i wonder if NOT is using it.

From left, Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, Eric Hoffman, CEO of Activation Laboratories, and MPP Bill Mauro get a look at the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer that Wesley Atchison, ICPMS operator, is using to analyze samples of geochemicals. The group toured the new lab that is located on Walsh Street in Thunder Bay.

Karen McKinley

The mining sector in Northern Ontario is getting more sophisticated and a laboratory company is expanding to meet the needs.
Activation Laboratories, also known as Actlabs, a mineral analysis company, held its grand opening of their new office and laboratories on Walsh Street on Friday.
The opening was an occasion for the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to announce funding for the company.
“We are very excited to be partnering with Actlabs,” said Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry. “The Heritage Fund is contributing $1 million dollars to help create over 100 new jobs in mining assay services.”
The funding will help with building labs in Timmins, Red Lake and expansion in Thunder Bay.
Eric Hoffman, president of Actlabs, said their move to the new location was an expansion of their services.
“When we decided to expand, we could have been anywhere in the world because the mineral exploration industry is very vibrant,” Hoffman said. “One of the factors that lead to us expanding in Northern Ontario was the possibility of funding from the NOHFC.”
Hoffman explained Actlabs came to Thunder Bay and the north in 2008 and provides the mining industry with a full range of analytical services, including atomic absorption and sample preparation. The grant is bringing a new type of technology, fluorescent technology and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
“We are expanding quite considerable in Northern Ontario,” Hoffman said. “The new technologies the funding will support will bring around 40 high-skilled jobs to Thunder Bay.”
The introduction of these new technologies will attract more exploration companies to the north as they have access to more sensitive testing. Hoffman explained fluorescent technology will help with the Ring of Fire development, plus several other companies considering new iron ore mine sites. The mass spectrometry will help with deep penetrating mineral deposit discovery.
“Most of the easy access deposits have been found and this will help companies see deeper into the Earth’s crust to find deeper deposits.”
Actlabs does work for many of the companies currently working on the Ring of Fire project. Hoffman said they were enticed to come to the north to provide companies with high-quality analytical services.