The Thompson Citizen, which was established in June 1960, covers the City of Thompson and Nickel Belt Region of Northern Manitoba. The city has a population of about 13,500 residents while the regional population is more than 40,000.  editor@thompsoncitizen.net

Mining IQ, a Sydney, Australia-based mining guide and international learning and communications portal, which is a division of International Quality & Productivity Center (IQPC), has named Republic Of Mining (http://www.republicofmining.com) to its list of “Top 10 Mining Blogs,” one of only two Canadian sites to be included.

In 1973, the publishers of Industry Week magazine co-founded a company called Penton Learning Systems, which managed a consortium of more than 100 colleges and universities and assisted in the design and development of over 30,000 short courses and seminars in the fields of quality management, project management, finance and accounting, marketing management, strategic planning and implementation. IQPC was founded in 1989 and is still owned by Penton Learning Systems of Little Falls, New Jersey.

Republic of Mining is published by Stan Sudol, a Toronto-based journalist, communications consultant, mining strategist and speechwriter. Sudol picks up Thompson Citizen and Nickel Belt News mining stories, editorials and photos, with our permission, from time to time, usually about Vale’s Manitoba Operations. Read the rest of this entry »

Stan Sudol is a Toronto-based communications consultant and columnist who blogs at: www.republicofmining.com He can be reached at stan.sudol@republicofmining.com

Honourable Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper at the Agnico-Eagle Meadowbank Mine, Nunavut

There are many reasons that contributed to Premier McGuinty’s minority government in the recent Ontario election. However, one of the most contentious issues contributing to his decline in the vast regions of the North – an area that is seldom on the Toronto media’s agenda – was the much detested Far North Act. Praised by the south’s many well-funded and powerful environmental groups, this legislation cuts off half of the Far North – 225,000 square kilometers – to resource development, roughly 21 per cent of the province’s landmass and turns it into natural parks.

As they often say, “the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” The horrific downside to this green ideology is that mineral exploration and potential mines – the only form of economic development that could reduce the impoverished, third-world living conditions in First Nation communities – is being reduced or stopped in the affected territory.

A generation ago the destruction of the fur industry in northern Aboriginal communities by an aggressive, media-savvy environmental movement caused enormous economic hardships and contributed many social ills. Are McGuinty and his environmental thugs doing the same with their parks agenda? Is the Far North Act inherently “Anti-Aboriginal”? Read the rest of this entry »

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

Premier Dalton McGuinty has said its development will play a
key role in the province’s recovery from the loss of hundreds
of thousands of manufacturing jobs during the recession. And
mining commentator Stan Sudol says the Ring of Fire has the
potential to end poverty among isolated First Nations bands
within a generation, if it’s managed properly. (Sudbury Star
Managing Editor Brian MacLeod – Oct/22/2011)

Thursday’s cabinet appointments by the Liberal government worked out as well as could be expected for Northern Ontario.

Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci returns to Northern Development and Mines, where he was minister from 2003-07. And Thunder Bay’s Michael Gravelle moves from MNDM to Natural Resources, which also takes over forestry. He replaces Brampton-Springdale MPP Linda Jeffrey.

Stan Beardy, Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, and Thunder Bay’s chamber of commerce welcomed Gravelle’s appointment, saying he is familiar with the issues affecting the distressed forestry sector. Read the rest of this entry »

http://www.northernlife.ca/

A Canadian mining blog with a Sudbury connection has chosen as one of the world’s top 10 industry-related blogs.

Mining IQ put RepublicOfMining.com in eighth place on its top ten list of the world’s top mining industry blogs. RepublicOfMining.com is owned and operated by Stan Sudol, a man who now calls Toronto home, but who is a native of Sudbury.

Australia-based Mining IQ, a mining guide and international learning and communications portal, put RepublicOfMining.com on its list of Top 10 Mining Blogs, one of only two Canadian sites to be included.

The publication highlighted the blog’s strong mission statement and the variety of categories readers can choose from, creditting Sudol for his “enlightened approach”. Read the rest of this entry »

News Release

October 13, 2011

www.republicofmining.com

Toronto - Australian-based Mining IQ, a mining guide and international learning and communications portal, has put RepublicOfMining.com on its list of Top 10 Mining Blogs, one of only two Canadian sites to be included.

Mining IQ says, “This blog [RepublicOfMining.com] aims to build awareness among the media, the general public and political decision makers about the economic and social benefits of sustainable mining practices in the 21st Century. It has a really admirable mission statement and it rings true with the content on the site.”

RepublicOfMining owner/blogger Stan Sudol says, “My Blog has been on the Web for almost four years and I am incredibly honoured to be recognized half-way around the world by Australian-based Mining IQ, located in one of the great mining nations on the planet. It shows the enormous global impact that Blogs have in their ability to communicate important and balanced information about a much maligned industry.”

Mining IQ continues, “We especially like the variety of categories available on the site with commentary from aboriginal mining to mining education and from women in mining through to green mining. Stan Sudol has hit the nail on the head with his enlightened approach.” Read the rest of this entry »

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

CBC Radio – Thunder Bay
 
Superior Morning radio host Lisa Laco: “Stan Sudol has his own ideas about how to develop the Ring of Fire. Sudol authors the blog Republic of Mining:”

http://www.cbc.ca/superiormorning/episodes/2011/10/11/the-ring-of-fire/

This interview was the result of my “Mining Marshall Plan for Northern Ontario”. Click here to read: Mining Marshall Plan column. – Stan Sudol

For the web’s largest database of articles on the Ring of Fire mining camp, please go to: Ontario’s Ring of Fire Mineral Discovery

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.

For the web’s largest database of articles on the Ring of Fire mining camp, please go to: Ontario’s Ring of Fire Mineral Discovery

“The Ring of Fire railroad should be subsidized by
governments as the huge economic impact will benefit
the economy for decades to come, help balance budgets
and alleviate aboriginal poverty in the surrounding
First Nations communities.” (Stan Sudol)

Notwithstanding the recent correction in commodity prices, near-record highs for gold, silver and a host of base metals essential for industry confirm that the commodity “supercycle” is back and with a vengeance.

China, India, Brazil and many other developing economies are continuing their rapid pace of growth. In 2010, China overtook Japan to become the world’s second largest economy and surpassed the United States to become the biggest producer of cars.

In March, Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney remarked: “Commodity markets are in the midst of a supercycle. . . . Rapid urbanization underpins this growth. . . . Even though history teaches that all booms are finite, this one could go on for some time.”

Quebec’s visionary 25-year “Plan Nord” will see billions invested in northern resource development and infrastructure to take advantage of the tsunami in global metal demand and generate much needed revenue for government programs.

In Ontario, the isolated Ring of Fire mining camp in the James Bay lowlands is one of the most exciting and possibly the richest new Canadian mineral discovery in more than a generation. It has been compared with both the Sudbury Basin and the Abitibi Greenstone belt that includes Timmins, Kirkland Lake, Noranda and Val d’Or. Read the rest of this entry »

Wednesday March 9, 2011
 
A new miner is going to drill the ocean floor for nickel nodules.

Offshore oil and gas companies are about to be joined by a mining company extracting nickel and copper.

Stan Sudol is a blogger (RepublicOfMining.com) and mining industry watcher in Toronto he fills us in:

http://www.cbc.ca/morningnorth/past-episodes/2011/03/09/a-new-miner-is-going-to-drill-the-ocean-floor-for-nickel-nodules-mar-092011/

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper. hcarmichael@thesudburystar.com

For the web’s largest database of articles on the Ring of Fire mining camp, please go to: Ontario’s Ring of Fire Mineral Discovery

“Mining is on the agendas … But, that’s because the southern
Ontario manufacturing economy is in serious trouble. While our
major customer (the United States) will probably be going through
a most troubling economic time the next decade or so, the only part
of the Ontario economy that is doing well is the mining sector.”

Sudol said not having a low-enough electricity rate could be the
deal breaker for Cliffs Natural Resources locating its proposed
chromite processing plant in Ontario. “Right now, power rates in
Manitoba and Quebec are 40- 60% lower than Ontario … There’s no
way they are going to locate that refinery in Ontario.” (Mining
strategist Stan Sudol - RepublicOfMining.com)

AT ISSUE: What is the vision for mining in Greater Sudbury and Northern Ontario?

Chris Hodgson has good reason to believe things are looking up — way up — for Ontario’s mining sector. That’s primarily because the Ontario Mining Association’s recent vision paper and its 10 recommendations about what the mining sector wants addressed by the province is getting serious attention in the Ontario election.

“It’s a big difference,” he said. “In the late 1990s, it was a sunset industry. Now, it may be the key to getting us out of the hole financially.”

A former minister of Northern Development and Mines in the Mike Harris Progressive Conservative government from 1995-99, Hodgson has been president of the OMA for seven years. The association has 70 members who operate 40 mines and employ 20,000 people. Read the rest of this entry »

The Canadian Business Ethics Research Network (CBERN) aims to promote knowledge-sharing and partnerships within the field of business ethics and across private, governmental, voluntary and academic sectors.

The ultimate mining database

A new blog is fast becoming a go-to resource for professionals and academics involved in the mining and resource extraction industries.

Republic of Mining‘s mission is to build awareness amongst the media, general public and key decision makers surrounding the economic and social benefits of sustainable mining. To achieve this goal, the website aggregates information from various news sources and other websites on the mining industry. In the process, Republic of Mining has paired up to bring information from sources such as the Sudbury Star, Northern Miner and Ontario Mining Association together under one website.

Most recently, Republic of Mining posted the keynote speech given by Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo at an event featuring the Joint Law Society of Upper Canada and Indigenous Bar Association on September 9, 2011. The speech focuses on ways in which the extractives industry and Indigenous communities can find a smooth path to cooperation. Republic of Mining has in fact become a large, well-research repository for articles and information about Aboriginal mining issues within Canada and abroad.

In addition, there is a huge database of information, news and articles about Ontario’s Ring of Fire mining camp on the website as well. Website editor Stan Sudol says he expects the database on Ring of Fire information to be the largest source of information on the project.

http://cbernblog.ca/2011/09/350/

Stan Sudol is a Toronto-based communications consultant and mining columnist. stan.sudol@republicofmining.com

Historically, Ontario’s gold mining industry has played a major role in the settlement of the province’s northern regions and along with the Cobalt silver boom and further gold and base metal discoveries in northwestern Quebec were primarily responsible for the establishment of Toronto as today’s mine financing capital of the world.

The many gold mines that came into production during the Depression of the 1930s made a vital contribution to keeping the province solvent and with over a century of experience building many underground mines helped solidify Ontario’s hard-rock mining expertise that is well respected globally.

However, northern Ontario’s gold rushes have always seemed to play second-fiddle to the legendary Klondike in the Yukon, aided by famous writers like Jack London, Robert W. Service – of the Cremation of Sam McGee fame – and Canadian literary icon, Pierre Berton. At it’s peak, the Klondike gold rush only lasted for a few years – 1896-99 – and produced a miserly 12.5 million ounces of gold. “Chump change” compared to northern Ontario’s four major gold rushes and a number of smaller gold districts, most of which are still producing the precious metal today. Read the rest of this entry »

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

This column was originally published in 2004. How things change and how they stay the same or get worse!  Ontario’s debt that year was $142-billion but will reach $283-billion in 2012 and $303-billon in 2013. In addition, the Far North Act – Bill 19 – which was passed last year, bans economic development in 225,000 square kilometers of the far north, roughly 21 per cent of Ontario’s landmass.

For some geographic perspective, that is approximately the same size as the United Kingdom minus Northern Ireland with a population of 60 million people. The enormously rich “Ring of Fire” mining camp was largely unknown. – (Stan Sudol-August30, 2011)

How many more Sudbury Basins exist in that vast northern
territory above the French and Mattawa Rivers that encompass
85% of the province’s geography? There are billions of
dollars worth of untapped mineral deposits waiting to be
developed. (Stan Sudol-September 9, 2004)

Stan Sudol is a Toronto-based communications consultant and mining columnist. stan.sudol@republicofmining.com

National Post – September 9, 2004

In July, Alberta Premier Ralph Kline proudly announced that his province’s massive debt has been slain However he could not have accomplished that historic feat without the development of northern Alberta’s booming oil sands economy and ensuing resource royalties. Unfortunately, Ontario, struggling with a $142-billion debt and a $100-billion infrastructure deficit, is largely ignoring the mineral rich potential of its north. Read the rest of this entry »

Michael Barnes is the author of more than fifty books about characters, communities, mining, and police work. He is a Member of the Order of Canada and makes his home in Haliburton, Ontario, Canada. While living in Northern Ontario most of his life, he has come to know and admire those who make their living in the mining industry.

To order a copy of “Fortunes Found – Canadian Mining Success” go to: General Store Publishing House

Stan Sudol with his blog “The Republic of Mining.com” does the industry a great service by bringing out topical and historical articles. (Michael Barnes – Fortunes Found: Canadian Mining Success – 2010)

In 2006, the City of Greater Sudbury Development Corporation enlisted the support and input of various community, business, and labour groups to form a task force on the future of the local mining industry. When the group came to put its conclusions into print form, it turned to a local son now resident in Toronto.

Stan Sudol is a writer and consults on mining issues. Since he has written extensively on Sudbury mining and the nickel industry, he was chosen to author “Claiming Our Stake — Building a Sustainable Community.”

The paper has become Sudbury’s policy core regarding the mining industry. With a century of experience in mining, the city is a most welcome place for all aspects of the industry. The major companies, all levels of government, and the various communities must support moves in the area of training, innovation and research, and reclamation. Read the rest of this entry »

Stan Sudol is a Toronto-based communications consultant and mining columnist. Stan.sudol@republicofmining.com

A much shorter version of this article appears in the September, 2011 issue of the Northern Miner’s Mining Markets: A Resource for Investors magazine.

A fever is spreading throughout northern Ontario, from the eastern districts adjacent Quebec to the far reaches of the northwest right up to the Manitoba border. This raging malaise is caused by a metal that has captured mankind’s attention from the dawn of time. I am referring to “gold fever” and many in northern Ontario – a vast northern territory, which is almost equal to Germany, France and Ireland combined – are thoroughly infected or obsessed over this beautiful precious metal.

Historically, Ontario’s gold mining industry has played a major role in the settlement of the province’s northern regions and along with the Cobalt silver boom and further gold and base metal discoveries in northwestern Quebec were primarily responsible for the establishment of Toronto as today’s mine financing capital of the world.

The many gold mines that came into production during the Depression of the 1930s made a vital contribution to keeping the province solvent and with over a century of experience building many underground mines helped solidify Ontario’s hard-rock mining expertise that is well respected globally.

However, northern Ontario’s gold rushes have always seemed to play second-fiddle to the legendary Klondike in the Yukon, aided by famous writers like Jack London, Robert W. Service – of the Cremation of Sam McGee fame – and Canadian literary icon, Pierre Berton. At it’s peak, the Klondike gold rush only lasted for a few years – 1896-99 – and produced a miserly 12.5 million ounces of gold. “Chump change” compared to northern Ontario’s four major gold rushes and a number of smaller gold districts, most of which are still producing the precious metal today.

Considering the record setting price of gold, moving upwards almost daily, the political stability of northern Ontario and its strong world-class mining infrastructure versus lesser developed countries like Tanzania, Guatemala or Papua New Guinea, exploration in all current and former gold mining camps is booming. Read the rest of this entry »

Stan Sudol is a Toronto-based communications consultant and strategist who writes extensively on the mining sector. stan.sudol@republicofmining.com

A version of this article was published in the August issue of Northern Ontario Business and the September issue of the Canadian Mining Journal.

What a difference a decade makes! Ten years ago, according to many in the Toronto media, mining was a sunset industry and a modern industrial country/province should not be in such a supposedly “low tech” sector. Some even thought we should let the industry die and allow lesser developed countries to be the primary suppliers of mineral commodities.

At that time, Ontario budgets were only a billion or two in the red, and its manufacturing sector was the cornerstone of a strong economy. Today, emerging markets like China, India are competing with the United States, Japan, South Korea and other developed nations for access to mineral resources around the world, the basic building blocks of any modern industrialized society. The mining sector has become one of the most strategic sectors of the global economy. And Ontario is a “have not” province, set to receive $2.2 billion in equalization transfers in the next fiscal year and run a $16.6 billion deficit.

Currently, Ontario faces a number of key economic problems including an aging workforce, crumbling infrastructure and provincial budget deficits that will not be able to sustain existing social programs. In addition, the South’s manufacturing might, which supported Ontario’s high standard of living since the 1950s, is under extreme stress due to globalization, a weak U.S. market – the destination of almost 90% of our manufactured goods – and high electricity costs. Read the rest of this entry »