygen in the room and there isn’t much room for successors to grow and spread their wings. Most great politicians who change a city, a province or the country don’t think they will ever lose an election. Most entrepreneurs don’t think they will ever die. Great leaders are often too busy, too focused, and too passionate about today to give much thought to tomorrow when they have moved on. It is just unimaginable to them.

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Demand ‘unreal’ for mining jobs – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – April 30, 2012)

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

Jeff Lafortune teaches in the civil and mining engineering technologist program at College Boreal he graduated from 15 years ago. In that decade and a half, he has seen a tremendous demand build for skilled mining employees.

“When I graduated, there was one company in town … and there were 15 of us wanting that job,” Lafortune said Saturday. “Now, there are 15 companies wanting that one person. So it’s opportunity for the kids. It’s unreal,” said Lafortune, who was taking part in a career fair at the New Sudbury Centre as part of Sudbury Mining Week.

Lafortune was advising people who stopped at his booth about job possibilities after they graduate from the three-year program in which students learn skills such as surveying, ventilation, planning and designing, “and a whole realm of different work.”

He worked 15 years in the industry with several mining companies before heading to the classroom. “In mines, when I left, you could see it was hard to keep and retain” employees, said Lafortune. The mining industry is booming and skilled tradespeople have their pick of the best jobs.

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