Ontario Mining – Page 172 – Republic of Mining

[Sudbury Basin] McCreedy closure likely won’t impact Victoria mine: Union – by Jonathan Migneault (Sudbury Northern Life – September 21, 2015)

September 22, 2015

http://www.northernlife.ca/

KGHM nickel mine to go into care and maintenance Oct. 1

KGHM’s Victoria Mine project should still move forward, despite the recent announcement the company will be closing its McCreedy West nickel mine in Levack next month, says a representative with United Steelworkers Local 2020.

“I know that Victoria is a big priority for KGHM, and I think that project will still be going ahead,” said Myles Sullivan, an area co-ordinator with the United Steelworkers. “It’s a higher grade deposit. It’s a very good deposit, and that will be going ahead from what I’ve been told.”

Sullivan confirmed over the weekend that KGHM’s small McCreedy West Mine will go into care and maintenance on Oct. 1. NorthernLife.ca is awaiting a call back from KGHM regarding Victoria Mine.

The mine’s closure will displace 25 United Steelworkers members, who could apply for jobs at the nearby Morrison Mine – also part of the Levack complex – but would in turn displace workers there with less seniority.

KGHM to shut down McCreedy mine: Union – by Ben Leeson (Sudbury Star – September 21, 2015)

September 21, 2015September 21, 2015

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

In the face of weak commodity prices, KGHM International will shut down the McCreedy West Mine next month, the union representing representing workers there told the Sudbury Star on Sunday.

Myles Sullivan, area co-ordinator for the United Steelworkers, said the company has informed members the mine will be placed under care and maintenance effective Oct. 1, affecting about 25 employees.

“In total, there’s about 40 of our members that are being laid off locally,” Sullivan said.

“It’s really hard. Things are tough in mining right now, with the price of nickel and copper and everything being low. We kind of hoped the (lower) dollar would help offset some of that and I’m sure it’s helping, but it’s still not enough.”

Based on seniority and qualifications, Sullivan said, some workers from McCreedy may have the opportunity to work at the nearby Morrison deposit. Attempts to contact a KGHM representative for comment on the weekend were not immediately successful.

How smaller Canadian gold miners are thriving despite today’s gloomy price environment – by Peter Koven (National Post – September 19, 2015)

September 21, 2015

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

KIRKLAND LAKE, ONT. – Deep underground in Kirkland Lake, 300 kilometres north of Sudbury, it is hard to think about the rich veins of gold near at hand. The heat and humidity overpower everything else.

Crews are currently working 5,400 to 5,600 feet below surface, making it one of Canada’s deepest gold mines. And in this part of the world and at these depths, a first-time visitor would find the temperature suffocating.

Work crews start dripping with sweat almost as soon as they step out from the shaft underground to begin their shift. Mining this far down is technically challenging and not for the faint of heart. But more than 100 years after the first shaft was sunk in this sturdy Northern Ontario community, it looks as attractive as ever — even if it is surrounded by an environment of gloomy gold prices.

The Kirkland Lake operation, known as Macassa, is one of the world’s richest gold mines by any measure — the data service IntelligenceMine ranks it second overall. The mine’s owner, Kirkland Lake Gold Inc., likes to say that of the world’s 10 highest-grade operations, this is the only significant one that isn’t owned by a major company.

Detour Gold finds silver lining in current economic climate – by Len Gillis (Timmins Daily Press – September 18, 2015)

September 18, 2015

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – The declining value of the Canadian dollar has actually been a great boost to Detour Gold and the mining supply sector in Timmins.

Those were among the revelations that came forward Thursday when Paul Martin, the president and chief executive officer of Detour spoke at a Timmins Chamber of Commerce lunch event.

Martin made reference to the fact the Canadian dollar, which was valued at 76 cents U.S. Thursday provided an unexpected benefit.

“The weak Canadian dollar, some people jokingly call it the Canadian peso, is a huge benefit for a company that sells its revenue in U.S. dollars,” Martin told the audience.

It has effectively dropped the price Detour has to pay to produce each ounce of gold. He said it this is a competitive edge for Detour that is not shared by U.S. gold producers, for example. The payoff for Northern Ontario and Timmins is significant, said Martin.

[Northern Superior Resources] Sudbury junior miner squares off against province – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – September 17, 2015)

September 17, 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. Ian Ross is the editor of Northern Ontario Business ianross@nob.on.ca.

Barring a last-minute settlement, a Sudbury junior mining company expects to be in a Toronto courtroom in early October to take on the Ontario government in a potential landmark case that could prompt revisions to Ontario’s Mining Act concerning First Nation consultation.

“I’d rather be talking about exploration,” lamented Tom Morris, president and CEO of Northern Superior Resources, who was making preparations for a four-week trial in an Ontario Superior Court starting Oct. 5.

Northern Superior is seeking compensation from the province for failing to protect its interests in a gold exploration play in northwestern Ontario that the company was forced to abandon its mining claims after a series of disputes with a First Nation community in 2011.

Close to two years ago, Northern Superior filed a $110-million lawsuit in late 2013 to recover the $15 million it spent on exploration since 2006, plus the estimated future value of the three properties on Crown land as they worked toward a major gold discovery near the Manitoba border.

Noront CEO outlines big plans in the Ring of Fire (Northern Miner – September 16, 2015)

September 16, 2015

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

VANCOUVER — Noront Resources (TSXV: NOT; US-OTC: NOSOF) has emerged as a leader across the Ring of Fire region in the James Bay Lowlands of Northern Ontario, and it has a long-term plan in the works it hopes will establish a world-class nickel sulphide and chromite camp in the region.

The company is knows it won’t be a quick process, but a commitment to social license and First Nation partnerships could lead to successes where larger companies have failed.

Noront made headlines in late March when it acquired 103 claims in the Ring of Fire from beleaguered U.S. base-metal miner Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF) for US$20 million. The deal was financed via a US$22.5-million loan agreement that saw Franco-Nevada (TSX: FNV; NYSE: FNV) pick up a 3% royalty on the Black Thor chromite deposit and a 2% royalty on Noront’s properties in the region with the exception of its advanced-stage Eagle’s Nest nickel platinum group metals project.

“We’d always had our eye on consolidating the Ring of Fire because we view it as an emerging camp. I mean you have a greenstone belt with a big ultramafic complex that seems to be chalk full of discovery potential,” said president and CEO Alan Coutts during an interview.

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

September 8, 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.

Recession has little impact on Sudbury [mining]: Chamber – by Jonathan Migneault (Sudbury Northern Life – September 02, 2015)

September 8, 2015

http://www.northernlife.ca/

Mining supply and services remain steady, but not great

While Canada officially entered a recession Tuesday, it has mostly been business as usual for the last two quarters in Sudbury, says the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce.

“I think Sudbury, as a whole, is doing reasonably well,” said Karen Hourtovenko, chair of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce.

Statistics Canada announced Tuesday Canada’s gross domestic product decreased by 0.5 per cent between April and June, which marked the second GDP decline in as many quarters. The technical definition of a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth.

The recession has been driven by a slump in the oil and gas sector, but other sectors of the economy have seen more positive growth. The resale housing market, for example, increased nearly 10 per cent in the same quarter.

Mining For Gold Song- by Cowboy Junkies

September 5, 2015

Have a great Labour Day weekend everyone! – Stan Sudol (RepublicOfMining.com)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

The band was formed by three siblings from the Timmins entertainment family.
Another sibling, Cali, rose to fame as an actress on Ryan’s Hope. The Timmins
siblings are descendants of Noah Timmins, a mining prospector who founded
the Ontario [gold mining] city of Timmins. (Wiki)

Cowboy Junkies are a Canadian alternative country/blues/folk rock band. The group was formed in Toronto in 1985 by Margo Timmins (vocalist), Michael Timmins (songwriter, guitarist), Peter Timmins (drummer) and Alan Anton (bassist).[1]

The Junkies first performed publicly at the Beverley Tavern and other clubs in Toronto’s Queen Street West, including The Rivoli. Their 1986 debut album, produced by Canadian producer Peter Moore, was the blues-inspired Whites Off Earth Now!!, recorded using an ambisonic microphone in the family garage.[1]

[Timmins gold mining] 56 laid off as Primero’s open pit mined out – by Len Gillis (Timmins Daily Press – August 28, 2015)

August 28, 2015

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

BLACK RIVER-MATHESON – The gold mining industry in Northeastern Ontario took another hit this week.

Primero Mining Corporation announced Thursday that 56 workers have been laid off as a result of the closure of the open pit operation at the Black Fox mine, located about 10 kilometres east of Matheson. It was formerly the Brigus Gold property.

Primero’s Black Fox underground mine continues to operate, despite the layoffs in the pit, said mine general manager Dan Gagnon at a news conference in Timmins Thursday morning.

Gagnon, a veteran in mine management, was appointed as the new boss at Primero just three months ago. Gagnon made it clear the underground operation at Black Fox is continuing and provides jobs for roughly 310 employees.

It was this time last week that IAMGOLD revealed that 33 employees were to be laid off from the Côtė Lake gold project, located southwest of Gogama.

Noront files updated Ring of Fire technical report – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – August 25, 2015)

August 26, 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.

Noront Resources has filed an updated technical report for its Black Thor, Black Label and Big Daddy chromite deposits located in the Ring of Fire.

The company filed an NI 43-101 resource report for the properties, which were acquired for $27.5 million from Cliffs Natural Resources in April, on August 21.

Black Thor and Black Label are 100 per cent owned by Noront, while Big Daddy is a joint venture between Noront (70 per cent) and Canada Chrome Mining Corporation (30 per cent), a subsidiary of KWG Resources.

According to the report, Black Thor has 107.6 million tonnes in the measured category, grading at 32.2 per cent chromium; an additional 30.2 million tonnes in the indicated category, grading at 28.9 per cent chromium; as well as 26.8 million tonnes in the inferred category, grading at 29.3 per cent chromium.

FNI locks gates at Lockerby mine site – by Mary Katherine Keown (Sudbury Star – August 20, 2015)

August 21, 2015

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

The lay-off notices have been issued and nearly three dozen miners are out of work.

Anne-Marie MacInnis, president of Mine Mill Local 598-Unifor, said Thursday she received an email at about 5 a.m. informing her that First Nickel Inc. (FNI) was shuttering operations at its Lockerby mine site, located off Highway 17 near Fairbank Lake.

Effective immediately, 35 of the union’s members have been laid off. “People are feeling surprised,” she told The Star on Thursday. “They showed up today and the gates were locked.”

MacInnis is currently liaising with the union’s legal department to settle severance for affected employees. “I will be talking to the legal department to see if we have any kind of legal action we can take on behalf of our members,” she said.

MacInnis said her members could be eligible for a federally-funded severance program, but only to a maximum of $3,800. It would also mean they would relinquish any recall rights.

IAMGOLD silent as signs point to mining camp closing – by Alan S. Hale (Timmins Daily Press – August 19, 2015)

August 19, 2015

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

GOGAMA – It appears IAMGOLD is shutting down its exploration camp in Gogama.

The Daily Press received unofficial word on Tuesday that the Côté Gold Project will be completely shut down by the end of the week. According to the source, some exploration at the site will be continuing for the time being, but after this Friday the mining camp will be closed, and a skeleton staff will continue to dismantle it next week.

The Daily Press subsequently contacted IAMGOLD to get confirmation.

When asked if the information was true, Cheryl Naveau, the company’s head of aboriginal and community relations for the Côté project, said she could not comment, but that IAMGOLD was planning a teleconference early next week.

The Côté Gold Project was initially proposed in 2012, and for the past few years has been conducting prospecting for a potential open pit mine with an expected ore production period of 15 years. No actual mining has taken place yet.

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

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.