Liberty Mines opens Redstone Mill with First Nation support
MOU signed between Sega Resources and Upper Similkameen Indian Band
Diamondex and Loon River First Nation reach agreement to explore reserve lands for diamonds
Equity Engineering to focus on First Nations relations
Golden Band Resources and Kitsaki Management reach business agreement
Inuit drop long held moratorium against uranium mining in Nunavut
Moose Cree First Nation and De Beers sign Victor Mine Impact Benefit Agreement
Silver Spruce invites four Aboriginal people to serve on advisory board
Tamerlane reaches agreement with the Hay River Métis Council
Old uranium mine, once cursed, is now a source of renewal for Dene
Discovering gold on the Red Lake Mine Trend
Aboriginal community development with the resource sector
Tahltan First Nation helping make Galore Creek mine a sustainable project
Wahgoshig First Nation Signs MOU with Sheltered Oak Resources and Sage Gold
Liberty Mines opens Redstone Mill with First Nation support
By Xavier Kataquapit
Liberty Mines Inc. held a grand opening September 19th to formally announce the opening of the company’s Redstone Mill nickel concentrator facility. The Redstone Mill, which is located south of the city of Timmins, ON, was commissioned in July to process nickel bearing ores from Liberty’s mining projects in the Shaw Dome nickel belt area.
City of Timmins Mayor Tom Laughren, (right) was on hand September 19th to assist Jason Cyr, Redstone Mill Manager, Liberty Mines Inc. in the official opening of the company's Redstone Mill nickel concentrator facility.
The mill was officially opened with a ribbon cutting by Liberty Mines Mill Manager Jason Cyr, and Mayor Tom Laughren. In his presentation Mayor Laughren gave his thanks to Liberty Mine company officials for their commitment to working in the Timmins area and for providing employment and business opportunities for the region.
The event was also an opportunity to bring together First Nation delegates who have signed on to a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with Liberty Mines. The MOU document is a unique arrangement where the three First Nations of Mattagami, Matachewan and Wahgoshig have created a working relationship with Liberty Mines.
“The First Nations are the keepers of the land and as a company we want to work with these communities for our mutual benefit. We are excited to be here today and the credit is due to the hard work of so many people. We look forward to working with these three First Nations as we continue the development of future projects,” said Gary Nash, President, CEO and Director, Liberty Mines.
Wabsun Tribal Council First Nations of Matachewan, Mattagami and Wahgoshig were on hand to celebrate the grand opening of the company's Redstone Mill on September 19th.
(L-R): Chief Dave Babin, Wahgoshig; Jason Batise, Wabun Tribal Council;
Gary Nash, President, CEO and Director, Liberty Mines Inc. and Chief Walter Naveau, Mattagami.
City of Timmins Mayor Tom Laughren, (right) was on hand September 19th to assist Jason Cyr, Redstone Mill Manager, Liberty Mines Inc. in the official opening of the company's Redstone Mill nickel concentrator facility.
The MOU document is a statement of the First Nation’s support of the company’s activities in the Shaw Dome mining area, southeast of Timmins, which is also part of the traditional territories of Wahgoshig, Matachewan and Mattagami. The MOU addresses the traditional rights of the First Nations and it sets the framework for the discussion and negotiations of an Impact Benefit Agreement (IBA). This IBA will outline and address the First Nation’s traditional rights as they relate to exploration, development and mining operations in the Shaw Dome mining area. The IBA will also discuss business opportunities, employment and training, environmental matters and ongoing communications.
“Our community is grateful to have established a positive working relationship with Liberty Mines and we look forward to the benefits we can provide for our people, our Elders and our youth. The MOU is a sign of change for our community as it paves the way for our own self sufficiency. We are thankful to all who were involved in making this possible and to Gary Nash and Liberty Mines for putting together a positive and mutually beneficial agreement,” said Chief Walter Naveau, Mattagami First Nation.
First Nation and Liberty Mines dignitaries came together for a grand opening of the Redstone Mill facility south of Timmins, ON, September 19th. (L-R): Michael Bryden, East-West Trade Partners Inc; Warren Cabral, Chief Financial Officer, Liberty Mines; Carlo Cattarello Jr., Director, Liberty Mines; Gerry Stinson, Environmental Manager, Redstone Minesite, Liberty Mines; Mayor Tom Laughren, City Of Timmins; Mill Manager Jason Cyr, Liberty Mines (in back); Gary Nash, President, CEO and Director, Liberty Mines; Chief Walter Naveau, Mattagami First Nation; Councillor Leonard Naveau Sr., Mattagami First Nation; Maurice Kistabish, Program Manager, Wahgoshig First Nation; Councillor Gerald Luke, Mattagami First Nation; Jason Batise, Economic Development And Technical Services Advisor, Wabun Tribal Council; Chris McKay, Resource Liaison, Mattagami First Nation and Councillor James Naveau, Mattagami First Nation.
Liberty Mines has been involved in exploration and mining activities for several years in the Shaw Dome mining area. During this time, Liberty mines had conducted separate consultations and meetings with each of the three Wabun First Nations over the past year. To make the process more efficient, the three First Nations which are part of the Wabun Tribal Council, decided to come together as a group to negotiate with the mining company.
“This agreement and the relationship we have built with Liberty Mines will be good for our community. We have made agreements of this type with other companies before but we are still new to this process and so are the companies that are involved. However, it allows us to grow and develop to create opportunities for everyone. We look forward to working with Liberty Mines,” said Chief Dave Babin, Wahgoshig First Nation.
In June, the three communities signed an accord to agree to work together in negotiating with Liberty Mines. A committee was created from the accord with the three communities to head negotiations and discussions concerning the MOU with assistance, resources and support from Wabun Tribal Council.
“Since three of our communities were in discussions with the same company, our leaders thought it would be best to bring our First Nations together as a unified entity. Once we were able to coordinate our activities we were in a better position to work as one group and bring together more resources to help our communities,” said Jason Batise, Economic Development & Technical Services Advisor for Wabun Tribal Council.
Batise, who is also a member of Matachewan First Nation, negotiated along with Shawn Batise, Executive Director of Wabun Tribal Council on behalf of their community for the past year together with Maurice Kistabish, Program Manager, Wahgoshig First Nation and Chris McKay, Resource Liaison for Mattagami First Nation.
Other delegates from Liberty Mines who attended the grand opening event were: Warren Cabral, Chief Financial Officer; Donald Schurman, Director and Chairman of the Board; John H.C. Pinsent, Director and Head of the Audit Committee and Bob Bresee, Mine Manager. First Nation representatives also included: Councillor Leonard Naveau Sr., Mattagami First Nation; Councillor Gerald Luke, Mattagami First Nation and Councillor James Naveau, Mattagami First Nation.
MOU signed between Sega Resources and Upper Similkameen Indian Band
Chief Rick Holmes, of the Upper Similkameen Indian Band (USIB) and J. Paul Stevenson, CEO, Sego Resources Inc. (SRI), are pleased to announce that they have signed a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enable the exploration and potential future mine development of the Miner Mountain property immediately northeast of Princeton, BC.
Bromley Rocks, Princeton, BC
This MOU supports the USIB’s principles of environmental stewardship, economic sustainability and self-determination. It also commits both parties to working collaboratively throughout the process of mineral exploration and development for lands under provincial tenure to SRI. Importantly, the agreement recognizes and respects the Aboriginal title and rights of the USIB to the lands comprising the Miner Mountain property.
This comprehensive agreement demonstrates that large new exploration projects such as Miner Mountain can be developed with the active support of the local First Nation communities if there is a long-term commitment to establish a cooperative and mutually beneficial working relationship.
“SRI’s commitment to open, transparent and mutually beneficial relationships with local communities is at theheart of SRI’s strategy for successful resource development and we are very proud to be working with the USIB in the Miner Mountain project,” says J. Paul Stevenson, CEO, Sego Resources Inc.
“By signing this agreement, the USIB and our partners are making a commitment to work together in the environmentally and socially responsible development of BC’s Mining Industry, specifically when this occurs in our territory,” states Chief Holmes.
The MOU commits SRI and the USIB to enhance and deepen their already strong relationship. It will provide certainty for local communities, investors and SRI alike that Miner Mountain will be explored with the support and involvement of USIB. The parties hope that the approach taken here will set a standard for others in the mineral exploration sector.
Agreement Highlights
- Recognition of the USIB’s traditional rights, title and interests to the project area, as well as, SRI’s rights to explore and develop mineral resources in the Miner Mountain project;
- Establishment of measures and procedures that will fully engage the USIB in all aspects of the project;
- Development of opportunities for employment, contracting and related business creation for the USIB
- Assistance to the USIB to develop and retain its capacity to effectively participate in and benefit from any development activities associated with SRI mineral tenures in the Band's Territory.
- To develop and foster a positive, cooperative and productive working relationship between the parties through jointly implementing the commitments made in the MOU.
The agreement will remain in effect throughout the life of the Miner Mountain project and will be binding on any future operator of the mine.
The Upper Similkameen Indian Band is an Aboriginal community whose members live primarily in the Hedley area. The Band’s eight reserves are located between just east of Hedley to north of Princeton.
The Miner Mountain project is located in the Quesnel/Stikine Terrain, immediately northeast of Princeton, BC. The property consists of 38 mineral claims and is approximately 20 sq. km in size.
SRI has an option to acquire 100% interest, subject to an NSR, in the claims. The Miner Mountain project is an early stage copper, gold, palladium porphyry project in the prolific Princeton mining camp.
Sego is advancing two(2) projects in British Columbia. The Gold Hill property, north of Barriere, BC and the Miner Mountain porphyry project near Princeton, BC.
More information is available at www.segoresources.com.
Diamondex and Loon River First Nation reach agreement to explore reserve lands for diamonds
Diamondex Resources Ltd. is pleased to announce it has concluded an agreement with the Loon River First Nation to explore for diamonds on Loon River First Nation Reserve Lands. The agreement, supported by the Chief and Council, has been formalized with the issuance of an Indian and Northern Affairs Exploration Permit pursuant to the Indian Mining Regulations.
“As far as we are aware this is the first Indian Mining Regulation Exploration Permit issued since the regulations came into effect in the 1950s. We are pleased to conclude a mutually beneficial agreement with the Band Council and excited at the exploration opportunities present on Loon River First Nation Reserve Lands,” says Randy Turner, President and CEO of Diamondex Resources Ltd.
Chief of the Loon River First Nation, Arthur Noskey says, “We are excited about the potential of this project for the Loon River First Nation and are looking forward to working with Diamondex. At the same time we are proud of having played a key part in developing a modern mineral exploration permit that will be beneficial to all First Nations.”
The reserve lands constitute approximately 17,000 hectares and occupy a significant unexplored area within the Buffalo Head Hills kimberlite field. To date 38 kimberlites have been discovered in the region of which 26 are diamond bearing.
The Loon River First Nation Reserve Lands lie within the Buffalo Head Hills Joint Venture Area of Interest and will constitute a new project known as the Loon River Property.
Diamondex Resources Ltd. is the operator of the Buffalo Hills Joint Venture on behalf of joint venture partners Shore Gold Inc., EnCana Corporation and Pure Gold Minerals (Alberta) Inc.
Equity Engineering to focus on First Nations relations
Dr. Darcy Baker, President, Equity Engineering Ltd., is pleased to announce the appointment of Kristy Emery as Director, Corporate Relations.
Ms. Emery will be developing a complementary business unit within Equity Engineering Ltd. focusing on First Nations and community relations. In this role, Kristy will provide clientele with the capacity and expertise required to engage meaningfully with First Nations, communities and stakeholders, ensuring business activities consider immediate and long-term social, environmental and economic values.
“Exploring for minerals deposits has become much more than breaking rocks and setting up remote camps,” commented Dr. Baker. “Ms. Emery’s unique set of skills will provide our clients with an invaluable service. Equity is now positioned to constructively engage First Nations and local communities as an integral part of managing mineral exploration projects.”
Ms. Emery has an accomplished background in strategic planning, policy development and negotiation, working in previous positions within the BC Government, including roles at the Ministries of Energy and Mines, Aboriginal Affairs, and Agriculture and Lands.
Prior to joining Equity, Ms. Emery was Director, Policy and Sustainability, Association for Mineral Exploration BC, where she provided direction on important regulatory issues such as land use and access.
A strong advocate of sustainable mineral exploration and mining practices, Ms. Emery serves as Director on the Britannia Historical Society and Muskwa-Kechika Advisory Boards.
Ms. Emery holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Entrepreneurial Manage-ment, from Royal Roads University in Victoria.
Celebrating 20 years of excellence, Equity Engineering Ltd. is a Vancouver-based geological consulting firm providing top-notch turnkey project management of mineral exploration programs. Specializing in western and northern Canada, Equity currently manages in excess of $12 million in exploration expenditures annually.
Golden Band Resources and Kitsaki Management reach business agreement
Golden Band Resources Inc. and the Kitsaki Procon Joint Venture are pleased to announce the signing of a General Services Agreement between their organizations. The intent of this agreement is that business opportunities from Golden Band’s advanced exploration, pre-development projects, and anticipated future production operations are available to members of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band. In addition, the broader document asserts the commitments that both organizations have to environmentally responsible mineral development.
“Gold exploration and mining require proven resources. With this business relationship with the Kitsaki Procon Joint Venture, we have proven partners with proven human resources and expertise,” said Rodney Orr, President and CEO of Golden Band Resources. “Everyone shares in the goal of successfully re-establishing gold production in the La Ronge Gold Belt in a way that benefits all. We at Golden Band see this as a great opportunity – and one that marks our first step in the establishment of positive working relationships with all of our northern neighbours.”
“Many past resource developments have proceeded in our traditional lands without any benefits for our band members. Golden Band is showing us that they are committed to working with us and our businesses,” said Chief Tammy Cook-Searson, of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band and President of Kitsaki. “We want both a productive business relationship and a productive community relationship with Golden Band. We will work with Golden Band and the province at their community consultation meetings and in the negotiation of a participation agreement that will show First Nations and businesses across the country that resource developments can proceed on traditional lands in a timely, cooperative and profitable manner.”
Under the agreement signed today in La Ronge, Saskatchewan, the Kitsaki Procon Joint Venture will begin underground and surface mining and construction and the refurbishment of their licensed mill. Kitsaki has business interests that will also become involved in catering, transportation, provision of aggregate and environmental services.
Golden Band Resources is a well-financed, Saskatchewan-based, publicly listed company (GBN:TSXV) whose focus is the long-term, systematic exploration and development of its 100%-owned La Ronge Gold Belt properties. Since 1994, Golden Band has assembled through staking and strategic acquisition a land package of more than 750 km(2), including ten known gold deposits, four former producing mines, and a licensed gold mill. The company’s near-term goals call for development and production from the Bingo, Komis, and EP deposits with processing at the Company's 100%-owned Jolu mill – a project that has received a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment (scoping study) on April 19, 2007. Longer-term objectives include production from the Company's other deposits and the continuation of its highly successful exploration strategy.
Kitsaki Management Limited Partnership performs for-profit economic development for the Lac La Ronge Indian Band. In its 25-year history, Kitsaki has successfully created and manages a portfolio of active business investments such as Athabasca Catering, Canada North Environmental Services, and Northern Resource Trucking which serve the mining industry. Kitsaki has also invested in the La Ronge Motor Hotel and Suites, Northern Lights Foods, First Nations Insurance Services, Asiniy Gravel Crushing and the Dakota Dunes Golf Course.
Procon Mining and Tunnelling is a full-service mining contractor. They have extensive experience in mine development and operations, ranging from shrinkage stoping of narrow vein gold deposits to longhole mining of massive sulphides in a diversity of ground conditions. This has taken them from local work in the western provinces of Canada to colder climates (underground mining in the NWT, Yukon and Alaska) to international locations (development mining in Ireland and Greenland and training heavy equipment operators in Russia). Procon has also been involved in underground excavations for the civil industry such as hydro penstocks and irrigation aquaducts.
Inuit drop long held moratorium against uranium mining in Nunavut
By Bob Weber
Canada’s main Inuit organization has dropped a long-held moratorium on uranium mining in the Arctic, removing one obstacle to developing potentially rich deposits of the radioactive metal.
But as industrial pressure heats up over areas that include crucial caribou calving grounds, some say the organization, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI), isn’t even thinking about protecting environmentally sensitive landscapes.
NTI Vice-President James Eetoolook
“They’re not even giving passing consideration to the possibility of special places in Nunavut,” said Monte Hummel of the World Wildlife Fund, which has been heavily involved in the issue.
Uranium mining has become a hot topic across Canada.
Last summer, a northern regulatory board put a halt to all such exploration on lands just east of Great Slave Lake, citing vehement opposition from local Dene.
On September 18th, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said she supports efforts to block a potential uranium mine in eastern Ontario and added Canada should impose a moratorium on the industry.
And NTI, which administers the Nunavut Land Claim, announced September 18th that it was abandoning a moratorium approved by Inuit voters in 1989. The moratorium was put in place after a German company attempted to develop a uranium mine around Baker Lake.
NTI vice-president James Eetoolook has called the silvery metal taboo. No longer.
“Northerners’ thinking is changing as we go along,” he said. “The world’s changing all the time and we’re part of the world.”
Driven by soaring uranium prices, dozens of companies are prodding the tundra around Baker Lake. They include French giant Areva, which has about 13,000 hectares of mineral claims in the area.
Eetoolook said mining offers Nunavummiut their best chance at economic opportunity. The territory’s population, he points out, is the fastest-growing in Canada.
“What are we going to do with those people? Where are they going to work?”
NTI’s new policy, he says, stipulates uranium development can only be done for peaceful purposes, must offer benefits to Inuit and must protect the health of both the land and the people.
Uranium projects will happen, he says. Inuit – and nobody else – must take control over them. “We are capable of managing it properly,” he said.
But Hummel said all Canadians deserve a voice because the consequences of uranium mining are national in scope.
“They’re making a decision that involves very long-term waste products that not only Inuit but all Canadians are going to have to deal with,” he said. “I wonder if they’ll say butt out when it comes to making federal contributions to cleaning it up?”
As well, Hummel points out, the policy contains no mention of protecting areas in advance of development.
The area south of Baker Lake is also the calving ground for the Beverly caribou herd, crucial to both the culture and daily diet of local people.
“It would be reassuring to hear from Inuit that there could be some areas in Nunavut where mining is not the highest use,” Hummel said.
Moose Cree First Nation and De Beers sign Victor Mine Impact Benefit Agreement
The Moose Cree First Nation and De Beers Canada Inc. are pleased to announce that an Impact Benefit Agreement (IBA) was signed September 18th for the De Beers Canada Victor Mine in northern Ontario.
The September 17th official ceremony celebrated the successful community ratification held in June 2007, in which the Moose Cree First Nation Band Members voted (85 %) in favour of accepting the IBA.
The IBA establishes commitments made by De Beers and Moose Cree First Nation regarding education, training, business, compensation and other initiatives to maximize opportunities and minimize impacts arising from the construction and operation of the Victor Mine. The agreement also provides clarity on committee structures and procedures for both parties as the development of Ontario’s first diamond mine moves forward.
“De Beers is committed to working with the Aboriginal communities within which we operate around the world and this Agreement demonstrates the importance we place on such relationships,” said Jim Gowans, President & CEO of De Beers Canada. “The key to sustainable development for both parties will be to build upon this foundation to take full advantage of the economic opportunities being created by the construction and operation of the Victor Mine.”
Located in the James Bay Lowlands, the Victor Mine is under construction and is currently the largest project in northern Ontario. When operational in the first quarter of 2008, the Victor Mine will have 375 full-time employees.
A number of training and business initiatives have been developed to provide local First Nation communities meaningful and long-term participation in the project.
“It’s important for the Moose Cree citizens to be entering into this IBA with De Beers because it shows respect for our Homeland,” said Chief Patricia Faries-Akiwenzie. “Our people have been here since time immemorial and will continue to live in and off this land. Now that De Beers is extracting our resources it is only fair that we have reached an agreement that provides benefits for our First Nation. This Agreement represents a major step forward in our relationship with outside resource users and breaks the trail for other companies who want to utilize our resources in the Moose Cree Homeland.”
“The development of the Victor Mine is providing positive, tangible benefits for northern Ontario and the First Nations communities on the James Bay Coast.” said Jeremy Wyeth, Vice President De Beers Canada Victor Mine. “De Beers is passionate about what we do and it is important for us to work with those close to the resource to turn diamond dreams into lasting realities for everyone involved.”
This is the third community agreement that De Beers Canada has concluded for the Victor Mine and the seventh signed by the company in Canada. The previous IBA for Victor was formally signed with Attawapiskat First Nation in November 2005 and a Working Relationship Agreement with Taykwa Tagamou Nation was signed in May 2005. De Beers Canada has concluded four additional Impact Benefit Agreements with local Aboriginal communities for the Snap Lake Mine in the Northwest Territories.
The Victor Mine will be Ontario’s first diamond mine and is expected to produce six million carats during its twelve-year life span. It will be the second diamond mine in Canada for De Beers, following the opening of the Snap Lake Mine in the Northwest Territories in the fall of 2007.
Silver Spruce invites four Aboriginal people to serve on advisory board
Silver Spruce Resources Inc. (TSXV: SSE) is a Canadian owned and operated uranium exploration company that is committed to working with the Aboriginal peoples of the areas in which it is working.
To help the company carry out its exploration in a manner that is both environmentally and culturally sensitive, an advisory Board was formed early in 2007. Four people, all of Aboriginal descent and all residents of Labrador, have agreed to serve on the Board. They include: Marcel Ashini, George Riche, Ernest McLean, and Ed Montague.
All of the Advisory Board members are active in their communities and in Aboriginal affairs. Innu representatives include Marcel Ashini, a development officer who lives in Sheshatshui and who works directly with the Chief of the Sheshatshui band and George Rich who lives in Natuashish and is a member of the town’s Child, Youth and Family Services committee.
Inuit representatives include Ernest McLean, a former Minister of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs with the government of Newfoundland and Labrador who lives in North West River and who is a beneficiary of the recently formed Nunatsiavut government.
Ed Montague, a geologist, is the former representative of the Department of Natural Resources of the provincial government in Labrador West who resides in Labrador City and is also a beneficiary of the Nunatsiavut government. Mr. Montague brings knowledge of both Aboriginal issues and technical expertise to the Advisory Board having spent 25 years with mining and engineering companies such as Bechtel, Placer Dome and United Keno Hill in Canada and overseas, prior to joining the provincial government. He is a graduate in geology from Memorial University of Newfoundland and is a Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) registered with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Lloyd Hillier, President and CEO of Silver Spruce comments, “We appreciate the commitment to their province, and the sustainable economic development of it, that has convinced these gentlemen to agree to serve on the Board to help guide Silver Spruce’s exploration efforts.”
“We are committed to working with the Aboriginal people of the province to develop its resources for the benefit of all the people in the province. The management of Silver Spruce looks forward to a long, mutually helpful relationship with the Advisory Board and the Aboriginal people they represent.”
Silver Spruce continues to be focused on uranium exploration in the Central Mineral Belt of Labrador. The company is currently carrying out an intensive exploration program including a minimum 8,000 m drill program on the Two Time Zone that will lead to the company’s first-ever uranium resource calculation.
Tamerlane reaches agreement with the Hay River Métis Council
Tamerlane Ventures Inc. is pleased to announce that a business agreement with the Hay River Métis Council has been signed. The agreement outlines job and business opportunities to the Hay River Métis Council for the Pine Point Project and ensures a long lasting relationship between Tamerlane and the Hay River Métis.
Ross Burns, President & CEO, said, “We are extremely pleased to be continuing a mutually beneficial relationship with the Hay River Métis Council and look forward to working with them as we develop our Pine Point Project."
Old uranium mine, once cursed, is now a source of renewal for Dene
By Bob Weber
He haunts the old mine like a bad memory, a persistent witness to Port Radium’s tragic link to atomic bombs, the nuclear arms race and the slow deaths of dozens of his people.
“We don’t feel good about this place,” says Joe Blondin, 67.
He can’t forget that this mine on the wild, rugged eastern shore of Great Bear Lake supplied uranium to the bombs that fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as to innumerable warheads since.
(Above) Aerial view of Port Radium Mine.
(Below) View looking west over Echo Bay toward Great Bear Lake, NWT
He can’t forget how many Dene mine workers from the 1940s and ‘50s have since died of cancer, including Blondin’s own father, mother, sisters-in-law and nephews.
He can’t forget how Canada’s first uranium mine scarred both the land and his community of Deline, the so-called Village of Widows, where so few old men survive that local traditions and knowledge are fading for want of Elders to hand them down.
“Even today’s young generation don’t like (the mine),” he says.
“It killed a lot of their parents and grandparents.”
But to Leroy Andre, head of the Deline Land Corporation, Port Radium is a symbol of rebirth.
“It makes me feel good to see to see all the young people out here, cleaning up this place.”
Under terms of an agreement signed in 2005, Port Radium is in the final stages of a $6.8-million reclamation. While the work is paid for by Ottawa, it is being done by the descendants of those who hauled dusty sacks of uranium ore on their backs, who cut wood for stoves and steam engines, who hunted moose for the miners’ tables.
The old mine, once a source of heartbreak, is now a chance to gain modern skills and earn a paycheque.
“It’s a good opportunity,” said Cameron Yukon, 20, who runs an excavator where his grandfather once toiled. “I don’t think too much about (the past).”
The old mine yielded millions of pounds of silver, radium and uranium between 1930 and 1982, and that activity left plenty of cleanup work to do.
“When you start remediation, you always find surprises,” said Bob Johnson of Aboriginal Engineering, owned by the Dogrib First Nation. “You start digging up ground and you always find stuff.”
The site, 440 kilometres north of Yellowknife, covers roughly 21 square kilometres.
Six asbestos-shrouded buildings had to be demolished and removed. Junk that still litters the site, from handfuls of nails to a rusty old ore car, is being scooped up, landfilled and buried.
Eighteen mine openings, as well as several cave-ins, have to be plugged with 250 cubic metres of hand-mixed concrete. A kilometre of two-metre chain-link fence has to be strung. Roads will be torn up and reseeded.
Five tailings areas are radioactive, and visitors wear dosimeters to monitor their exposure. As well, thousands of tonnes of tailings were simply dumped in Great Bear Lake, North America’s fourth largest.
The land-based sites will be covered by an average of a half-metre of rock to absorb radiation, keep tailings from animals and stop them from blowing around. Because removal would simply stir up radioactivity, underwater tailings will be left in place.
Studies suggest the bedrock is stable and impermeable enough to block water from leaching through tailings and into the lake.
Radioactivity is a minor concern. In 120 days at the camp, a worker gets slightly less radiation than the average urban Canadian’s yearly dose.
“(The tailings) are not that hazardous,'' said Ron Stenson of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. “The biggest problem is not the radioactivity. It’s the hazardous chemicals.”
The federal government will continue to monitor the site, inspecting it every six months and checking water quality in the lake yearly.
But nobody kids themselves that Port Radium will ever look how it did beforethe mine. However, planners believe it will be safe to visit, safe for the fish and animals and safe for the humans who eat them.
And 42 people from Deline (out of the 56 on site) will have had full-time work, with 15 of them getting valuable training in heavy equipment and dealing with hazardous materials.
“It’s good for Deline,” said Lee Tutcho, 29, who took advantage of the six-week training program offered in the community. “If I could keep going, it would be nice.” He’s likely to get his wish.
The federal government lists 480 sites in the Northwest Territories that require cleanup, from fishing camps to mine sites. Twenty-three of them – 14 with high priority – are in the Deline area.
And as mineral exploration grows in the North, the need for new cleanups is growing all the time.
“Whenever we move into a site to remediate it, we find a junior mining company (exploring) right there beside us,” said Johnson. Several such companies are even poking around Port Radium.
Jobs don’t heal everything.
Indian and Northern Affairs has paid for on-the-land programs to help Elders pass along their knowledge and preserve their culture. It also funded workshops last spring in Deline to discuss how best to rebuild the social cohesion disrupted by the generation lost to the mine.
More must be done, said Andre. “There’s a strong feeling in the community saying ‘Why isn’t my mental health being addressed here?’” he said.
And Blondin, who grew up at the mine site and blames it for three years he spent in hospital, still doesn’t believe Port Radium has been redeemed. He quotes an old prophesy from a Dene shaman named Ayha, who foresaw the mine and dreamed a vision of bombs full of its rocks falling on faraway cities long before the ore body was discovered.
“Those people (in the cities) looked a lot like us,” said Blondin. “That’s how we knew this place is dangerous.”
Andre understands the emotion. Al-though he’s seen abundant tracks of moose, caribou and bear, he never hunts here.
“I don’t know whether it’s fear, or what,” he said. But Andre said Blondin is living in the past, and points out there’s more to Ayha’s prophesy.
Some day, Ayha foretold, this land will be so full of people that Great Bear Lake will be the last place for the Dene to cast their fish nets. That means today’s Dene must do everything they can to preserve it and find a way to continue living there.
“We truly believe that,” he said. “We’re doing this to maximize protection on our land,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of beautiful land and we don’t want to see more contaminants. We’ve got to make sure we can control development.”
“It looks good.”
Discovering gold on the Red Lake Mine Trend
The Red Lake Mining District is world renowned for high-grade gold with Goldcorp’s Red Lake Gold Mines (RLGM) considered to be one of the highest grade producing gold mines in the world. The mines of Red Lake have produced tens of millions of ounces of gold, making it one of the world’s most prolific gold camps. Premier Gold Mines Limited is a company recently created to focus on developing its advanced properties in the district, the primary focus being the Rahill-Bonanza Project.
The Rahill-Bonanza Property is a large land package being explored under a 50/50 joint venture with Goldcorp. The property is located immediately adjacent to Goldcorp’s RLGM. Premier and Goldcorp have recently started a major surface and underground drill program on the property, initial deep drilling has returned high-grade gold intersections including 14.21 g/t over 5 meters.
Drilling at the Bonanza gold discovery in late 2004 returned numerous high-grade intersections including 13.27 g/t gold across 19.0 meters and 8.66 g/t gold across 22.0 meters. Expansion drilling will resume late in 2007.
Premier has several other projects in Red Lake including the East Bay Project that has been subject to several drill programs by Premier and joint venture partner Goldcorp. The deposit at East Bay is comprised of several parallel gold zones hosted within an altered ultra-mafic rock unit, similar to the geological setting at the primary gold mines that have made Red Lake a household name in mining circles.
Successful exploration over the past several years, and a strong working relationship with the only gold producer in the camp, has Premier poised to capitalize on its strategic land position and become involved in potentially building Red Lake’s next major gold mine.
Aboriginal community development with the resource sector
The Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association (CAMA) will be holding its 15th Annual Conference in Vancouver from November 4th-6th. This year’s theme is Growing Communities in Changing Economies - Aboriginal Community Development the the Resource Sector.
The minerals sector is the fastest growing employment sector in Canada today with record amounts of money spent on mineral exploration, development and mining. Aboriginal communities wish to play a bigger role in working with mining companies.
Conference delegates will hear from experts about:
- Strategies for Economic Development Partnerships
- Uranium Exploration
- Mine Reclamation
- Structuring Exploration Companies
- Revenue Sharing, Royalties and Financial Management
- Developing Businesses for Supplier Services
- Treaties, Titles and Tribulations
- And much more...!
WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND
Are the opportunities passing by Aboriginal communities without consultation, participation and involvement? What needs to occur to seize opportunities while protecting the legal, economic, environmental and social well being of the community’s members and traditional territory?
A panel of Aboriginal Leaders will discuss corporate strategies to balance corporate community responsibility and mineral development opportunities.
The Corporate Leaders panel will present companies’ perspectives, lessons learned and strategies to work with communities; as well as how companies have gained a competitive edge by working with communities.
Supreme Court Justice Stephen O’Neill and Sandra Gogal, Chair for the CBA National Aboriginal Law Section will discuss the state of Aboriginal Treaties and Title issues.
WHO WILL ATTEND
- Aboriginal Leaders, Administrators, Advisors and Councillors
- Resource Industry Executives and Aboriginal Liaisons
- Economic Development Officers
- Prospectors and Developers
- Financiers, Investors and Lenders
- Environmental Consultants
- Infrastructure Contractors
- Suppliers to the Resource Industry
- Government Officials
What delegates found beneficial about last year’s conference:
- It is a first class forum that provides an excellent opportunity for discourse and that provokes thought about critical issues
- The wide variety of speakers, their knowledge & background and the quality of knowledge & experience of delegates
- The common-mindedness of participants led to high quality discussion
- New perspectives on agreements with hopeful perspectives for the future
- The practical experience of the Aboriginal community and the exchange of information - sharing knowledge
- Learning about different and new initiatives that First Nations across Canada are doing for community development
CAMA conferences help with the relationship building that must occur among government, Aboriginal peoples and industry in order to advance the contribution of mining to the future prosperity of Aboriginal communities.
Tahltan First Nation helping make Galore Creek mine a sustainable project
By Craig Wong
The Tahltan First Nation, which will play a key role in the building of the Galore Creek copper and gold mine, wants to help improve the reputation of mining in their communities by changing the way it’s done.
Curtis Rattray, chairman of the Tahltan Central Council, said the definition of sustainability needs to consider the big picture.
Stikine River, BC
“Sustainability isn’t about a five-year window, sustainability is about a 100 or 1,000-year window and you need to think and plan in that kind of context,” Rattray told a meeting held by the Association for Mining Exploration B.C.
“If you don’t you’re never going to reach mining sustainability.”
Galore Creek is being built in northern BC by NovaGold (TSX:NG) and Teck Cominco (TSX:TCK.B). Last year, NovaGold and the Tahltan signed a deal outlining the First Nation’s support and participation in the project’s development.
The agreement ensures collaboration between both parties for mine planning, mine operation and environmental protection with input from Tahltan Elders included in changes to the final mine plan. The Tahltan will also have to approve the closure of the mine after the land is reclaimed and before the company can walk away from the site.
The deal also includes ensures training and education programs for the Tahltan people and money for the Tahltan Heritage Trust Fund, which will be used to mitigate any adverse social and cultural from the mine.
“The Tahltan have been exposed to colonization for 150 years and those are the social impacts that are in our communities today as a result of that experience and we know that government is not going to fix those problems,” Rattray said.
“We’re the ones that are going to have to do it ourselves, but we need that revenue in order to address our social and cultural impacts.”
NovaGold CEO Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse said the key to making the Galore Creek project sustainable is the infrastructure the company is building in the region including a 135 kilometre road and airfield.
“Once you put that infrastructure in then you can be mining in that district for hundreds of years,” Van Nieuwenhuyse said.
In August, NovaGold and Teck Cominco finalized their partnership to develop the Galore Creek mine. The deal, first announced in May, sees NovaGold and Teck Cominco jointly control operating company Galore Creek Mining Corp.
Teck Cominco has committed to invest an initial US$478-million toward its US$2-billion construction cost and split all subsequent costs with Nova Gold.
The aim is to begin production in 2012 at the open-pit mine which should have a 65,000-tonne-a-day processing rate for at least 20 years.
Galore Creek is expected to produce in excess of 430 million pounds of copper, 340,000 ounces of gold and four million ounces of silver annually during the first five years of operations.
The company said it expected the project would create up to 1,000 jobs during construction and 500 full-time jobs during operation.
Wahgoshig First Nation Signs MOU with Sheltered Oak Resources and Sage Gold
Chief Dave Babin of the Wahgoshig First Nation (WFN) and Robert K. Hanson CEO and a Director of Sheltered Oak Resources Inc. (Oak) and Nigel Lees, President and CEO of Sage Gold Inc. (TSX VENTURE:SGX) (Sage), are pleased to announce that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on September 27th committing to an ongoing relationship between the WFN and the companies with respect to the Sage and Oak joint venture in the Kerrs gold property.
The Kerrs Gold Property is located near Matheson, Ontario on lands to which WFN asserts treaty and Aboriginal rights. The property was optioned by Oak (a private Ontario corporation) from Sage in February 2008, through a three year option agreement. A drilling program is planned to test the up dip section of the Kerrs Gold system in order to trace the high grade vein structures encountered in recent drilling of the property.
The MOU establishes the foundation for a positive and mutually beneficial relationship between WFN, Oak and Sage by setting out the terms applicable to the parties upon signing of the MOU. The terms of the MOU include consulting and advisory services by the WFN, training, ongoing communication, financial contribution to the WFN community, an allocation of OAK shares and subject to Regulatory approval a grant of stock options in Sage to WFN. In addition, WFN and the Companies have agreed to negotiate an Impact Benefits Agreement (IBA), should the project proceed to the operational stage.
An important initiative, funded by Oak and Sage was the completion of archeological and anthropological studies in the area of planned exploration activities. The studies did identify sites of cultural importance which now will be respected and protected during the exploration activities.
“This agreement demonstrates that First Nations and companies can work together in a positive and creative way while accommodating their respective objectives. The companies' agreement and cooperation in ensuring that our Native values and cultural sites would be protected, was paramount for us in this particular case,” said Chief Babin, “The agreement also provides some immediate benefits which are beneficial to us, and as importantly, it includes a commitment to negotiate a comprehensive agreement should the project move to the operations phase.”
The CEO and a Director of Oak, Robert K. Hanson agreed. “We believe that our future together will be bright and we look forward to working together with you and your community. We see this MOU as the beginning of a positive and continuing relationship with the Wahgoshig community.”
Maurice J. Kistabish, who acted as a head negotiator on this MOU, commented, “The commitment from Oak and Sage to listen to our concerns with respect to the land and our cultural values, and then to accommodate our interests in the planned exploration program, was fundamental to achieving agreement. We appreciate the approach that the companies have taken and their commitment to work cooperatively with us as the project proceeds.”
Negotiations toward an IBA will commence upon a decision from the Oak and Sage Boards to move from exploration to production. The MOU outlines the agenda and the process for conducting the IBA negotiations. Topics will include employment, training, business opportunities and financial compensation among others.