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Ontario Mining

[Ontario] MNDM Minister welcomes mining report – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – December 2, 2015)

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

Ontario’s minister of Northern Development and Mines and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce don’t agree on every point, but both share a commitment to seeing the mining sector build and grow.

To that end, Michael Gravelle appreciates the chamber report, “Digging Deeper,” which offers recommendations for strengthening Ontario’s mining advantage.

The first of nine recommendations in the report released Tuesday includes broadening the focus of the Ring of Fire Infrastructure Development Corporation, an opinion Gravelle doesn’t share.

The Mines minister believes it’s important for the development corporation to remain focused on the Ring of Fire, bringing partners together to determine how best to build transportation systems and infrastructure in the area.

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Co-existence with mines impresses Peruvian delegates – by Alan S. Hale (Timmins Daily Press – December 1, 2015)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – A delegation of community members from villages in the Cusco Region of Peru were in Timmins last week to find out what it is like living in a community in close proximity to major mining operations.

The six different communities the delegates are adjusting to the copper mining operations in their region being conducted by the Canadian company, Hudbay Minerals. This is the second group Peruvians to come to Timmins to see first-hand how a community can coexist with the mining industry and all the opportunities and problems that come with it.

Christy Marinig, the chief executive officer of the Timmins Economic Development Corporation, which hosted the delegation, said the plan is to have two groups coming to Timmins every year for the next five years. The TEDC took on the role of bringing up groups from Peru after they were contacted by the Global Indigenous Trust, which was looking for a mining community to act as a role model.

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What went wrong at Rubicon Minerals, one of the biggest junior mining meltdowns in years – by Peter Koven (National Post – December 1, 2015)

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

Even before its meltdown, investors watching Rubicon Minerals Corp. could see some troubling warning signs.

Everything seemed fine on the surface. The company said in April that it was on track for first gold production at its Phoenix project in Northern Ontario in mid-2015. And in June, it did indeed pour its first gold.

Yet at the same time, Toronto-based Rubicon was saying very little in what should be a busy period. Its second quarter financials, which were filed to SEDAR in August with a press release, showed the company spent tens of millions more than expected in the quarter, leading some analysts to wonder what was going on. Sources said they had trouble getting detailed answers from the company.

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[Ontario] Boost mines sector: Report – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – December 1, 2015)

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

The global mining industry is in a down cycle, with prices for nickel and other minerals at their lowest in as much as a decade.

Despite that, Ontario is in a competitive position to emerge stronger when the demand for metals picks up again, says the Ontario Chamber of Commerce in a report being released today.

But it can only do that if federal, provincial and municipal governments, and aboriginal communities work together to move mining projects forward.

The Ontario chamber makes nine recommendations in a report called Digging Deeper: Strengthening Ontario’s Mining Advantage.

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[Ontario] Province seeks input on proposals stemming from mining review – by Ben Leeson (Sudbury Star – November 28, 2015)

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

Ontario Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn says the provincial government intends to act on all recommendations by the Mining Health, Safety and Prevention Review Final Report, beginning with a series of proposed amendments presented for consultation on Thursday.

Proposed amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Ac including the introduction of new requirements for mines and mining plants to conduct risk assessments and have formal traffic management programs, the strengthening of existing requirements for water management and ground control, and the updating of training requirements for surface diamond drill operators.

“What I think it is is proof positive that all the work that went into the mining review was time well-spent,” Flynn said.

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Chinese rail engineering firm scopes out Ring of Fire proposal – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – November 26, 2015)

http://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

No sense getting into the chromite business without having China on your radar, according to KWG Resources.

With more than half of the world’s ferrochrome is being consumed by the People’s Republic, Moe Lavigne, vice-president of exploration and development for the Toronto junior miner, said it’s a no-brainer that his exploration firm would strike a deal with a Chinese railroad engineering outfit to investigate the economics of a Ring of Fire railroad.

KWG announced on Nov. 24 a three-year agreement with China Railway First Survey and Design Institute to conduct, what amounts to, a pre-feasibility study of KWG’s long-standing plans for an ore-haul railway from northwestern Ontario to the James Bay region to haul out chromite for processing.

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NEWS RELEASE: China Railway FSDI Signs KWG Standstill Agreement

http://kwgresources.com/

TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – Nov. 24, 2015) – KWG Resources Inc. (CSE:KWG) (“KWG”) and China Railway First Survey & Design Institute Group Co., Ltd. (“FSDI”) have signed a Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement arranged by Golden Share Mining Corporation (TSX VENTRUE:GSH) (“GSH”), which includes a three-year standstill provision, to enable the scoping and engineering data of KWG subsidiary Canada Chrome Corporation (“CCC”) to be made available for examination and analysis by FSDI.

The parties intend to explore the possibility of a negotiated transaction between them for FSDI to undertake a feasibility study for KWG on all aspects of the construction of a Ring of Fire transportation corridor and railroad, including terms for construction financing facilities. FSDI has begun its review of the CCC data and advises that it will deliver a proposal to the parties as soon as possible in preparation for discussions in early 2016.

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Is Ring reality or myth: next 100 days will tell – by Stefan Huzan (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – November 8, 2015)

Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

I believe the next 100 days will demonstrate if there is to be a new economic reality in Northern Ontario because Justin Trudeau, the new prime minister of Canada, has appointed Patty Hajdu, Thunder Bay-Superior North, to the federal cabinet.

After all, the biggest promise of the Liberal election campaign was multi-billion dollar investments for growth.

And, it is important to note that Ontario Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne had also won majority support of voters in 2014, to a large extent on the basis of similar promises of multi-billion dollar investment into infrastructure.

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[Sudbury Neutrino Observatory] Art McDonald on how to win a Nobel Prize – by Kate Lunau (MACLEAN’S Magazine – November 21, 2015)

http://www.macleans.ca/

All it takes is one mine, 1,000 tonnes of heavy water, 274 scientists and the backing of an entire town

Arthur McDonald, tall, bespectacled and silver-haired, is hiking down the rocky tunnel of a nickel mine outside Sudbury, Ont., after descending more than two kilometres underground in a mine cage. The space is lit mainly by the roving headlamps worn by his small group. Roof bolts and steel screens brace the rock overhead.

The terrain is uneven, and it’s easy to stumble. McDonald, 72, takes slow, considered steps, occasionally turning to warn the others of a treacherous puddle or ditch. Fatigue is a common side effect of time spent this deep underground, where the air pressure is much higher than above ground, but he doesn’t seem to feel it.

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What is the Ring of Fire? – Moving towards the sustainable development of this vital resource (Society Notes – November 17, 2015)

https://blog.ospe.on.ca/

The official blog of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers.

The Ring of Fire refers to a 5,000 km2 area in the James Bay Lowlands (550 km north of Thunder Bay) considered to be one of the largest potential mineral reserves in Ontario. Containing chromite, nickel, copper, zinc, and gold, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce estimates that this region in the James Bay Lowlands could generate $25 billion in economic activity, creating thousands of new jobs across the province for 30 years.
Did You Know?

The Ring of Fire has been called a “once-in-a generation economic opportunity” and the “most promising mineral development opportunity in Ontario since the discovery of the Sudbury Basin in 1883 and the Timmins gold camp in 1909.

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The Early Years of Bushflying [Strong Northern Ontario Mining Link]

With the advent of war in 1914, there were few registered pilots in Canada, and even fewer aircraft. Flying was a novelty of the well-to-do, and certainly, the daring.

But over the next five years, young Canadian men would come to comprise almost one-third of the British air services. For many, it was an opportunity to escape the horrors of the trenches – the mud, cold, rats, lice and the ever-ominous threat of a horrible death. It was a chance to take to the pristine blue skies, with the wind in your face and a silk scarf round your neck trailing in the breeze.

But there is little glamour in warfare of any kind. And many paid an exacting price. While the airplanes kept them out of the trenches, it posed its own threats.

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De Beers seeks First Nation exploration support – by Tanya Talaga (Toronto Star – November 18, 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.

A De Beers Canada team from is visiting Ontario’s remote Weenusk First Nation, seeking community support to conduct diamond exploration work.

An exploration team from De Beers Canada was expected to be in northern Ontario’s remote Weenusk First Nation on Tuesday, to seek community support to conduct diamond exploration work.

Weenusk First Nation, or Peawanuck, is a small community of nearly 400 people, 1,400 km north of Toronto, on the shores of the Winisk River.

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General Magnesium signs deal to process ore – by Ron Grech (Timmins Daily Press – November 16, 2015)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – William Quesnel says it has been a slow 15-year process completing the geological work and getting government approvals in order for him to start up a talc magnesium mine in Whitney Township.

And now like tumbling dominoes, everything seems to be quickly coming into place for the company to begin production next year.

Two weeks ago, Quesnel, chairman and chief executive officer of General Magnesium, announced the signing of a $4.9 billion deal with Hunter Douglas Metals, providing the mine with a buyer for 100% of the magnesium the mine produces over the next 15 years.

This week, Quesnel announced the signing of two more agreements — one with Abbey Gold to process the ore from the Whitney talc magnesite deposit; the other with Haywood Securities, a financing house that will be taking General Magnesium from a privately financed company to one that is publicly sold on the stock market.

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[Ontario] Open the north; get on with it – Editorial (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – November 12, 2015)

Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

Ontario has just completed the fourth Northern Leaders Dialogue. Provincial, municipal and indigenous leaders gathered in Thunder Bay to discuss issues around development and transportation, part of the province’s growth plan for Northern Ontario.

The advent of exploration around the rich Ring of Fire mineral belt has added urgency to the notion of opening the North. Yet there remains much indecision on whether transportation should be rail or road, east-west or north-south. Who should pay what share of the cost? While Ontario spins its wheels, what are neighbouring provinces and other jurisdictions doing?

In Quebec, 950 kilometres north of Quebec City, Stornoway Diamond Corp. invested $800 million in capital expenditures in the province’s first diamond mine. To provide year-round access, the province and Stornoway split the cost of building a 243-kilometre road serving one of 35 mines that the Quebec government estimates will be operating by 2020.

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Green light for Goldfields to start up Taylor mine – by Alan S. Hale (Timmins Daily Press – November 11, 2015)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

BLACK RIVER-MATHESON – St. Andrew Goldfields has received approval from the provincial government to begin commercial production at the Taylor Mine, located 53 kilometres east of Timmins.

The project’s closure plan received final approval from the mining project from the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines last week.

“We are pleased to declare Taylor the newest mine in Ontario, one which we anticipate will bolster the company’s gold production profile for 2016 by 40,000 to 50,000 ounces and provide much-needed jobs and economic benefits to the communities of the region,” said Duncan Middlemiss, the president and chief executive officer of St. Andrew Goldfields in a statement.

“The mine is expected to be a significant contributor in the future as we are ramping up to full production by the end of this year.”

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