With the recent stock options release ...it got me thinking about something.

When you go back to the Noront stock options releases ....you normally see "issued to employees, directors, officers or a combination of these.

If you are not a producing company...you look for the best way to "pay" consultants without using a lot of coin or no coin. Options are a good way.

The thing is ...the stock has to move up so these "consultants" can get "paid."

Otherwise...they are not going to want to consult for you....for nothing..or next to nothing.

If you look carefully at the latest stock options news release......you'll see that Consultants have been included. Did you see how many stock options in total...over 4.8 million.

Think back to a time you saw such a humongeously large amount of options issued.....and had consultants included as well. June 30 2009 had a release like that. The stock went to .99 July 15 and climbed to a high of 3.01 Aug.4 /close of 2.70 in 2009. Below is a portion of that release.

TORONTO, ONTARIO June 30, 2009, Noront Resources Ltd. ("Noront” or the “Company") (TSX Venture:
NOT) announces that pursuant to the Company’s Stock Option Plan and subject to any regulatory approvals, it
has granted 3,865,000 Stock Options set at Cdn.$0.62 for a period of five years (2014) to new and existing
employees and consultants of the Company. These Stock Options have a three year vesting period. None of
these Stock Options were granted to the existing Members of the Board of Directors

now...I will say..that I found another instance in May 5, 2011 where "consultants were included for options at .88.

Shortly after.... the Strategic Baosteel deal was signed,, Noront released an economic mineral reserve at the Eagles nest and they doubled the chromite deposit.

With all of these "good news" items ...the price went no where and the consultants during 2011 could not get "paid" since the options were not in the "money."

I am certain they are very hungry at this point and in order to accept options this time around in exchange for all or part of their services... I would expect that they would need some sort of assurances ... or demand full payment at the time of service completion.

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On another matter...I notice some discussion back and forth about...the idea that without financing announcements...equipment is not ordered?? Therefore construction delays??

Having worked in the construction industry for 25 years....I can tell you...things are very different.

I cannot count how many times I have seen a specification with very high tech custom equipment with very short tender time to bid and outrageously short delivery lead times.

In the early years I cannot tell you how many times I laughed thinking the consultant working for the client is going to get a surprise when he finds no bidders able to meet the price tender deadline and the ridiculously short delivery lead time.

My favorite were projects when you knew damn well the manufacture time for anyone would be 1-1.5 years..due to the custom nature of the item...and you had something ridiculous in the specification like, "a guaranteed delivery lead time of 16 weeks ..with hefty penalty clauses for being late."

Sure enough...you soon find out that your competitor had advance notice of the project....and already had the product waiting to deliver at his factory.

If the project is gov't money, or shareholder money...there has to be more than one bidder.

So, multiple companies are invited to bid.

Some will decline to bid based on not being able to price it in time. Some will throw a high bid number at it...and take exception to the delivery lead time and penalty clause...figuring if NO one else bids ...they may very well get the award with their crazy high price.

And then there is the final competitor that has a reasonable price and is magically able to meet the deadline for delivery. This bidder had enough assurance this project would go through ....made a verbal deal....had the equipment ready to ship...before the purchase order award.

Disgustingly unfair, dirty...call it what you want. But it has happened to me many many times over the years.