Ontario’s Ring of Fire Mineral Discovery – Page 113

Mine/Refine Ontario ore in province: NDP – by Staff (Sudbury Star – April 11, 2013)

April 11, 2013

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

MPPs will debate a private member’s bill in the Legislature on Thursday that would require all ore and minerals mined in Ontario to be refined here.

The bill was introduced by Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Michael Mantha, who spoke in Question Period on Wednesday, urging the Liberal government of Premier Kathleen Wynne to maximize the economic potential of northern mining developments.

“The Ring of Fire presents endless opportunities for Northern Ontario and the province,” said Mantha, who is the New Democrats’ Northern Development and Mines critic.

“However, instead of seeing development and job creation, the past years of Liberal government have been marked by job losses in the North,” said Mantha.

“Look no further than Xstrata and Timmins to see that we are losing good, value-added jobs and crippling our workforce for years to come.” The Ontario Mining Act requires companies to get an exemption to ship resources out of the country, but Mantha said Ontario’s competition comes from Manitoba and Quebec, where the price of electricity is half of what it is in Ontario.

Feds have been listening to mining industry ideas: CEO (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – April 8, 2013)

April 8, 2013

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

Northwest Bureau

A major player in the Ring of Fire mining camp likes provisions in the federal government’s budget for the area.

“It is clear after reading the Economic Action Plan that the minister responsible for FedNor and the Ring of Fire, Tony Clement, and the federal government have listened to our ideas based upon our experiences in the Ring of Fire,” Noront Resources CEO Paul Parisotto said in a news release.

The government budget allots $4.4 million, over three years, for the Ring of Fire’s capacity building initiative, to ensure that nearby First Nations benefit from resource development opportunities in the zone. The money is available for activities such as business skills development, strategic business planning and aboriginal youth engagement. Noront is focused on its Eagle’s Nest Mine in the James Bay Lowlands.

“The mining industry has proven it is a strong contributor to Canada’s long-term growth and prosperity, and continued investment by all stakeholders will allow the true growth potential of the industry, including the Ring of Fire, to be realized,” said Parisotto.

Webequie dives into trades training – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – April 2013)

April 5, 2013

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.

Peter Pagnutti is spending 12 weeks introducing an enthusiastic class of First Nation students to the skilled trades, but the Cambrian College instructor readily admits the whole experience has been as equally rewarding for him.

“There’s not a day goes by where I don’t strike up a conversation with one of them and they teach me something,” particularly in feeding Pagnutti’s abiding interest in natural remedies.

Sudbury’s Cambrian College is providing hands-on learning to 15 students from Webequie through an introduction to the trades course geared toward eventually graduating heavy equipment mechanics.

The remote community of Webequie in the James Bay lowlands is the closest settlement to the Ring of Fire, the area of Ontario’s next great mining camp.

Last winter, the Ontario government announced $3.1 million in training funds to prepare residents for future job opportunities in six First Nation communities in the Far North, including Webequie.

FedNor cuts will be ‘devastating’: Mulcair – by Sebastien Perth (Sudbury Star – April 5, 2013)

April 5, 2013

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

NDP leader accuses Tony Clement of ‘word games’ and calls Cliffs’ approach to Ring of Fire ‘really stupid’

The Conservatives are lying when they call cuts to FedNor “efficiencies,” federal NDP leader Thomas Mulcair said Thursday during a visit to Sudbury.

Mulcair talked about Conservative spending cuts, Liberal party polling numbers and the Ring of Fire development during a media scrum at NORCAT offices on Maley Drive.

Mulcair accused Tony Clement, the minister for FedNor, of playing word games, in a dispute over the FedNor budget. The NDP says the department’s budget will be slashed from $81 million in 2012-13 to $60.3 million in 2014-15. In a release, Clement said the cuts won’t affect FedNor’s ability to deliver programs– a claim Mulcair challenged.

“Unfortunately, the Conservatives’ cuts, the planned cuts of tens of millions of dollars from the budget of FedNor, will have a devastating effect in the whole region, particularly in centres of excellence,” he said. “(The cuts will be) 20% this year and 25% next year — those are the actual cuts to FedNor.”

“If Tony Clement says anything otherwise, he’s not telling the truth. This is not a matter of ‘he said, she said’ — these are facts, they are printed on a piece of paper.”

Liberal leader says Ring of Fire has to be done in ‘right way’ – by Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – April 3, 2013)

April 4, 2013

http://wawataynews.ca/

The federal conflict of interest commissioner has cleared interim Liberal leader Bob Rae to serve as a chief negotiator for Matawa First Nations on the Ring of Fire.

Rae told Postmedia News that he has received guidelines on how to proceed from the federal ethics watchdog Mary Dawson. While the former Ontario premier said Matawa has as of yet made no official offer, he is willing to take on the position.

During a mining conference hosted by the municipality of Greenstone on March 25, Rae told a gathered crowd in Thunder Bay that the Ring of Fire has to develop in the “right way.”

“I would appeal to everyone to recognize that the message is not that First Nations people want to stop development,” Rae said during his speech. “What I’m hearing is that people want development to happen in a way that sustains long-term prosperity of each and every person and community.”

Rae, who will return to being a regular MP once a new Liberal leader is selected, said a change of understanding is necessary from everyone involved in the development.

Forward-looking companies will make it in Ring of Fire: Mulcair (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – April 3, 2013)

April 3, 2013

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

The leader of Canada’s official Opposition says companies need to be “forward-looking” and respect First Nations if they hope to be successful in the Ring of Fire.

“We have to have everyone at the table,” federal NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said in Thunder Bay on Tuesday.

“There are good models that have worked. Manitoba has a great model, for example — when they develop new hydro projects, they have revenue sharing and 70-year plans and deals with First Nations. Quebec was forced to come up with a deal rapidly when the courts shut down the James Bay hydroelectric agreement some 40 years ago.

“So we’re looking at the behaviour of some of the companies,” he said. “Trying to exclude elders from giving expert testimony in court is just not smart, because what it does is it signals that the companies don’t get it. They’re not willing to work with First Nations and respect their rights.

“So we’re hoping that forward-looking companies will be involved in this, respect not only the rights of First Nations today, but the rights of future generations of all Canadians.”

Tony Clement and the Ring of Fire Interview – APTN National News (April 2, 2013)

April 2, 2013

Click here for interview: http://aptn.ca/pages/news/2013/04/02/tony-clement-and-the-ring-of-fire/ http://aptn.ca/pages/news/ The resources held deep beneath what is commonly known as the Ring of Fire is well known. For one, the mining industry believes northern Ontario has one of the largest deposits of chromite in the world. But getting a billion dollars worth of resources hasn’t been easy. Now the federal …

Rail is king in the Ring – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – April 2013)

April 2, 2013

KWG makes it case for a Ring of Fire railroad

Ring of Fire railroad wins out over road in the long haul. That’s the conclusion drawn by international engineering
firm Tetra Tech in its report to KWG Resources after crunching the numbers of building a railway and a permanent road
to the prospective mining camp in Ontario’s Far North.

The study commissioned by the Toronto junior miner is aimed at making a federal case for a railroad to access chromite in
the James Bay lowlands. The release of the study in February coincides with KWG’s plans to drill off a new chromite deposit in the region and a pending Ontario decision on its railway right-of-way claims.

To Moe Lavigne, KWG’s vice-president of exploration and development, said utilizing rail to move bulk tonnes is a nobrainer. It’s basic Mining 101.

“You can’t develop mineral deposits unless you have a way to get it out. Canada’s full of stranded deposits out in the middle of nowhere that if they were parked in Thunder Bay or Sudbury would make great money.”

KWG, through a subsidiary company, Canada Chrome Corp., staked a 330-kilometre-long string of mining claims from the Ring of Fire south to a former whistle stop on CN Rail’s (CN) main cross-Canada near Nakina in northwestern Ontario.

Cliffs plays political waiting game – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – April 2013)

April 2, 2013

Miner considers scaling back Ring of Fire spending

Cliffs Natural Resources could scale back its spending in the Ring of Fire if “uncertainties” associated with its chromite mine project in the James Bay lowlands aren’t ironed out with Queen’s Park.

With provincial negotiations in a stalemate, the Cleveland-based miner is reevaluating this year’s budget to advance
its $3.3-billion Black Thor chromite project. The company has set aside $60 million to complete its feasibility study of its proposed open pit mine, roughly 500 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay.

“I can’t really go to the board of directors and ask to them to move out of the feasibility phase of the project until we’ve wrapped up some of these uncertainties,” said Bill Boor, Cliffs’ president of ferroalloys.

While Boor remained confident the feasibility study will be completed as planned by late summer, some next-phase construction moves may be put on hold.

“What’s possible is we might demobilize some of that effort and not be prepared to move into execution at the end of feasibilty.” Boor echoed what Cliffs chairman Joseph Carrabba said in a mid-Febuary conference call to analysts, that the company is evaluating whether to reduce this year’s project spending, which could impact the overall schedule, due to its “stalled dialogue” with Queen’s Park.

Northern MPP wants value-added mining – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – March 28, 2013)

April 2, 2013

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.

Algoma-Manitoulin MPP and Ontario NDP mining critic Michael Mantha has tabled a private members bill in Queen’s Park requiring all ore from Ontario mines to be processed in the province.

In a March 27 release, Mantha said his bill entitled the “Mining Amendment Act (Resources Processed in Ontario)” would stimulate job growth and manufacturing.

“Not only does Ontario possess large deposits of minerals and ores, it also has the facilities and skills that it takes to process these raw materials right at home. This bill will enable us to take advantage of our vast natural resources, our tremendously skilled work force, and existing processing facilities.”

Mantha said if a mining company wants to process resources outside of Canada, it can ask for an exemption under the Mining Act. Cliffs Natural Resources wants to ship concentrate from its chromite deposit in the James Bay lowlands overseas to China for processing.

“The Northern economy has suffered huge losses in manufacturing and other sectors; this is a perfect opportunity to reinstate good, value-added jobs in the North,” said Mantha.

Matawa wins early ruling in Ring of Fire legal fight – by Shawn Bell (Wawatay News – March 27, 2013)

March 28, 2013

http://wawataynews.ca/

A federal judge has ruled that three experts who Cliffs Resources tried to block from testifying can indeed give their opinions on Matawa First Nations’ Ring of Fire judicial review.

Cliffs and Canada had tried to block the experts – including Justina Ray of Wildlife Conservation Society of Canada and Professor Robert Gibson of the University of Waterloo’s Environmental Studies department – from testifying in the case.

The judge not only threw out the claims made by Cliffs and Canada, but also criticized the two parties for causing “unnecessary delays” in the case and set a strict timeline for the remainder of the hearing that should bring the case before the courts sometime this summer. The Matawa chiefs filed a legal challenge to the environmental assessment of the proposed Cliffs’ chromite project in November 2011.

The chiefs have repeatedly called for a Joint Review Panel of the Ring of Fire project, rather than the ongoing comprehensive study EA process. A Joint Review Panel would be a more in-depth review of the project, and include hearings in communities to get the perspectives of Elders and other community members.

Canada and Cliffs have so far ignored the Matawa chiefs’ calls for the stricter EA process, and pushed on with the comprehensive study despite the ongoing legal challenge.

Environmental approvals for Ring of Fire mine running into difficulty – by Heather Scoffield (The Canadian Press/Winnipeg Free Press – March 25, 2013)

March 25, 2013

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/

OTTAWA – Just as the federal government strives to speed up environmental reviews of major mining and energy projects, approvals for the giant Ring of Fire proposal in northern Ontario are getting increasingly tangled.

On Monday, a key environmental group asked for provincial government mediation on how Cliffs Natural Resources plans to develop a giant chromite deposit in the fragile muskeg of the James Bay lowlands.

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society says Cleveland-based Cliffs is dramatically changing its plans for a mine without properly consulting with the public.

“Several major alterations have been incorporated at the last minute and without the benefit of public scrutiny,” the Wildlands League chapter of CPAWS says in a letter to Ontario Environment Minister Jim Bradley.

The letter says Cliffs is backing away from a long-term plan to do a combination of open-pit mining and underground mining, opting to stick with only open pit.

It also notes Cliffs is considering only a single route — a north-south road that would be heavily subsidized — to transport chromite ore out of the area, instead of considering other ways such, as an east-west corridor that could link First Nations to much-needed infrastructure.

Share the mineral wealth, say First Nations – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – March 21, 2013)

March 22, 2013

Engagement with First Nations and respecting treaty rights must be “cornerstones” of this week’s federal budget, said Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Harvey Yesno.

“Canada will not achieve its full potential unless First Nations are engaged in a meaningful way in the development of our traditional lands and wealth of resources they contain,” said Yesno, in a March 20 press release.

Leadership within the Thunder Bay-based political and policy organization is calling on Ottawa to “renew its treaty relationship with First Nations” by respecting treaty right and supporting agreement that ensure that they share in the wealth generated by natural resource extraction.

“First Nations are fed up with being portrayed as a burden on taxpayers and are ready to play a major role as contributors to the economic growth of Canada. We are not against development, but need to have meaningful input into decision-making on critical issues that directly affect our people and our lands.”

Aboriginal people and their role in the economy is expected to be a focus in Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s budget.

Chiefs call for joint review panel [in Ring of Fire] – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – March 22, 2013)

March 22, 2013

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

Chiefs of First Nations whose territories fall within the Ring of Fire say they aren’t the people slowing an environmental assessment of the area.

It is Cliffs Natural Resources and the government of Canada, they say. Cliffs, because it asked for a review that isn’t as thorough as the one the chiefs called for, and the federal government for agreeing with that.

Nine chiefs are hailing as a victory this week a federal court order that will allow submission of the affadavits of three expert witnesses the chiefs intend to call in a judicial review.

Cliffs and the federal government had wanted to strike the affadavits of Justina Ray, Robert Gibson and Neil Hutchinson, arguing they were “acting improperly as advocates.” Cliffs is in the early stages of developing its Black Thor deposit in the Ring of Fire, 540 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay.

That project is undergoing a co-ordinated environmental assessment under the Canadian Environment Assessment Act and the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act, and the chiefs have no quarrel with a joint assessment.

What they object to is the federal government has approved a comprehensive study — a title they say is a misnomer because it is essentially a “paper” review of the impact of Cliffs’ mining project on their territories.

Chiefs discuss Ring of Fire privately, choose not to make public statement – by Jeff Labine (tbnewswatch.com – March 20, 2013)

March 21, 2013

http://www.tbnewswatch.com/

First Nation chiefs meeting in the city to discuss the Ring of Fire development are not speaking to the media.

Delegates at the annual Matawa First Nations gathering at the Valhalla Inn met with Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle Wednesday. After attempting to speak to officials about the meeting, local media were told that none of the chiefs wished to talk publicly about what was discussed.

Following the meeting, Gravelle said he was glad to sit down and meet the chiefs but wouldn’t go into any specifics of what was discussed.

He did reveal that the meeting focused heavily on the Ring of Fire development. “I do not believe the project with all the economic opportunities that are there and all the potential job creation will move forward unless there’s an opportunity for First Nations to truly benefit from this,” he said.

“We are excited about the Ring of Fire project. It’s a question about doing it right.” Marten Falls First Nation chief Eli Moonias said on Tuesday that he had no confidence in the federal government’s environmental assessment process. He said he was worried that they would face the same environmental problems that Alberta has with the oil sands.