Ontario Government Pledges $7.9 Million to Forestry and Mining Companies 

In late June, the Government of Ontario announced that they are providing $7.9 million to businesses in the forestry and mining industries in northeastern Ontario. According to a press release, this investment is intended to promote economic development as well as create and retain 112 jobs in the Sudbury  and Algoma regions.

“Our government is proud to invest in the forestry and mining industries in north-eastern Ontario to enhance business operations, drive productivity, and boost competitiveness in key sectors,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry. “The investments will propel northern Ontario’s economy forward by creating and preserving good jobs for hardworking northerners across our vast region.”

 Funding will be delivered through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), a service agency that promotes and stimulates economic development initiatives in northern Ontario. 

 The NOHFC promotes economic prosperity across northern Ontario by providing financial assistance to projects that stimulate recovery, growth, job creation, and skills development. Since 2018, the NOHFC has invested more than $318 million in 3,134 projects in northern Ontario, creating or sustaining more than 4,850 jobs.

 Information on the companies and the amount of money each company received can be found at https://bit.ly/36JMfhB.

 Forests Ontario Plants 880,000 Trees to Honour Canadian Vets As part of a joint effort between the Highway of Heroes (HOH) Tree Campaign and Forests Ontario, more than 880,000 new trees were planted across Ontario this past spring.  

According to a press release from Forests Ontario, the HOH Tree Campaign pays tribute to veterans by planting a tree for each of the two million Canadians that have served in the Canadian Armed Forces. The campaign reduces planting costs for eligible landowners living near Highway 401 to meet its goal. “Our partnership with Forests Ontario and the 50 Million Tree Program has allowed us to take immense strides toward reaching our goal of supporting the planting of two million trees in total,” said Mike Hurley, Executive Director the HOH Tree Campaign. “In just two years, we have gone from having less than 10% of our goal planted to just over 75%. But perhaps what is most meaningful is that many Canadians can now take great pride in knowing that they have a small piece of this sprawling living tribute in their own backyards.” 

The new trees are meant to honour all the Canadians that have served during times of conflict since Confederation, including the War of 1812. As well, the trees planted along Highway 401 will provide wind and snow barriers, stabilize soil, absorb groundwater runoff, sequester carbon, and provide new habitats for wildlife. According to a press release, planting forests to sequester carbon is one of the most effective methods to cool landscapes and mitigate the effects of climate change.

 “It’s very exciting to see this partnership so close to its goal,” said Rob Keen, Registered Professional Forester and CEO of Forests Ontario.“

The HOH campaign is unique, as it enables Ontarians to protect their environment and improve their communities while paying tribute to our Canadian Heroes. We’re honoured to be a part of this noble mission.”

 The HOH Campaign is expected to finish by the end of 2022. Since its beginning, the campaign has rooted nearly 1.6 million trees and created over 700 ha of new forest in total. Hurley and Keen urge those property owners living within 30 km of the 401 corridor between Windsor and Cornwall to reach out to either HOH or Forests Ontario. Visit www.hohtribute.ca for more information.

 Forests Ontario (www.forestsontario.ca) is a non-profit charity that has facilitated the planting of more than 37 million trees across Canada since 2004.

 Weston Forest Receives  Award for Business Excellence 

 For the fourth year in a row, Ontario-based Weston Forest announced it is once again a recipient of the Canadian Business Excellence Awards for Private Businesses. 

 The awards are presented by Excellence Canada, an independent, not-for-profit corporation that is committed to advancing organizational excellence across the country. According to Excellence Canada’s press release, recipients must demonstrate a strategic approach to improving business performance and achieving goals, with a focus on three key performance areas: delighted customers, engaged employees, and innovation.

 This year, Weston Forest is among 26 businesses receiving the award from coast to coast. The awards were presented at a virtual cocktail reception on Wednesday, June 9.

 “This is yet another affirmation that the people-first culture at Weston Forest continues to take us in the right direction,” said Steve Rhone, President and CEO of Weston Forest. “The stringent criteria and employee survey component of the Canadian Business Excellence Awards for Private Businesses validate the hard work and dedication of our team. Everyone at Weston Forest should be proud of this accomplishment, as should our customers and suppliers.”

 Since 1992, Excellence Canada has helped thousands of organizations become cultures of continuous quality improvement and world-class role models, through its organizational excellence standard and its multi-level progressive methodology.

 Weston Forest is one of North America’s leading full-service distributors and remanufacturers of softwood and hardwood lumber, and specialty panel products. The company operates a distribution and remanufacturing facility at the head office in Mississauga, ON, and uses several distribution and remanufacturing facilities in Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New York, and Michigan.

 Element5’s New Timber Plant Achieves Certification

 Element5, Ontario’s first cross-laminated timber (CLT) manufacturer, announced that their new factory in St. Thomas, ON, has received certification from PFS TECO of Cottage Grove, WI for the production of CLT under the ANSI/APA PRG 320-2019 Standard for Performance-Rated Cross-Laminated Timber.

 According to a document published by the Engineered Wood Association in 2012, the ANSI/APA PRG 320-2019 standard tests qualification and provides quality assurance for performance-rated cross-laminated timber, which is manufactured from solid-sawn lumber or structural composite lumber intended for construction purposes in North America. 

 “It is an amazing milestone that was achieved through extraordinary collaboration and dedication by the entire team,” said Chris Latour, Vice President of Manufacturing Engineering at Element5. “A special appreciation for our excellent quality team and PFS TECO for the strong partnership.”

 In a press release, the company says the certification is the first of many certifications to fall into place. Now that the testing and certification process has been successfully completed for V2 Grade five-layer CLT made from spruce-pine-fir (SPF), certification of the company’s other panel layups will follow. 

 Element5 began construction on their new 137,000 ft2 manufacturing facility in the second half of 2019, before the pandemic. Overcoming the extra challenges brought by 2020, construction stayed on schedule and the highly automated manufacturing line was installed, commissioned, and certified on the company’s original timeline. 

 “Chris and his team, jointly with our valuable partners PFS TECO and Ledinek, have worked incredibly hard together to achieve this goal in a very short period of time and they all deserve credit and appreciation for this major accomplishment on Element5’s journey,” said Element5 President and CEO, Patrick Poulin. 

“We know many people are celebrating this milestone along with us. Developers and designers have been anticipating the availability of Ontario-made CLT and we are excited to move forward on projects in our pipeline.”  

 Gatling Signs Exploration Agreement with First Nations Groups

 On July 20, Gatling Exploration Inc. announced an exploration agreement with the Matachewan and Wahgoshig First Nations by signing an amended agreement proposed this past January. The agreement is around Gatling’s Larder Gold project, located in the prolific Abitibi greenstone belt in northern Ontario.

 The agreement sets out the framework by which the company and the First Nations groups will work together to build a positive and mutually beneficial working relationship. According to a company press release, specific objectives include: 

 • Establishing a cooperative and collaborative working arrangement between the company and the First Nations groups

 • Promoting timely dialogue and communication to foster an open, direct, and respectful relationship among all parties

 • Establishing a relationship through which the First Nations groups can identify opportunities for their businesses and citizens to participate in the company’s activities

 • Enhancing the First Nations groups’ capacity to participate in opportunities related to the exploration activities, which may include training during the life of the project

 The agreement also means that both Gatling and the Matachewan and Wahgoshig First Nations will establish a timetable and start negotiations toward an Impact Benefit Agreement.

 “This major milestone for Gatling marks the culmination of more than two years of relationship building and discussions between the company and the Matachewan and Wahgoshig First Nations, and sets forth a solid foundation for continued cooperation as the Larder project advances further along the value chain,” Jason Billan, Gatling Exploration’s CEO, stated. “We are pleased to have the Matachewan and Wahgoshig First Nations groups as positive supporters and key stakeholders of the Larder gold project, with strong alignment to our shareholders. We look forward to laying the groundwork, following the signing of the exploration agreement, as we head towards an Impact Benefit Agreement in due course.”

 Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, the company has granted incentive stock options authorizing the purchase of 100,000 common shares to the First Nations groups. As well, the company will issue to the First Nations groups a total of 100,000 common shares, subject to the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange.

 Gatling Exploration is a Canadian gold exploration company focused on advancing the Larder Gold Project, which hosts three high-grade gold deposits along the Cadillac-Larder Lake Break, 35 km east of Kirkland Lake. The project is 100% controlled by Gatling and all parts of the Larder property are accessible by truck or all-terrain vehicles on non-serviced roads and trails.

 Frontier Lithium Finds Pegmatite on Electric Avenue 

 Frontier Lithium Inc. has announced the results for two of six drill holes completed between February and March on the Spark pegmatite deposit. The results came after a delay due to the pandemic and quality assurance/quality control issues during processing. 

 According to the press release, the first diamond drill hole (PL-048-21) collared in pegmatite and intersected 340.7 m of pegmatite averaging 1.68% Li2O, and includes two continuous intersections and narrower high grades zones of up to 26 m of 2.36%. The second hole (PL-GDH-06-21) intersected 82.2 m, averaging 1.25% Li2O. The western extent of the deposit is open and appears to be trending to the southwest. 

 “These results reflect the strong homogeneity of the Spark deposit’s spodumene and corresponding lithium grades in the pegmatite,” stated 

Garth Drever, Vice President of Exploration. “The probability of the deposit extending to the southwest is exciting. Over the next three weeks we will be on site at the project preparing for the summer drill program starting in early July. Our objectives will be to complete the geomechanical drilling and to upgrade the bulk of Inferred resource to Measured and Indicated as required for the company’s advancing PFS.” Results from the remaining four holes are pending.

 The PAK Lithium project encompasses 26,774 ha at the south end of Ontario’s Electric Avenue, the largest land package hosting premium lithium-bearing pegmatites in Ontario. The project covers 65 km of the avenue length and remains largely unexplored; however, since 2013 the company has discovered two premium spodumene-bearing lithium deposits (Pak and Spark) located 2.3 km from each other.

 Death at Barrick Mine Prompts Temporary Closure, Investigation 

An incident that ended with the death of a 48-year-old man prompted a mine owned by Barrick Gold to halt production this past July. The incident occurred July 14 at Hemlo mine, 44 km east of Marathon, ON. 

 According to the CBC, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) stated that officers and Superior North EMS paramedics were called to the site about 40 kilometres east of Marathon at about 9:55 pm. When they arrived, the victim was deceased. 

 The OPP identified the deceased as Troy Cameron of Marathon. 

The mine suspended production and immediately offered counselling services to Cameron’s family and employees of the mine. In a press release, the company stated they are working closely with the Ministry of Labour and the OPP to evaluate the incident and expressed their deepest sympathies to family, friends, and colleagues of the employee. 

 Surface operations resumed on July 20, including processing. According to Reuters, Barrick Gold’s spokesperson Kathy du Plessis stated: “Underground works have focused on maintenance activities and re-inspection of 

work areas for potential hazards.” She added: “The underground willprogressively return to full production over the coming week.”

 In more than 30 years of continuous operation, Hemlo has produced more than 21 million ounces of gold. It is located 350 km east of Thunder Bay, ON. 

NewOrigin Gold Starts Drilling on North Abitibi Gold Property

 On July 13, NewOrigin Gold announced the start of its diamond drill program on its North Abitibi property in northeastern Ontario. The diamond drill program will drill up to 3,000 m to test extensive zones of gold mineralization at that property. According to the company press release, the program will also further evaluate changes at depth within zones of known mineralization and conduct drill tests of near-surface exploration targets, identified by induced polarization (IP) surveys and past till sampling.

 “We are excited to begin drilling on our North Abitibi gold project on the Casa Berardi trend in northeastern Ontario,” said Mark Santarossa, President of NewOrigin. “North Abitibi is in proximity to operating gold mines and hosts significant historical near-surface high-grade gold drill intercepts. NewOrigin will test recently identified surface and deep IP targets below previous drilling with a view to discovering a significant gold resource.”

 North Abitibi is a 10 km property, covering more than 4,200 ha and bisected by the Casa Berardi Fault. The property is 120 km northeast of the town of Cochrane, ON. The fully permitted property and mineralized zones are accessible by highway and gravel road.

 NewOrigin Gold’s other property, the Sky Lake Gold Project, has been on a temporary hold by the Ontario Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines due to COVID-19 being a threat to the nearby community. During the delay, the company says it is actively building relationships with the Mishkeegogamang First Nations Community, traditional land and rights holders of the area.

 “While disappointed with the prolonged permitting delays at Sky Lake, a meaningful dialogue has been established with our Indigenous partners, focused on building a long-term respectful relationship in the region,” said Mark Santarossa. “We appreciate the Mishkeegogamang’s willingness to engage with us and will continue to seek their support while we await our drill permit.”

 NewOrigin Gold Corp. (formerly Tri Origin Exploration Ltd.) is a Canadian gold exploration company focused on making a major gold discovery in the Canadian Shield. 

 MMTS Launches Bursary Program in Sudbury Community group Modern Mining & Technology Sudbury (MMTS) announced a new bursary program for students already enrolled in mineral resource-related programs at three Ontario institutions. 

 Three bursaries will be awarded to a student enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate (masters, doctorate), technology or skilled trades program related to the mining industry. The student must be taking full-time classes in a program spanning at least two years, at Laurentian University, Cambrian College, or College Boreal. Each scholarship is valued at $1,000. 

 According to a MMTS news release, students studying in programs that lead to careers in the mineral resources industry will be considered. Examples of these include (but are not limited to): 

 • Engineering

 • Geosciences

 • Environment

 • Biology/Ecology

 • Chemistry

 • Physics

 • Common Core

 • Health and Safety

 • Indigenous Studies

 • Business and Management,

 • Heavy Equipment Technician

 • Robotics

 • Information Technology (IT)

 • Electrician

 • Occupation Therapy

 • Welding

 • Fabrication Technician

 Modern Mining & Technology Sudbury (Formerly Sudbury Mining Week) is a volunteer organization. Volunteers have backgrounds that include exploration, mining, academic, and government organizations. MMTS strives to partner with the mining industry, government, and educational institutions to educate, enlighten, and excite youth about the broad range of modern mining and technologies related careers in Greater Sudbury and northern Ontario. 

De Beers Pleads Guilty to Failing to Report Mercury Monitoring at Victor Mine  De Beers Canada Inc. has pleaded guilty to a count of failing to provide mercury-monitoring data within the operation of Victor Mine in 2014, a diamond mining operation that sits upstream from the Attawapiskat First Nation.

 Assisted by Ecojustice lawyers, the Wildlands League filed a private prosecution against De Beers in 2016 for failing to report levels of mercury and methylmercury at its Victor Mine. 

 Wildlands League alleged that De Beers failed to report properly on mercury levels from five of nine surface water monitoring stations for the creeks next to its open pit mine between 2009 and 2016, violating a condition of its Certificate of Approval. These are offences under subsection 107 (3) of the Ontario Water Resources Act.

In a statement sent to CBC News in July, De Beers says it was never charged with failing to take samples, monitoring, or for polluting the environment. They also said mercury was never used during operations at the Victor Mine.

“All sampling results for mercury have complied with the mine’s Certificate of Approval, and all annual mercury monitoring reports for Victor Mine are publicly available on De Beers Canada’s website.”

 The statement added that its guilty plea was in connection to results for its G2 station at the mine in 2014. The G2 station was located between two other stations. Mercury sampling from the two other stations were included, but G2 was not. Additionally, the company said the mercury-monitoring program for Victor mine is more rigorous than that of any other mine in Ontario.

 In 2015, Victor Mine was Ontario’s only diamond mine, 90 km west of James Bay and Attawapiskat First Nation along the Attawapiskat River. The mine opened in 2008 and ceased operations in 2019.

 In a 2016 news release, Wildlands League stated that though the mine does not directly deposit methylmercury into nearby creeks, its activities triggered impacts 

on the environment by stimulating the conversion of mercury already present in the ecosystem into methylmercury.

 Methylmercury enters the food chain through the gills of fish, which are consumed by the Indigenous people in the region, endangering both the people and the environment. 

 In their statement to CBC News, DeBeers said this would not have changed the outcome of the monitoring analysis, but acknowledged that this information should have been reported in line with the condition.

 De Beers has agreed to post publicly on its website (www.canada.debeersgroup.com) all past and future annual mercury monitoring reports, CBC News stated. The company also agreed to pay a $100 fine and make a $50,000 donation to an agreed upon charity.