National Bank Financial analyst Eldon Brown said that the three diamond pretenders would likely have differing fortunes.

The TSX-listed firm said at the time it had been in advanced talks with a potential partner, before the European debt crisis came along and derailed the deal.

http://www.miningweekly.com/article/gold-producers-indian-cutters-might-fund-canadas-newest-diamond-mines-2012-05-30

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I believe the biggest mistake that Ken and his management team made back in November 2008 was to change their focus of developing the Star Diamond Project as a standalone mine to a Star-Orion South Proposal. They had promoted in Quarterly, Technical, and Annual Reports from 2006 - 2007 that a bankable feasibility would be completed on Star by the end of 2008, they promoted that the geological model for Star contained 276 million tonnes of kimberlite, and the proposed timeline was pre-strip and construction 2009 - 2010 with potential production from Star to begin in early 2011. Sadly none of the above actually happened.

November 3, 2008 they released the Star -Orion South Proposal indicating for the first time that they required EIS approval before they would be able to provide a production decision for their first mine, like they didn't know that before Nov. 3, 2008. Unacceptable for a publicly traded company and that should have been the date that Ken MacNeill should have been asked by the Board of Directors to move on. JMHO

Nov. 3, 2008 was also the date that Ken and his management team lost the trust of the majority of their shareholders, Newmont, analysts, and the markets that they could be trusted to provide reliable updates and were capable of meeting any milestone dates they promoted. Newmont changed their focus to their gold and copper holdings at the end of 2008 and have not been a willing partner on the Joint Venture side since.

There should have been a real effort to bring on a willing partner for the entire FALC Diamond District and a change in the percentages of partnership so that Shore Gold would not be responsible for approximately 91% of the projected $2 billion cost to start their first mine, the Star Diamond Project. Why does Shore Gold need $2 billion to start mining the Star Diamond -Orion South Project? According to the Star-Orion South Proposal Orion South and the present JV partner would not be contributing much until the mining at the Star Diamond Project had been completed. I don't believe there is a financial institution on earth that would advance $2 billion to a junior exploration company to start their first mine without a major willing partner on board taking a majority position for the entire project. JMHO

Ken MacNeill and his management team have continued to over promise but under deliver, missing promoted milestone dates over and over again regarding providing a reliable date for a production decision, financing, a willing partner, and EIS approvals for their first mine since Nov. 3, 2008 and yet they are still being over paid for a job not well done. How is that even possible? The amount of misinformation provided by Ken and his team has made it impossible to make a truly informed decision as to the best time to buy, sell or hold SGF shares. The value of our shares continued to drop because of missed and constantly changing of milestone dates, as well as a lack of reliable updates which has resulted in a lack of trust by the markets that the right people were running Shore Gold and yet Ken and his team continued to be paid more and more each year. Just doesn't make sense, imo.

Does anyone really believe that major Chinese or Indian investors are prepared to invest $2 billion for Ken MacNeill and this management team to start their first mine? I don't but... that is just my opinion. Fool me once shame on you... fool me over and over and over again stupid me for believing that Ken was actually interested in increasing shareholder value and would actually start releasing reliable updates to his shareholders and be able to meet promoted milestone dates as they inched ever closer to a constantly changing production decision for their first mine. Something has to change and soon if we hope to see a substantial increase in the value of our mutual investment in SGF shares. All just my humble opinion. What do the rest of you see? TIA