Luker,

Your comment of:

" or would they simply resign themseves to the fact that shipping the ore out of Country for beneficiation elsewhere (mostly likely to a country with must less stringent work and environmental rules/enforcement) , would be the most viable decision?..."

With the responsible steel ratification at the end of Oct., your idea above, ...wouldn't work.

My choice for the smelter was Timmins from day one. It is the only one that made any sense.

When I go back in time and look at some history, I see this:

2006 -Xstrata buys Falconbridge.

Xstrata has a copper smelter in Timmins and Falconbridge had a smelter in Quebec.

After this purchase, you can imagine Xstata would love to get rid of one of the smelters. Why have two so close to eachother?

Especially if one knew the base metals would be unattractive for over a decade!

But, what to do...it's so frowned upon to buy someone out and then close stuff down and leaves folks without jobs.

But, the Ontario Green energy initiative started in 2009. All that crazy priced green energy that was unaffordable, actually created a good, excuse.

This was a great excuse to close the smelter in 2011 and to then demolish it. Especially since the ROF came out in 2007 and the chrome was bountiful and would need a smelter.

but where to put the smelter? Needs to be not too far from the ROF since chrome is heavy, needs a environmental approval(much easier if a smelter had been there before)

Especially since the location of the Timmins copper smelter was described as "REMOTE" near rail.

How perfect is that.

so back in 2010, you can see Xstrata holds firm on their decision to close the smelter.

https://www.thestar.com/business/2010/04/16/xstrata_holds_firm_on_decision_to_cut_timmins_jobs.html

The very high hydro rates created a good "excuse." It was a win win. 

Save by having one smelter since the purchase of Falconbridge allowed for that...and get the property ...ready

This location in Timmins is ripe and ready. The smelter was knocked down.

Just needs a hydro deal to bring the operations costs down.