Ontario Mining Review Spring 2016

Ontario Mining Review

Spring 2016

Documentary series

sheds light on how mining affects aboriginal communities

FIFO fears:

Things to consider

Elsa Nielsen

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Ontario Mining Review

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Published by: DEL Communications Inc. Suite 300, 6 Roslyn Road Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R3L 0G5 President and CEO: David Langstaff

Ontario Mining Review

Publisher: Jason Stefanik Managing Editor: Cindy Chan cindy@delcommunications.com

Message from the Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Michael Gravelle

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Message from the Northwestern Ontario Prospectors Association president, Bob Chataway

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There’s girl power in mining

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Documentary touches on hot topic

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Top three factors for families starting fly-in, fly-out

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The history of mining in Ontario

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Advancing female entrepreneurs as suppliers in the mining sector

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Your only turn-key environmental engineering service provider

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Can’t hold the Ontario mining industry down

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The search for unconventional ores at the Sudbury Structure

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Unimin Canada invests for the long term

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Serpent River update proves promising

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Leisure Farms Construction always does its best

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Index to advertisers

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On the cover: Adam Brody Coulter, regional geologic mapping for Wallbridge Mining Company.

See story on page16.

Spring 2016

PRINTED IN CANADA 02/2016

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Message from the

Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Michael Gravelle

Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines

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Ontario Mining Review

Mining is a major contributor to Ontario’s economy, and in today’s rapidly changing industrial landscape, our ministry is working hard to ensure mineral sector growth is not only sustained but strengthened.

Mineral production in Ontario contributed record revenues of $11 billion in 2014, while each year $6.6 billion in gross output is produced by global mining supplies and services. As well, the mineral sector generates more than $1.7 billion in payroll.

Consider that $8.9 billion in equity capital was raised on the TSX and TSXV in 2014 alone, with Toronto being the world’s largest financing centre for mining. The fact is Ontario’s mineral sector accounts for more than 1.1 per cent of the provincial GDP with nearly $1 billion invested annually through capital expenditures on mines.

Our government’s goal is to maximize opportunities that build on this success, foster the growth of Ontario’s mineral sector and help industry overcome the global economic challenges that have impacted world markets for the last few years.

With challenge comes opportunity.

We are working harder than ever to maintain Ontario’s position as one of the world’s leading mining jurisdictions, and to become the global leader in sustainable mineral exploration, development and production.

Ontario has real potential to lead a market rebound.

How? Access to international investor capital is absolutely critical, and several strategic new initiatives demonstrate our government’s support for mineral sector rebound and growth.

For example, Ontario will host and co-sponsor the inaugural Mines and Money Americas conference and exhibition in Toronto from Sept. 26 to 28, 2016.

Mines and Money is the world’s premier event for mining finance and investment, bringing together international investors and major miners and providing traditional prospectors, junior exploration firms and smaller mining companies with a unique opportunity to connect with potential investors.

This is the first time in its history that a Mines and Money conference will be hosted in North America. It will be a privilege to showcase Ontario’s mineral sector in an effort to attract new business and investment.

Another step we’ve taken is Ontario’s renewed Mineral Development Strategy (MDS) which was unveiled in December 2015.

Directly aligned with the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario, MDS is a 10-point action plan for shaping mineral exploration and development over the next decade. It reiterates the vital role that exploration plays in Ontario’s economy and outlines the steps to achieving long-term growth and prosperity of our mineral sector.

MDS addresses several priorities for resource development in Ontario, including: • maintaining competitive production and transportation costs; • supporting groundbreaking technologies to identify new ore deposits; • driving future labour market opportunities; • strengthening our aboriginal partnerships; and • retaining Ontario’s status as one of the world’s safest mining jurisdictions.

This renewed strategy will foster more exploration and help increase mineral discovery rates, which is critical to the future development of new mines. Furthermore, it encourages innovation and collaborative research among the mineral sector’s many partners.

We are committed to introducing tools to attract more risk capital and to provide financial supports for Ontario-based prospectors and juniors which will help increase exploration activity, even in challenging economic times.

That commitment is clearly echoed through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation’s $5-million contribution toward the new Junior Exploration Assistance Program which will be administered by the Ontario Prospectors Association.

Our government’s support for the mineral sector is also strongly reflected in the modernization of Ontario’s Mining Act. The Mining Act provides security of mining land tenure and a fair and transparent regulatory framework, consistent with the recognition of existing aboriginal and treaty rights, allowing companies to plan long-term growth.

As part of the Mining Act Modernization process, amendments to the legislation have been introduced proposing to implement province-wide online claim registration and an integrated land management system which will promote a dynamic and competitive business climate in Ontario, ensuring the province is open to global investment.

Major initiatives like the renewed Mineral Development Strategy and Mining Act Modernization, coupled with our tax regime and R&D tax incentives, competitive energy programs and modernized infrastructure systems, contribute significantly to Ontario’s growing reputation as a premier global destination for mineral sector investment.

Despite cyclical downturns and market fluctuations, it’s clear that Ontario remains well-positioned to face future change and challenges head on.

Looking forward, I am confident that our government’s strategies to maximize opportunities in the mineral sector form a solid blueprint to proactively build an even stronger province for the benefit of all Ontarians.

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Message from the

Northwestern Ontario Prospectors Association president, Bob Chataway

Welcome to the PDAC (Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada) International Convention, Trade Show and Investors Exchange from the Northwestern Ontario Prospectors Association (NWOPA).

The northwest region of Ontario has a rich history when it comes to mines, minerals and prospectors. Most notably, we have the Red Lake gold deposits, producing for more than 90 years and still going strong; the past-producing Shebandowan Mine; the platinum/palladium mine of North American Palladium; the Hemlo gold mines; the Victor Diamond Mine; and a huge resource of chromite in the Ring of Fire. New Gold Inc. is developing a gold mine in the Kenora/ Fort Frances area, and there is potential for iron ore and lithium production. The geology is some of the most prospective in Canada.

The Ontario Geological Survey (OGS) staff is widely recognized as the best resource available to new explorers. Over the years, many successful prospectors have plied their trade in the northwest. This has led to a culture of well-trained young prospectors with a keen eye to finding new showings and hopefully new discoveries. NWOPA honours the best at the annual Northwestern Ontario Mines and Minerals Symposium in Thunder Bay. This year, the event takes place from April 5 to 6. For registration and more information, please visit www.nwopa.net.

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Ontario Mining Review

Some of our recent award winners are noted here: Lifetime Achievement Award Iain Downie; Dr. James (Jim) Franklin; Lyle Holt, prospector; Perry English, prospector.

Bernie Schneiders Discovery of the Year Award Rudy Wahl, Prairie Lake Niobium Project; Zenyatta Ventures Ltd., graphite discovery; Transition Metals, Sunday Lake Intrusion PGM Project.

The Bjorkman family, prospectors and geologists and winners of numerous awards were also recognized.

Other winners include Ewan Downie, Premier Gold; Mac Watson and Don Hoy, Freewest; Dan Calvert, Mel Stewart, Russell Kwiatkowski, Mike Luski and John Halet, prospectors; and Al MacTavish and staff, Magma Metals.

We look forward to honouring the next generation of winners when the exploration season gets back on track. Good prospecting!

There’s girl power in mining

By Cindy Chanbb If there’s anyone who has experienced a complete 180-degree turn in careers and lived to tell the tale, it’s Elsa Nielsen.

Fine art? More like mine art. Now a miner and a driller in a Long Tom heading since 2013, Nielsen had originally attended school at York University in Toronto, Ont. where she earned a bachelor of fine arts degree. Nielsen’s passions lie within painting, photography and Asian art history. However, she was working as an offshore investment accountant for State Street Corporation in downtown Toronto.

“My work was high-pressure and fast-paced, but it wasn’t satisfying at all. I’m a creative individual and I was stuck in a numbercrunching job. I didn’t find my work challenging and I wasn’t inspired by it,” Nielsen says, adding that while attending York University, she worked in the mines up north as her summer job.

Nielsen had worked as a student underground production worker, spending most of her time tramming – both pulling chutes by herself and being loaded by a scoop operator. Eventually, Nielsen left her job to return to the mines – and she hasn’t looked back since.

“I work with a partner, and my duties in a Long Tom heading involve mucking out the previous round, bolting up with a jackleg and stopper, plotting on my print where the next round will be taken and drilling and blasting my round,” Nielsen explains her job duties. “I also extend services as my heading progresses, i.e. water/air pipes and installing ventilation tubing.” When necessary, Nielsen is also a scoop operator and a trammer.

Although equipped with an arsenal of skills and knowledge of mining, Nielsen says she still experienced some challenges as a woman in the profession.

“There was a brief adjustment period for my co-workers on the front lines having a woman in their midst,” Nielsen recalls.

She remembers being faced with different reactions – some were positive, but a lot were negative. She says men didn’t know how to interact with her, if they could joke around with her and if they could say curse words in front of her.

“I’m happy to say that within a couple of months, it felt like most miners were at ease and comfortable with my presence in their workplace,” Nielsen says.

However, for Nielsen, she says the most challenging obstacle was trying to convince the middle management and training department to promote her. She had wanted to develop her career beyond equipment operation and onto development mining.

“I experienced some major pushback from middle management,” Nielsen says. “I was never really a serious consideration for promotion as a driller because my captains couldn’t visualize me doing the job and had no day-to-day exposure to my skills or abilities. It was much easier for them to believe ‘She isn’t strong enough’ or ‘She’ll just get hurt’ rather than give me a fair chance.”

To combat some of the challenges Nielsen – and many women – faces, she recommends a multifaceted strategy, which includes training for frontline supervisors and middle management that spreads awareness about unconscious bias; a cross-training strategy for frontline workers to ensure productivity which also ensures women get developed alongside men; a rotation of duties to ensure all workers keep up with all cross-trained tasks; and engaging and promoting local female talent to save on the costs of fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) operations.

Elsa Nielsen.

My duties in a Long Tom heading involve mucking out the previous round, bolting up with a jackleg and stopper, plotting on my print where the next round will be taken and drilling and blasting my round.

Spring 2016

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Documentary touches on hot topic

How the Ring of Fire affects aboriginal communities

By Cindy Chan Paul Rickard never forgot where he came from.

Born and raised in the community of Moose Factory, Ont., Rickard was the director, producer, cameraman and writer for the sixepisode documentary series, Ring of Fire, which told the tale of how several aboriginal communities felt about the titular resource development site. The series is a co-production between Mushkeg Media (ROF) Inc. producers Rickard and George Hargrave and A Beautiful Forest Inc. producers Lloyd Salomone and Nelson Milley from Fredericton, N.B. According to Rickard, Salomone had pitched the idea of doing a documentary on the Ring of Fire to him and Hargrave.

“We were kind of figuring out how to approach this project and, obviously, with the Ring of Fire, it’s a huge, complex project,” Rickard explains.

Eventually, Rickard and his team compiled their research by going into the communities that were affected by the Ring of Fire, with the purpose of collecting and listening to the community members’ response to the mining project. Afterwards, they pitched the series to APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network).

“It’s a six-part series that looks at the issues of concern for the communities on how they see the Ring of Fire,” Rickard summarizes the documentary. He adds that the communities want their more

Paul Rickard (camera) and Theo Levi (sound) film with Roy Spence and Frank Shewaybick of Webequie First Nation. Photo taken by Zoë Barrett-Wood.

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Ontario Mining Review

Paul Rickard. Photo taken by Darryl Rickard.

pressing issues settled prior to agreeing to any development on the Ring of Fire, such as social issues, health issues and education issues.

Rickard was adamant on having aboriginal people’s opinions at the forefront rather than the usual government and industry perspective.

“At the time, there were a lot of articles and newspapers and stories about the Ring of Fire from the industry and government perspective,” Rickard says. “Very little was coming from the community in terms of what the community members thought. While doing research, I figured it’s better to tell the story from the communities’ perspective, to show what was important to them, how the Ring of Fire plays a role in their future.”

They started filming in June of 2014 and finished filming in September 2014. They spent their entire summer there, staying for two to three weeks at a time, leaving for one week and returning afterwards.

However, the real work began way before that. Rickard recalls one of the biggest challenges with this documentary was getting community members to participate, which was why he had to gain their trust before the cameras started rolling.

“The first part of our project was visiting and not filming,” Rickard says. “We hung around the community, visited people, visited the bingo halls and attended various functions.”

The effort the team put into integrating into the community led to more open conversations and the occasional invitation to join a fishing trip. However, the most rewarding thing, for Rickard, was the chance to talk to the elders.

“My dad was an elder as well; he’s in his late 80s. I grew up hunting and trapping with my father. I had a really good understanding of the cultural component, so being able to showcase and talk to the elders was rewarding,” Rickard says.

Ring of Fire was initially intended to be a one-time series, but Rickard is open to the idea of creating a sequel to check in with the communities.

“Down the road, if there’s an actual mine happening, it’ll be interesting to do a follow-up to see how things turn out for the communities,” Rickard says.

To watch the episodes, visit aptn.ca/ringoffire.

Top three factors for families starting fly-in, fly-out

By Angie Willcocks, Mining Family Matters psychologistbb Is the fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) lifestyle bad for families?

It’s a question I’m frequently asked by people (often outside the mining industry) who are intrigued by the concept of working thousands of miles away from home.

The answer is yes and no. Some families love the lifestyle and say it’s brought them much closer together while helping them to achieve their financial and career goals. Others say it’s the biggest mistake they’ve ever made.

It’s definitely true, though, that all FIFO families have it rough sometimes (just like every other family on the planet!). And when tough times happen, it helps enormously to know they’re not alone.

For families just starting out in FIFO, or contemplating the lifestyle, below are the top three factors worth considering.

1. S ome individuals and families cope better than others This probably seems obvious, but in my six years with Mining Family Matters, I’ve been really fascinated to see certain themes emerging time and time again. People who cope well with working away (or with their partner working away) tend to: • See working away as a positive choice that is helping their family achieve important and shared goals; • Have a positive, problem-solving approach to the inevitable problems that arise; • Have practical support from extended family, friends or paid help; and • Prioritize looking after themselves, both physically and emotionally.

2. Working away can make existing problems worse Underlying problems like mental health issues, relationship problems, excessive drug or alcohol use and physical health problems can worsen with the demands of working away. All individuals and families have issues to deal with, and adding in an extra stress like working away can tip the balance if there is not a plan in place to manage whatever the issues are. Pretending problems don’t exist won’t help.

The good news is that there’s never been more help available. Use the help to identify and address any personal or family problems that you face. Become the best version of yourself and reap the rewards.

3. Simple strategies can help people cope better, and these can be learned Once upon a time, psychologists thought that people were either born resilient or not. We now know that what we call resilience is a set of skills like any other set of skills. They can be taught, people can learn them and practice will improve them.

Key coping skills are: • Problem-solving. Instead of just worrying, resilient people tend to get on and try to work out solutions to problems they face.

• Recognizing what is happening in one’s thinking, and making the choice to avoid thinking traps like catastrophizing (“I’ve had the worst week ever”), over-generalizing (using “always” and “never” when the reality is “sometimes”) and snowballing (when one thing leads to another in your thinking and you end up with a bigger and worse problem than you started with).

• Asking for and accepting support and help from others, including family, friends and professionals (yes, this is a skill that can be practised).

• Recognizing the good things in life. This can be practised through exercises such as writing down three good things at the end of each day.

• Good communication. Good communication skills contribute to positive relationships both at work and at home, and good relationships help people cope better with tough times.

For further expert advice on mining and exploration relationships and parenting, visit the Mining Family Matters website at www.miningfm.ca.

Spring 2016

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The history of mining in Ontario

By Leonard Melman

Many visitors to Toronto, when looking upward to the tops of those enormous banking towers along Yonge and Bay Streets, might believe that banking and other financial corporations were the primary historic factors in Ontario’s economic growth.

Others might look at industrial plants in Hamilton and other cities and come to the same conclusion.

However, they would likely be wrong, because there is ample evidence to conclude that that it is the mining industry which has made the greatest of contributions to Ontario’s economic growth and, most certainly, to the expansion of communities across its vast northern and western areas.

Throughout the past century and more, mining’s economic and social contributions to Ontario have been truly substan-

tial. According to figures provided by the Ontario Mining Association, the value of mining production within Ontario approached $11 billion by 2014 while leading the way in Canadian production of gold, nickel, copper, platinum group metals (PGMs), salt and several structural materials.

Many small to mid-sized communities have relied on employment within the world of mining for their economic stability, and it is estimated that when all facets of the mining industry are combined, total mining industry employment within the province now exceeds a quarter of one million people. It is also worth noting that the industry has successfully trained and provided employment opportunities for First Nations peoples throughout Ontario.

Throughout the past century and more, mining’s economic and social contributions to Ontario have been truly substantial.

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Ontario Mining Review

A condensed provincial history of the spread of mining indicates a pattern which has moved through the years from south and central Ontario toward more northern regions and then westward all the way to the Manitoba border.

An important scene of early mining activity was the Temagami district, located to the east of Lake Nipissing near the Quebec border. Among the earliest district mines, we find the Big Dan Mine, named after prospector Dan O’Connor. Mining operations began early in the 20th century and continued until a forest fire destroyed mining infrastructure in 1907.

Other Temagami district mines which saw active production in that era included the Barton Mine which produced molybdenum, gold, silver, copper and bismuth beginning in 1906 and continuing until this mine was also the victim of a fire which closed the mine permanently in 1918.

Further to the north, the Sudbury mining district became the most important

Ontario mining area with the discovery of nickel ore by a railroad crew in the late 19th century. Subsequent exploration determined that incredibly valuable deposits were laid down by meteorite impact about one billion years ago. Discoveries led to the development of deep underground mining along an oval pattern with a circumference of about 150 kilometres.

Early Sudbury area mines included the Creighton Mine which began production in 1901 and which continues in operation up to the present with known reserves estimated to last for another 20 years. New exploration programs designed to extend known mineral resources are continuing.

Another historic Sudbury mining operation is the Frood-Stobie Mine, which began operations early in the 20th century and which eventually became one of the world’s great nickel mines, making vital contributions to the Allies’ war efforts in both World Wars. In fact, it was estimated that 40 per cent of the Allies’ nickel used in artillery production came from FroodStobie. After more than a century of operations, the mine eventually closed in 2012.

Mining continued to expand to the north with the opening of the Timmins region and important operations which made significant economic contributions to that area included the Hollinger, McIntyre and Dome mines. The Hollinger Mine opened in 1910 and continued in operation until 1989 when the area went on “care and maintenance” status, but present-day owner Goldcorp is looking to reinstate open pit operations. During its heyday, Hollinger was the largest gold mining operation in Canada. The McIntyre Mine operated from 1912 until closure in 1988, eventually producing more than 10,800,000 ounces of gold.

One of the area’s most famous mines, the Dome Mine enjoyed tremendous early growth and eventually employed almost 800 miners in the years before the Second World War. Production continued at a high level until the early years of the present century when declining reserves and ore grades eventually led to an announced cessation of mining operations in early 2016.

Northern Ontario mining development continued with the opening of the Lake Shore gold mine which operated near the

present-day city of Kirkland Lake from 1918 through 1965 and which made major contributions toward the development of that city.

Heading westward, uranium ore was discovered near the city of Elliot Lake, resulting in the opening of several uranium mining operations, including the Denison and Golden Giant mines. Uranium production continued from the 1950s up to the early 1990s.

Recent years have witnessed extensive mining exploration and development from

north of Lake Superior westward through Red Lake, Armstrong and down to the Rainy River region. Notable mining camps have included the enormously productive Hemlo discovery which saw the establishment of several important mining corporations during the late 20th century.

Mining was important to Ontario’s past economic development, and it remains so today. The industry’s future remains bright with exceptional areas of exploration such as the staggeringly rich Ring of Fire region yet to be developed.

Spring 2016

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Advancing female entrepreneurs as suppliers in the mining sector PARO grows their work in the north A couple of years ago, the PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise realized that female entrepreneurs would be an asset to the mining sector.

The organization embarked on a strategy to provide support to women and the mining sector to increase women’s participation as suppliers. Ontario’s mine supply and service sector has approximately 1,400 supply and service companies offering a full range of capabilities, such as mine exploration and operation, equipment and technology, security and safety, environmental studies and site reclamation. It is a growing sector that is worth 9 3 9 E L I S A B E L L A S T R E E T, S U D B U R Y, O N P 3 A 5 K1

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Ontario Mining Review

about $5.6 billion a year and provides 23,000 jobs.1 It is unknown to date how many female entrepreneurs are servicing the mining supply and service sector in northern Ontario, as this is a relatively new and emerging area. Recent surveys on gender and the sector have not yet been compiled. However, according to the Ontario Mining Association, “women are the largest underrepresented group in the mining sector”. 2 PARO has collaborated with women and a myriad of community partners to develop and grow women’s businesses for more than 20 years. PARO’s expertise in business development was established by working with suppliers (i.e. female entrepreneurs) and purchasers (i.e. private and public entities) in all sectors of the economy. Through this work, PARO recognized a gap – the poor linkage between woman-owned businesses and procurement and purchasing departments in the mining sector. As a result, the team at PARO as well as staff and leaders in the sector designed a plan to advance woman-owned businesses as suppliers in the mining sector. The hope is to continue to expand the opportunities for women-owned businesses to directly supply goods and services to this sector.

PARO identified key barriers that keep women out of the mining supply sector. To address these barriers, PARO, with input from industry and community leaders, including women already active in the sector, developed a mining procurement tool kit, offered workshops, linked entrepreneurs to mentorships and offered networking opportunities that have helped more women gain the information, skills and confidence needed to compete for supply contracts within the mining sector and expand their businesses.

PARO found that collaborating with procurement departments in the sector enables women and their businesses to be recognized as reliable sources of goods and services for a sector dominated largely by larger corporations and male-headed businesses. PARO also saw that strengthening this direct business relationship could enable woman-owned businesses to gain access to larger-scale economic opportunities in northern Ontario and guarantee more consistent, long-term revenues from the mining sector.3

PARO has collaborated with women and a myriad of community partners to develop and grow women’s businesses for more than 20 years.

Christina Burk.

The strategy has had overwhelming participation, targeting women across all language and cultural groups. In the span of 24 months, more than 1,100 women have participated in and/or benefited from procurement events, workshops and networking, expanding their knowledge of doing business in the mining sector and increasing their direct engagement as suppliers in the procurement process.

Christina Burk, PARO circle member and successful owner of two companies, was recognized this year at the Marathon Business Awards Gala as the “Entrepreneur of the Year”. PARO assisted Burk over the last three years, helping her to develop her businesses in various ways, such as assisting with her health and safety policy

and helping her secure a mining contract with a gold company by providing PARO’s mining tool kit.

We are excited to report that more and more female entrepreneurs are becoming suppliers in the mining sector. This participation is essential to our northern economy.

PARO welcomes input and participation from the community and the mining sector in this endeavour. Contact executive director Rosalind Lockyer at rlockyer@paro.ca or lead bilingual business counsellor Marie-Eve Poliquin at northeast@paro.ca. You can also call (807) 625-0328.

Footnotes: http://www.mndm.gov.on.ca/en/northern-development/miningsupply-and-services 2 http://www.oma.on.ca/en/ontariomining/facts_figures.asp 3 Adapted from ‘Advancing Women-owned Businesses as Suppliers in the Mining Sector’ by measureMe, January 2016.

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info@paro.ca

110-105 May Street North Thunder Bay, ON P7C 3N9 Tel: 807.625.0328 Fax: 807.625.0317

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Spring 2016

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Your only turn-key environmental engineering service provider ing the requirement of any additional treatment.

CSCA not only provides expertise in wastewater management and environmental engineering but in environmental spill response and aviation. The availability of our own helicopter to respond to spills, leaks or emergencies allows us to respond and assess the scene quickly and efficiently. We have specialized sampling and monitoring equipment, as well Canadian Shield Consultants Agency Inc. (CSCA) was formed more than 15 years ago, and today it has become the only turn-key service company in Ontario in the world of wastewater treatment business.

Through the years, CSCA has developed expertise in engineering, construction and maintenance of wastewater treatment systems, as well as becoming a member of the Professional Engineers Ontario.

The mining sector is at the core of our engineering projects, which includes services such as assessments, feasibility studies, hydrogeological studies under the Ontario Water Resources Act (OWRA), Ag-

gregate Resources Act (ARA), consulting, engineered design, Environmental Compliance Approval applications and more.

CSCA strives to be an innovative consultant to help clients tackle all types and sizes of wastewater projects. From domestic to high-strength wastewater treatment, each project is approached from the clients’ point of view in order to meet and exceed all requirements and expectations.

Recently, CSCA has designed a wastewater treatment plant for the destruction of ammonia from the mine process water, as well as designing a wastewater treatment system to reduce the TSS below effluent discharge objectives as a result eliminat-

as a mobile treatment unit to allow for sampling, initial lab analysis on-scene and treatment of contaminated or wastewater if necessary.

Additionally, CSCA has experience in performing environmental site-specific assessments of facilities and their equipment for potential risks associated with spills, leaks and/or emergencies. CSCA can provide training and information seminars at company facilities or work sites to inform of regulative responsibilities, as well as give proper training and steps for initial spill response to be taken by company and employees in the event of a spill, leak and/or emergency.

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and the services we provide, please visit our website at www.canadianshieldconsultants.com, or feel free to call at (866) 691-0424. You can also visit our office for a consultation with one of our professionals.

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Ontario Mining Review

Can’t hold the Ontario mining industry down

By Leonard Melmanbb It is no secret that the year 2015 was not one of the best for Ontario’s mining industry due to the combined effects of low metal commodity prices and some continuing opposition from the environmental community.

However, in spite of these circumstances, optimism regarding the likelihood of growing long-term demand for metals remains high, and it appears the industry stands to gain markedly from a lower Canadian dollar which increases Canadian currency revenues from mining production as well as substantial benefits from declining energy costs.

As a result, many mining companies are looking past the recent difficult period and are planning ahead for renewed growth and profitability. Given the number of exploration, development and mining companies operating within the province, space does not permit a thorough listing of all ongoing activities. However, the specific company activities listed below1 are meant to illustrate the type and extent of Ontario mining project planning.

Lake Shore Gold Corp. operates two mines in the Timmins area, the Timmins West Mine and the Bell Creek Mine. Both are underground mining operations, and gold production during 2015 amounted to approximately 178,000 ounces. Going forward, Lake Shore is continuing to explore its 144 Gap Zone at the Timmins West Mine and plans to release a new resource estimate for that zone during the first quarter of 2016. They also plan to continue drilling on the 144 Trend during this year. Additionally, the company is working to advance their Gold River Project located south of the 144 Gap Zone.

Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. is an active gold mine with two Ontario projects, the producing Eagle River Complex near Wawa and the developmental Moss Lake property located to the west of Thunder Bay. Gold production in 2015 amounted to 50,712 ounces from Eagle River, and the company has announced plans to increase mill throughput from a current level of 900 tonnes per day (tpd) to 1,380 tonnes per day by the second half of 2017 while gold recovery is planned to reach a range of 74,000 to 82,000 by 2018. Looking forward, exploration work is currently in progress with the potential to double mine life at both the Eagle River underground mine and the Mishi open pit.

An important consolidation initiated in late 2015 and concluded in early 2016, which was the acquisition of St. Andrew Goldfields Ltd. by Kirkland Lake Gold. The combined company now possesses important assets located near Kirkland Lake within the famous Abitibi Greenstone Belt, which is expected to produce between 260,000 and 310,000 ounces of gold during 2016. In ad-

dition, the company believes there is significant upside exploration and development potential. During 2016, particular focus will be placed on three main areas at the flagship Macassa Mine Complex.

Farther to the north, Detour Gold is operating its Detour Lake Mine located 185 kilometres northeast of Cochrane which has been in commercial production since 2013. The mine is currently producing gold at a rate of approximately 500,000 ounces per year which is expected to increase to more than 600,000 ounces per year from 2016 to 2018, with an estimated mine life of 23 years. The company continues to plan exploration and development programs going forward, and 2016 plans include about 60,000 metres of drilling at Zone 58 at the Detour Mine; 8,000 to 10,000 metres at the Lower Detour trend; and another 5,000 to 7,000 metres at other regional targets.

Premier Gold Mines Ltd. is planning renewed activity active in two areas of Ontario as they strive to advance their two Ontario projects, the Trans-Canada property near Geraldton in partnership with Centerra Gold and the Rahill-Bonanza property near Red Lake in partnership with Goldcorp. Trans-Canada is an advanced project on which a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) points toward development of a gold mine with estimated production at 200,000 ounces per year and a mine life of 15 years.

Plans for 2016 include completion of a mineral resource estimate in the first quarter 2016 and release of a feasibility study during the first half of 2016.

New Gold Inc. is planning to move their Rainy River project toward production by spending approximately $375 million (CAD$300 million) during 2016. These expenditures will focus on process plant production, tailings dam construction, continued commissioning of their mobile fleet and a ramp-up of preproduction mining activities.

These projects – and there are many others within the province – serve to demonstrate the faith industry leaders have in the future of Ontario mining. While there are indeed obvious risks, there are also evident possible rewards – including making a lasting contribution toward both economic and human developments within Ontario.

Footnotes: Information has been obtained from corporate news releases, presentations and other website information deemed to be reliable.

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Spring 2016

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The search for unconventional ores at the Sudbury Structure

By Shannon Katary

Adam Brody Coulter, regional geologic mapping for Wallbridge Mining Company.

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Ontario Mining Review

One of the key areas that the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) is working on is exploration (new deposits, expanded mines) and geophysics, both surface and underground, which is strategically important to mining sustainability.

A partnership between CEMI, Wallbridge Mining Company Limited and Western University (Western) has been established to study one of the most important mining districts in Canada – the Sudbury Structure. This partnership is supported with funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Ontario Centres of Excellence and Mitacs.

Since the discovery of nickel-copper ores in 1883, the Sudbury region has grown to be the largest and most profitable mining district in North America, with past production plus current inventory, using today’s prices, estimated at $400 billion. Together with Wallbridge exploration staff, the project involves seven graduate students, three post-doctoral fellows and several undergraduate students working alongside Dr. Gordon Osinski of the Western University. Other collaborators at Western have been brought on board, including Dr. Neil Banerjee, Dr. Audrey Bouvier, Dr. Richard Grieve, Dr. Robert Linnen and Dr. Philip McCausland.

In June 2015, Dr. Osinski was awarded a renewal of his NSERC IRC (industrial research chair). Named the NSERC/MDA/ CSA/CEMI industrial research chair in Earth and space exploration, the award for $750,000 covers a five-year period.

The primary research goal is to further the understanding of large-scale impactrelated processes and structures that control mineralization in the more non-traditional Cu-Ni-PGE ore deposits located

distal to the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) footwall contact at the Sudbury impact structure. The research aims to answer a series of questions concerning the origin of the so-called “Sudbury breccia”, host to footwall vein deposits, and Offset Dykes at Sudbury and their mineralization. Several competing models exist for the origin of both the Sudbury breccia and the Offset Dykes, which prevents the development of robust exploration strategies.

This project involves significant fieldwork, with mapping, sampling and geophysical surveying, and is aided by remotesensing data and the use of modern field portable instrumentation (e.g. X-ray fluorescence) and data collection platforms (e.g. GIS-enabled PDAs and tablets). The field component of this research is focused on investigating the underlying structural controls on the emplacement of the Offset Dykes and offset ore bodies and the Sudbury breccia. Detailed mapping of outcrops is being conducted in order to determine how the different Offset Dyke phases relate to one another, to the SIC and to sulfide mineralization.

Since the discovery of nickel-copper ores in 1883, the Sudbury region has grown to be the largest and most profitable mining district in North America.

Follow-on laboratory work conducted at Western University is largely being carried out in the new Earth and Planetary Materials Analysis Laboratory (epma.uwo.ca). The centrepiece of this lab is a state-of-the-art field emission electron microprobe, which provides imaging and analyses capabilities at the micron to nanometre scale. When coupled with regular optical microscopy and bulk geochemical analyses, this laboratory work seeks to understand the origin of the different Sudbury breccia and Offset Dyke phases and, in particular, the origin of the sulfides and the controls on mineralization. The goal is to establish a set of criteria to determine what makes a particular Sudbury breccia and Offset Dyke locality more likely to host economic mineralization.

This innovative research also utilized knowledge from other meteorite impact craters on Earth and Mars to better understand the Sudbury Structure which, at about 200 kilometres in original diameter and 1.85 billion years in age, is one of the largest and oldest meteorite impact craters on Earth.

“Gord and his team are showing that by combining diligent field investigations with modern remote sensing and lab-scale laboratory technologies new insights into the origins of valuable ore deposits are still possible, even in 100-year old mining camps,” says Damien Duff, vice-president of geoscience and geotechnical research and development at CEMI. For more information on this project and others, visit www.cemi.ca.

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Unimin Canada invests for the long term

Canadian nepheline, mined in Ontario’s Kawartha region since 1935, will continue with the proposed modernization of Unimin’s Blue Mountain site

By T.K. Kramasz

Canadian nepheline, prized for its versatile performance properties, is cost-effective in its production processes with minimal environmental impact.

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Ontario Mining Review

Unimin Canada aims to build on its deep local roots through a modernization project designed to reinforce the international mining company’s commitments to the Canadian market.

The proposed project, which calls for state-of-the-art noise reduction technology as well as reduced energy consumption and water usage, would consolidate Unimin’s existing plants in Blue Mountain and Nephton, Ont., into a modernized plant at the Blue Mountain location. Unimin currently mines and processes Canadian nepheline, a premier deposit of the rare and highly valued industrial mineral, at these two sites.

“Our modernization plans, once approved and implemented, will allow us to better serve our customers, reinforce our commitments to the communities where we work and live and enhance our environmental stewardship,” says Carl Horvat, Unimin’s regional general manager.

Canadian nepheline is processed in an environmentally friendly manner without toxic chemicals. Its characteristics make it the ideal building block for many household and industrial products common to everyday life, including plastics, fibreglass and ceramics.

These factors resonate well with Unimin’s customers, the majority of which are

abroad. They also put Unimin’s local operations on the world map.

“Canadian nepheline has the highest alumina content of any other deposit in the world. That’s its key attraction,” says Bob Marshall, plant manager for Unimin Canada. “Alumina is very important in the making of glass and ceramics. It reduces the amount of energy its manufacturers need to use as well as improving the quality of the finished products.”

Modernizing Unimin’s Blue Mountain operation would ensure that the company maximizes the use of this valuable mineral. The plans, once approved, would also reduce its use of water and consumption of electricity. It will take about four to six years to complete the modernization, at which time the Blue Mountain site sisteroperation at Nephton will close down.

“Since we’ll be operating one quarry, the overall scope and environmental footprint of our operations will drop dramatically,” says Marshall. “This new level of efficiency and worldwide demand for our product will ensure that our commitment to oper-

Increased use in all major markets, including glass, ceramics, coatings and plastics, is expected to elevate demand for Canadian nepheline around the world.

ating in this area will continue for decades to come.”

Likewise, Unimin’s commitment to environmental stewardship will continue under modernization.

“Helping the environment is not new to us,” says Cynthia Jamieson, Unimin’s environmental manager. “We excel at business decisions that help the environment, and consolidating our operations will further reduce our environmental footprint.”

Unimin Corporation, part of the worldwide Sibelco Group, is one of North America’s leading producers and distributors of non-metallic industrial minerals, including quartz, feldspar, nepheline syenite, calcium carbonate, clay, kaolin, lime and limestone.

For more information on the modernization of the Blue Mountain operation, visit www.canadiannepheline.com. Visitors can also register to receive updates.

Spring 2016

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Serpent River update proves promising

By Melanie Franner

Since acquiring the Serpent River property in 2006, International Montoro Resources Inc. has been building up data on it slowly and steadily. The company’s latest 2015 program on the Elliot Lake-area property saw two holes drilled to depths of 1,005 and 1,317 metres respectively.

Results from the two holes – PDH No. 1 and PDH No. 2 – are indicative of a potentially significant Ni-Cu-PGE mineral deposit.

From there to here The 1,840-hectare Serpent River property, which is located about 15 kilometres from Elliot Lake, has long been considered a potential uranium deposit. Historically, the property was shown to contain Drill hole No 1. cross section.

significant uranium mineralization. Information predating NI43-101 showed an indicated resource of 20,000,000 tons grading 0.037 per cent U308 or 14,800,000 pounds U308. This estimate was based on very limited drilling. Montoro’s own drilling on the property has found uranium values in mineralized quartz pebble conglomerates consistent with these historic results. But a 2009 summary of Ontario Geological Survey field work showed a strong geophysical anomaly on the claims that were previously thought to be caused by iron formation. New interpretations of the Pecors Anomaly concluded it may be the result of a mafic-ultramafic body that could contain contact-style nickel-copper-PGE mineralization similar to that found near Sudbury. Sediment sampling from nearby Pecors Lake has since shown high levels of nickel and chromium, which

Drill hole No. 2 cross section.

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Ontario Mining Review

lent further weight to the analysis.

Recent work Additional airborne surveying and subsequent 3D modelling helped Montoro narrow the focus of its work to a concentrated area on the Serpent River property – now commonly known as the Pecors Anomaly – an inversion block measuring approximately seven kilometres long by three kilometres wide. In the spring of 2015, the company then set about with a diamond-drill program.

“We drilled the first hole because it was located at the shallowest point where we expected to intersect the interpreted gabbro unit, the rock type which could host potential Ni, Cu and PGE mineralization within the Pecors Anomaly,” explains Gary Musil, president and CEO of International Montoro Resources. “We drilled the second hole approximately 650 metres northwest of PDH No. 1 at the point where the magnetic intensity in the Pecors Anomaly was the highest and in an area where we interpreted that a possible feeder dike could enter the magma chamber.”

As a result of a combination of the drilling and the use of down-hole probing

technology, two distinct conductive anomalies were detected and modelled from PDH No. 2. At down-hole depths of about 580 to 590 metres, this shallow anomaly was 75 metres (246 feet) from the hole and coincides with the contact between the Huronian conglomerate and basalt. The second anomaly detected at 975 to 1,021 metres was only 70 metres (230 feet) from the hole and it coincides with a thick gabbro unit.

The main objective of the drilling and probing program was to better understand the geology and nature of the VTEM magnetic anomaly identified during the airborne survey and the 3D interpretation of the anomaly. On that score, the program paid off.

“The program was successful and the information obtained from the drill program will be very useful in the planning of a further exploration program,” says Don Hawke, consulting geologist for Montoro.

“Although only anomalous values of NiCu-PGE were received in the two holes, I remain optimistic that the results obtained through the recent programs give further

evidence that the Pecors target may host a new deposit type in the Elliot Lake mining camp.”

Next steps According to Musil, Montoro has two options available in the immediate future.

“One, we could go back down, re-enter PDH No. 2 and then wedge off the hole near the anomalies in order to try to attain more data and intersect the conductors,” he explains. “Or, the more likely, a second option, is to use AMT magnetotelluric technology, which will allow us to conduct the survey from the surface in order to provide a better picture of any conductive targets within the Pecors magnetic anomaly itself. This type of technology can provide data to a depth of about two kilometres.”

Musil adds that both options can be conducted at any time, even in the winter.

“We will focus on getting financing in place to move forward with either one or both options later this winter or early in the spring,” he concludes.

www.montororesources.com

Ph: 604-683-6648

Pecors Anomaly

Spring 2016

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Ontario Mining Review

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