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.

The Ontario Mining Association and the Canadian Land Reclamation Association (CLRA) are joining forces to hold the fifth annual Ontario Mine Reclamation Symposium and Field Trip.  This event is scheduled for June 20 and 21, 2012 at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay.

The seminar includes sessions on the geology and mining history of the Thunder Bay area along with understanding the chemical properties of peat bogs and blueberry soils on Northwestern Ontario.  An update on the development of restoration protocols at De Beers Canada’s Victor diamond Mine, located 90 kilometres west of Attawapiskat, will be presented.  These studies are expanding knowledge for reclamation activities in the Ring of Fire area, which is under development.

Another case study will centre on the evolution of closure planning and consultation at Barrick Hemlo Mines Williams gold property near Marathon.  Roger Souckey from Barrick Hemlo Mines and Shane Hayes of the Pic Mobert First Nation will be making this presentation.  Also, the decommissioning of Vale’s (Inco’s) Shebandowan nickel mine near Thunder Bay will be reviewed.  Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Two significant and long-serving contributors to Ontario Mining Association activities and initiatives have recently been presented with major awards by the Canadian Institute of Mining.   Bob Onucki, Senior Global Account Director Mining for Sandvik, won the CIM Distinguished Service Medal and Charlie Graham, Managing Director of the Canadian Mining Industry Research Organization (CAMIRO), was the first winner of the Underground Mining Society Award.

Presentations of these mining industry awards were made recently at the Canadian Institute of Mining’s 114th annual conference, which was held in Edmonton.  Both Mr. Onucki and Mr. Graham are based in Sudbury.   They were part of a contingent of 10 people from the Sudbury area who received recognition at this awards ceremony.  The CIM Distinguished Service Medal was inaugurated in 1956.  It is presented for distinguished and meritorious service to the CIM and the mineral industry, of a nature not necessarily technical or scientific.

“This award culminates 40 years of my being in the mining business and more than 25 of those years as a CIM member,” said Mr. Onucki, who has always been a champion of promoting students interested in the industry.  “This award reminds me of the great people and interesting moments in the business and it is absolutely fantastic to be recognized by my peers.” Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Ontario Association Member Cliffs Natural Resources has announced intentions to invest $3.3 billion to develop a chromite mine in the Ring of Fire area, a transportation corridor and a processing plant in Northern Ontario.  This could lead to more than 1,200 direct jobs over the anticipated 30 year life of the mine.

“Cliffs is pleased to be moving forward the proposed development of a mine in the Ring of Fire and a processing facility near Sudbury,” said Bill Boor, Senior Vice President Global Ferroalloys for Cliffs Natural Resources, based in Cleveland.  “These milestones bring us closer to opening the mine and starting production to meet the global demand for stainless steel.”

“Ontario is blessed with an abundance of natural resources at a time in history when the world is developing faster than ever and demanding these resources,” said Rick Bartolucci, Minister of Northern Development and Mines and MPP for Sudbury.  “We are taking advantage of this incredible opportunity in the Ring of Fire to further open up Northern Ontario by bringing thousands of jobs, new infrastructure and economic opportunities to cities, towns and First Nations communities.”

The Ring of Fire is a mineral rich and somewhat isolated area of Northern Ontario located about 540 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay.  Read the rest of this entry »

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

Cliffs Natural Resources’ $3.3- billion investment in Northern Ontario is good news, Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath says, but the province should demand more.

The massive mine, transportation network and ferrochrome smelter designed to take ore from the Ring of Fire in northwestern Ontario and process it in Sudbury was announced by Cliffs on Wednesday. Those announcements, however, left the NDP with more questions than answers, Horwath said.

At Queen’s Park on Thursday, Horwath released details of Cliffs’ testimony before a federal Standing Committee on Natural Resources in which Cliffs officials said up to 40% of the ore produced in Ontario might be shipped out of province for processing.

While the company is committing to building a $1.8-billion smelter at a brownfield site just north of Capreol, the NDP want to know how much more investment in the North would be possible if all the ore it generates is processed here. Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Ontario Mining Association member Vale, after a successful pilot project, will soon be producing fish near its underground greenhouse at the Creighton Mine in Sudbury.  When they resurface, the subterranean grown fish will be released for restocking Sudbury area lakes and rivers.
 
Back in November of last year, Vale’s Environment Department placed fingerling rainbow trout in 1,500-litre tanks at its surface greenhouse.  Five months of care and feeding resulting in the rainbow trout growing to about 20 centimetres in length.  Recently, they were given a new home after being transported to the Onaping River.
 
“We are very proud of this project and its successful outcome,” said Glen Watson from Vale’s Environment group.  “The fish will provide a boost to the river’s fish population and biodiversity, providing a highly valued resource for the community to enjoy.” Read the rest of this entry »

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.

A recent Ontario Mining Association mine managers’ safety summit held in Sudbury, involving 30 mine managers and safety specialists, has helped the industry re-dedicate itself to the goal of achieving zero harm by 2015.  The group was seeking new answers and new ideas at the one day session, which preceded Workplace Safety North’s annual health and safety conference.

By any yardstick, the mining industry in Ontario has an exemplary record of improving its safety performance.  Since 1976, the sector’s lost time injury rate has improved by 96%.  This same measurement has improved by 81% since 1989 and by 73% since 1993.  What was an industry wide lost time injury rate of 12 per 200,000 hours worked has been reduced to the 0.5 range today. 

However, the closer you get to zero, the less room there is for improvement and the harder it becomes to make each gain.  The idea to hold the mine managers’ safety summit arose when the industry hit a speed bump on the road to continuous safety improvement in 2011.  Over the past 10 years, the lost time injury rate of 1.2 per 200,000 hours in 2002, declined steadily to 0.5 in 2010.  However, in 2011, for the first time in a decade, there was a bump up to 0.6. Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Ontario Mining Association member Osisko Mining has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Metis Nation of Ontario (MNO) concerning the development of its Hammond Reef gold project in Northwestern Ontario.  The MOU defines how the parties will be consulted and commits both parties to work together to address potential impacts of the mineral development project on Metis rights, interests and way of life.

“The signing of the MOU is the result of a respectful consultation process between the signatories,” said Sean Roosen, Osisko President and Chief Executive Officer.  “The agreement represents a milestone in our continuing working relationship with all the local communities in the region and underscores Osisko’s commitment to continue developing a strong relationship with Aboriginal people.”

“This agreement is an important step in building a mutually respectful and sustainable relationship between the Metis community and Osisko Hammond Reef.  It sets out a consultation process through which Osisko Hammond Reef can engage with the Metis Community at the local and regional levels in order to better understand Metis rights and interests that may be impacted in the local area around the project,” said Gary Lipinski, President of the MNO.   Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Ontario Mining Association member Vale is sponsoring a series of five concerts during the summer at the Grace Hartman Amphitheatre in Sudbury. Admission is free to all segments of the Vale Concert Series, which will showcase a variety of top-notch Canadian musical talent, and donations to the Sudbury Food Bank will be appreciated.
 
“This is the first event of its kind for Vale and we are thrilled to be bringing such wonderful Canadian talent to Sudbury for our community to enjoy, while supporting such a worthy cause,” said Kelly Strong, Vice President Mining and Milling (North Atlantic) and General Manager of Vale’s Ontario Operations. “We sincerely hope that members of the community come out to enjoy this concert series and this incredible talent.”
 
All shows begin at 7 p.m. The Vale Concert Series kicks off May 9 with Dave Gunning. He is a singer-song writer who has two Canada Folk Music Awards and six East Coast Music Awards to his credit. On June 20, the Juno nominated group Hemingway Corner take to the stage. Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Ontario Mining Association member De Beers Canada has helped enhance the infrastructure of the First Nation community of Attawapiskat over the winter.  De Beers Canada’s support of 370 kilometres of winter roads facilitated the arrival of needed new housing in the community and more than 1,100 tonnes of rock, which was donated, to provide the foundation for the construction of a new elementary school.

The 1,100-plus tonnes of rock were from the Victor pit.  It was crushed at the mine site over a 24-hour per day, four day period and shipped 90 kilometres east to Attawapiskat.  It was vital to get this building foundation material to the community before the winter road closed for the season.

De Beers Canada contributes substantial funding to the First Nation owned and operated 280 kilometre section of the winter road from Moosonee north to Attawapiskat.  The company contributes 100% of the funding to build and operate the 90 kilometre section of the road from Attawapiskat west to the Victor Mine site.  Read the rest of this entry »

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 (SKTYKM)

Efforts by the Sudbury Mining Committee and Cambrian College have helped to boost the number of Sudbury area entries in the Ontario Mining Association’s high school video competition So You Think You Know Mining this year.  The OMA appreciates the support and cooperation from these groups during the fourth rendition of SYTYKM.

Students from four Sudbury area high schools — St. Benedicts, Bishop Alexander Carter, Confederation and Lively — submitted 15 SYTYKM entries.  Though there have been entries – and winners — from Sudbury in previous years, this number is at least three times the normal level of Sudbury area entries.  This year, more than 135 videos were received from students across the province, which is approximately 70% more than the 80-plus Ontario entries last year.

Sudbury Mining Week plans on showcasing the top SYTYKM entries from the region during events planned for April 27 to May 5, 2012.  This group aims to promote mining and its importance to the economy and culture of Northern Ontario.  The Sudbury Mining Week Committee also wants young people to learn more about the broad range of career opportunities the industry offers and the high-tech realities of modern mining.  Sudbury Mining Week details can be found at www.sudburyminingweek.com. Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Everyone will be called upon in different and sometimes unequal ways to make a contribution to improve the province’s finances in the future, according to the Budget delivered by Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan yesterday.  “Strong Action for Ontario” outlined a combination of spending cuts, administrative streamlining and new revenues to reduce the province’s projected 2011-2012 deficit of $15.3 billion and produce a balanced budget by 2017-2018.

“Right now, the single most important step the Ontario government can take to grow the economy is to balance the budget,” said Mr. Duncan.  “We must change the political culture and the way all of us in this legislature and across the province approach and confront the challenges we all face.  To ensure strong job growth into the future, Ontario must eliminate the deficit to strengthen the foundation of the economy.”

Mining is mentioned several times in the Budget.  Mining companies pay all of the same taxes as corporations in other sectors of the economy.  In addition, mining companies are the only enterprises, which pay the Ontario Mining Tax.  The Budget has fully endorsed the recommendation of the Drummond Report to review this industry specific tax. Read the rest of this entry »

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.

The Ontario Mining Association’s high school video competition So You Think You Know Mining, which is now in its fourth year, continues to attract more entries. Momentum keeps building with dramatic increases in the level of participation of every edition.  This year, more than 135 videos were received, which is approximately 70% more than the 80-plus last year.
 
Video entries arrived electronically from all parts of the province and students from high schools we had not seen SYTYKM entries from previously have been received for the judges’ consideration.   “We try every year to keep the SYTYKM video competition fresh and interesting for students and educators,” said OMA President Chris Hodgson.  “It is gratifying to see this response.  We know these students invest a great deal of creativity, energy and time into making their productions.”

This year’s competition is making available opportunities to win $33,500 in prize money, an $8,000 increase of what was on the table last year.  Several entries eligible for the Early Bird draw for $500 were received by March 1.  Other key dates in 2012 are April 1 to 15 for the determination of nominees for the People’s Choice and OMA Academy Award, April 20 to June 3, which is the voting period for the People’s Choice Award, and May 22 when winners will be determined and notified.  Read the rest of this entry »

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.

An Ontario Mining Association forum on mining sector and First Nation issues held last week has expanded the dialogue on the expectations and realities of both groups.  The panel had three representatives from industry and three senior First Nations representatives. 

The moderator was Sandra Gogal, an expert in Aboriginal and resource industry law with Miller Thomson, an OMA member.  “We want to facilitate open dialogue and a sharing of information amongst panelists and the audience,” she said.  “There are many successes but we want the forum to be challenging and address issues where there may be differences on both sides of the debate.”

On the topic of overlapping land claims by more than one Aboriginal group, Michael Fox, President of Fox High Impact Consulting, said “This is a relatively new phenomenon dealing with overlapping traditional protocols changed by a third party. You can only move as fast as the communities can move and an educational platform has to take place first.” Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Former Philadelphia Flyers scoring ace Reggie Leach took on the role of cultural ambassador as a luncheon speaker last week to improve Ontario Mining Association members’ awareness of First Nations realities.  An Ojibway and member of the Berens River First Nation in Manitoba, he grew up as the youngest in a family of 13 children in Riverton, Manitoba.

Many people are able to recount his exploits and successes on the ice.  After being selected third overall in the 1970 National Hockey League entry draft, Reggie Leach went on to play 934 NHL games, score 381 goals and record 285 assists for 666 points.  He is a Stanley Cup winner and a Conn Smyth Trophy winner.  In the 1975-1976 season, he scored 61 goals in the regular season before netting 19 goals in 16 playoff games — 80 goals in one season.
 
Fewer people may know about his growing up through a childhood of relative poverty.  He didn’t start to skate until he was 10 and he did not have his own pair of skates until he was 14.  “I am always trying to give back and my life is now for First Nations kids and getting them going in the right direction,” said Mr. Leach.  Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Ontario Mining Association member Vale has donated more than $500,000 to support enhancing Aboriginal awareness of career opportunities in the mining industry.  Vale’s support of Indspire (formerly known as the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation) helped this educational organization produce the teaching resource “Careers in Mining,” which is aimed at Aboriginal youth.

“Careers in Mining” highlights five career profiles – miner, millwright, environmental engineer, geologist and mine engineer.  It is the newest component of Indspire’s “Career Opportunities for Youth” series.  Other parts of this series include “Careers in Television Broadcasting,” “Careers in Radio Broadcasting,” “Health Careers in the Classroom,” “Circle of Justice” and “The Canadian Railway Industry.”

The resources of “Careers in Mining” include career profiles, education requirements, activities, necessary work and life skills and a first rate video on mining jobs focused on Aboriginal high school students.  Co-Executive Producer of the lively and entertaining 18-plus minute video is Jennifer Podemski.  Read the rest of this entry »