.... locals are understanding now that they need to steer events in order to benefit from them .
Get up, stand up for your mining rights, says T-Bay Chamber
By: Northern Ontario Business staff. Published on: 1/7/2010 10:25:27 AM
The Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce is zeroing in on mining-related opportunities in the McFauld's Lake 'Ring of Fire' exploration camp.
At its upcoming annual general meeting, Feb. 3, Frank Smeenk, president of KWG Resources and its subsidiary Canada Chrome Corp. will be the keynote speaker.
KWG is one of the mining players involved in developing a chromite deposit into a mine in the James Bay Lowlands. Canada Chrome Corp. would run the mine and a proposed 350-kilometre long ore haul railroad from McFauld's Lake to a junction near the village of Nakina in northwestern Ontario.
Thunder Bay and other municipalities are angling to be the host community for the ore processing facilities to make ferrochrome, used in stainless steel production.
The entire mining and mill project is estimated at $1.5 billion and involves U.S. iron and coal miner, Cliffs Natural Resources.
In a statement in the chamber's January newsletter, president Harold Wilson is rallying the business community to step up and realize the spinoff benefits of “billions” of new money derived from future mining projects in the region.
“Many of us remember when, as a business community, we got largely scooped by other communities, including Sault Ste. Marie, when Hemlo (gold deposits) opened up – we sat and expected to reap the work.
“This time, we need to be a lot more proactive about ensuring that the resulting expenditures to develop these mining sites comes to Northwestern Ontario, and that Thunder Bay maximizes the benefits that will come.”
