Greenstone & Region unifies on Refinery Location at Exton

(Greenstone, ON, April 17, 2012) A Summit between leaders of Lake Nipigon and Ring of Fire North/South Alliance First Nations met on Saturday April 14, 2012 with Mayors of Greenstone, Nipigon, Hearst and Thunder Bay to demonstrate solidarity in their position that the opportunities and benefits of resource development related to the Ring of Fire remain in the area.

A Ring of Fire Resolution supporting (a) Exton (between Aroland First nation and Nakina) as the preferred refinery site and (b) a north-south access route to Marten Falls was signed by six First Nations (Marten Falls FN, Aroland FN, Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinabeek FN, Constance Lake FN, Animiigoo Zaagi’igan Anishinabeek FN, and Red Rock Indian Band) and four regional Mayors (Greenstone, Hearst, Nipigon and Thunder Bay). Peter Collins, Regional Grand Chief, Union of Ontario Indians, Anishinabek Nation Council & Chief of Fort William First Nation participated by teleconference. Chief Collins and other community leaders unable to attend are also expected to sign the Resolution over the next few days.  

Chief Elijah Moonias of Marten Falls First Nation, on whose traditional lands the Ring of Fire chromite deposits are located, addressed the gathering held in Greenstone. Chief Moonias stated, “The companies want to come in and exploit the resources and leave nothing behind for local long standing benefits such as electric grid connection and roads access - both a boost to the local economy. By proposing to use diesel generators at the mine, Cliffs/Noront signal they are not interested in helping with infrastructure development nor will they support the smelter in a new location - to avoid environmental accounting they want to consider any new location.”

Moonias went on to say, “We want infrastructure out of the development, a new powerline will do this. We have a company interested in studying this project in partnership with the communities. The Province should support this for environmental reasons over diesel, the Federal government should support this long range outlook - grid connection will eliminate costly community diesel generation systems. What we ask of Cliffs and Noront is to provide the opportunity to study this regional initiative until the final decision on the access corridor, smelter location and power supply is addressed, and that there is satisfaction from all parties that no alternative exists to what the companies are proposing,” said Chief Eli Moonias of Marten Falls First Nation.

Chief Moonias concluded, “We have no patience with powering the mine site with polluting diesel generators. I believe the mining companies still do not understand that the minerals are located under our land. I have said before, if they wish to mine the ore, we want it processed in our territory.  That means Exton, not Sudbury.”

There was much discussion of the proposal to power the mine site with diesel. It was concluded by proposing to use massive diesel generators at the mine site, developers Cliffs/Noront are showing they are not interested in supporting regional infrastructure development. 
Renald Beaulieu, Mayor of Greenstone, thanked the Summit Chairs, Raymond Ferris and Wilfred King, as he welcomed the attendees. “It is very exciting to see so many First Nation community leaders and Mayors sitting and working together. There is strength in numbers. In the future, today will be remembered as the day when a huge step forward was made in the on-going partnership between First Nations and other communities. The Resolution we signed today, states the ferrochrome processing facility should be in Greenstone so that all people of this region can benefit from the jobs and the revenues generated. Cliffs suggests it wants to take the chromite to Sudbury. We say it should stay here for processing.”

Thunder Bay Mayor Keith Hobbs stated, “To be clear, Thunder Bay supports the First Nations efforts to secure benefits from the Ring of Fire. We appreciate the efforts you have made to date, you have worked hard and we will help when and wherever possible.”

Chief Sonny Gagnon of Aroland First Nation acknowledged the historic nature of the event and welcomed the involvement of both First Nation and municipal politicians. Chief Gagnon reminded the Summit participants, “We will not be treated like a third world country, where a company can walk in, take what it wants and get rich off our resources without giving back.  We are still looking for a negotiated process with both orders of government to deal with the Environmental Assessment and each of the other issues and impacts that are going to happen here. Still the Federal Government ignores us.  We don’t want to end up with our lands destroyed and that is what is going to happen if we keep going down this road. This Summit today shows that the people in the North are getting together and will force these companies to work with all of us.” 

Paul Gladu, Chief of the Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinabeek First Nation concluded, “Together, we have signed historic Resolutions. One clearly showing the expectations of the Region from the municipalities and the First Nations are shared in supporting a refinery in Exton and a north south route to Marten Falls. Together, we will make the federal and provincial governments and the mining companies understand this is our choice.”

Spring Newsletter - Nakina Ward

                                                                                             

                 

                                                                                                                                                                                           

               Nakina Ward Office

                 

                                                                                                                                                                       200 Centre Ave. Nakina, ON  P0T 2H0

 Tel:   (807) 329-5361     Fax: (807) 329-5982

                                                                                                                                   Email: jay.daiter@bell.net                                                                                                                                                                        
http://jay--daiter.blogspot.com/

Dear Citizens,                                                                                                                       Spring, 2012

(Toronto, Ontario - March 6, 2012) Today, at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference, the Greenstone Municipal Economic Development Office (GMED) launched a comprehensive new website that will help both potential and existing businesses and investors develop and grow in the Municipality of Greenstone.

The website www.investingreenstone.ca developed by McSweeny and Associates features Canada’s most advanced business-related tools (by EDTools®) for research by businesses, site selectors, and investors looking for economic, demographic, and other investment-related information.

The Municipality wanted to provide the business community with a dedicated website to help them expand and prosper to meet the increased opportunities and demand the mining sector is currently providing. "The site shows that we are focused and committed to attracting new investment and helping existing businesses reach their full potential," said Mayor Beaulieu from the Greenstone booth of the PDAC conference.

Council has been meeting since late November to prepare and finalize the 2012 budget that will come to Council for approval on April 10^th. Five committees including municipal staff in all departments and all members of Council, worked through Dec. through March. We examined all aspects of our Municipal operations looking for savings and or efficiencies. Very detailed and lengthy discussions were helpful by allowing direct input from staff. The beginning of the rehabilitation of Twin Lakes Road will begin this summer.

Our Council continues to work collaboratively with the Mattawa First Nations as they continue to press issues and benefits for the region. I joined Mayor Beaulieu as Chief Elis Moonias and Chief Sonny Gagnon with Ring of Fire Co-ordinator, Raymond Ferris, made their press release at Queen’s Park during the Prospectors & Developers Convention in Toronto where they described their position and concerns. “As part of the government to government negotiations, the FN communities expect the governments to acknowledge and support their position that, if the Ring of Fire minerals are to be extracted within First Nations Territories, then processing / refining must occur in their Territory. The First Nations want a Negotiated Joint Panel Review EA Process for both the Cliffs and Noront projects. That  Exton Siding adjacent to Aroland First Nation is the preferred location for the refining smelter. This location is also supported by the Municipality of Greenstone who are working cooperatively with First Nations. The First Nations believe that this option should be assessed within the environmental assessment process. “We expect that the governments and industry, along with the First Nations and municipalities will begin to chart a course, through partnership,” concluded Chief Moonias and Chief Gagnon.” For further details on the entire press release, visit: http://www.matawa.on.ca/

  

Speaking in support and introducing the merits of an Airport Committee to develop and market our airports by engaging business and industry, I thank Council for their support in recently passing Bylaw 12-XX.

“AND WHEREAS these airports will be vitally important in our ability to fully benefit from the huge economic development potential in our region.  

AND WHEREAS Council deems it important to receive input/advice from the public and the business/industrial sector on the strategic direction, development, operation and funding of these important municipal assets.  

The ROLE of the committee is:

            -  To provide Council with input and advice relative to the operation, management, strategic direction, development and funding of the Airports and To act as ambassadors for both airports at all times.

FUNCTION 
More specifically the Committee shall provide input, advice and recommendations on matters such as, but not limited to: Airport marketing and promotion, policies and initiatives, awareness and support, Airport Master Plans and Business Plans and Airport safety.

Selection of the stakeholder and community members will be made by Council from applicants responding to the media advertising for members – Times Star, Greenstone Portal/Web Page.”

Residents are encouraged to speak with me further about your interest in this committee.

There continues to be interest shown in purchasing the Terrace Bay mill and the two sawmills although details are not available. Several weeks ago, I did provide a number of photos of the Nakina mill that were requested by one of the potential buyers. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Meeting with potential investors is one of the benefits of attending conferences especially where investors are present such as at the Prospector’s Development Conference. Mayor Beaulieu, our Economic Development Officer and I enjoyed a full evening with one of those investors.

I’ve been posting many more news items and information on Facebook which is searchable under ‘Greenstone Matters’ for the past year as well on my blog located at: http://jay--daiter.blogspot.com/  Posting here provides more exposure to issues / interests related to the Nakina Ward and Greenstone.

Regards,

Jay Daiter ,

Nakina Ward Councillor,

Municipality of Greenstone

MARTEN FALLS AND AROLAND FORMED North-South AllianceTarget
THUNDER BAY, ON   -----  March 6, 2012  --

Chief Eli Moonias of Marten Falls First Nation and Chief Sonny Gagnon of Aroland First Nation outlined to the Ontario government their position on mining development in their Territory. Chief Moonias and Chief Gagnon are founding members of the North-South Alliance.

The two Chiefs are in Toronto to monitor Ring of Fire related activity at the Prospector & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) International Convention, Trade Show & Investors Exchange.


Chief Eli Moonias, Marten Falls First Nation; Raymond Ferris, Ring of Fire Coordinator of Matawa First Nations Management, and Sonny Gagnon, Aroland First Nation at Media Conference.

The Ring of Fire mineral deposit is located within First Nations homelands in Northern Ontario. Currently there are over 35,000 staked mining claims in the area. The majority of claims are staked in the Ring of Fire area which holds immeasurable wealth in the form of chromite and precious minerals with tonnage that can potentially drive Ontario¡¦s economy for decades.

Chief Sonny Gagnon stated, ¡§Communities in the First Nations Territory are not opposed to developments such as the Ring of Fire in their territory. However, our communities are opposed to developments which do not fully involve our members in the decision making process, which do not minimize environmental impacts and which fail to provide a future for our children, grandchildren and great grand children.¡¨

Chief Moonias summarized the position of the two communities on the future of sustainable development within the region:

The First Nations want a Negotiated Joint Panel Review EA Process for both the Cliffs and Noront projects. This will ensure that the environmental assessment is not fast-tracked like the tar sands project in Alberta.
„h The communities believe that the consultation process being advanced by Cliffs and Noront, the main players in the Ring of Fire, is inadequate to address the significant changes and challenges that their development will create.

Marten Falls First Nation and Aroland First Nation are committed to working with other interests, including area First Nations and municipalities, such as Greenstone, etc.

Adequate attention must be paid to the environment, to minimize the impact of development on the communities and the Territory.

As part of the government-to-government negotiations, the communities expect the Governments of Canada and Ontario to:acknowledge and support their position that, if Ring of Fire minerals are to be extracted within First Nation Territories, then processing/refining must occur in the Territory.

 That Exton Siding adjacent to Aroland First Nation is the preferred location for the refining smelter. This location is also supported by the Municipality of Greenstone who are working cooperatively with First Nations. The First Nations believe that this option should be assessed within the environmental assessment process.

 work with the communities to develop a road corridor to the Ring of Fire in accordance with the road alignment study and planning initiative advanced by Marten Falls before the Ring of Fire existed. This route would eliminate a bridge over the Ogoki River, avoiding passage through a provincial waterway park, and supply community benefits.

support Matawa communities and other First Nations in their initiative to build and own a North-South power line along the east side of Lake Nipigon. This will supply power to the refinery and ensure connection of the remote communities to the electricity grid.

We expect that the governments and industry, along with the First Nations and municipalities will begin to chart a course, through partnership,¡¨ concluded Chief Moonias and Chief Gagnon.

The First Nations do not expect to be on the sidelines and treated as ¡¥stakeholders¡¦. If we cannot benefit from these developments, there will be no development.¡¨

First Nations Influence Ring of Fire

First Nations have veto on Crown land projects Posted 13 hours ago Re: "Tories, Liberals clash over Ring of Fire" -- Jan. 28. The article, just as the arguing politicians did, ignores the First Nations elephant in the room. Recent high court decisions, citing their right to be "consulted and accommodated," have given First Nation bands in Canada a virtual veto over whether, and on what terms, any new project on Crown lands in their neighbourhood goes ahead. These decisions, while representing a huge legal and economic windfall for First Nation bands, also represent a very harmful diminution of legitimate and necessary (necessary for rational economic development and for the welfare of all Canadians, regardless of race) Crown sovereignty. Instead of there being two founts of legal sovereignty in Canada, as was traditionally the case since Confederation -- the provincial Crowns and the federal Crown -- in the area of economic development on Crown lands, we now have three -- the third being First Nations bands. This was basically confirmed by former Ontario cabinet minister George Smitherman, now a paid consultant to Greenstone, one of the contenders for the chromite processing facility for Cliff Natural Resources' Black Thor deposit, and more importantly, the Matawa Tribal Council, when he recently said that "First Nations will have the ultimate say on how the Ring of Fire mineral developments will unfold, and that includes the location of the proposed ferrochrome smelter." As all the politicians well know, but are afraid to tell people, the Black Thor project will not go ahead in anything like a timely, rational fashion unless every First Nations band remotely nearby is "accommodated" to its satisfaction; that is, with jobs, contracts and even equity participation. There is the unenviable, and sometimes even surreal, task of the excellent and well-meaning Ring of Fire Secretariat, Christine Kaszycki, to try to find out what each First Nations band's payoff "accommodation" bottom line demands are and then try to get the other players to agree with them. Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli should not be criticizing her. She's trying her best to do a difficult, if not impossible, job. Instead, he should be roundly lambasting all the provincial and federal politicians and civil service elites who, over the last 10 years, have timidly stood by as silent, unprotesting and passive enablers as our high courts in Ottawa and Toronto have surely and steadily emasculated Crown sovereignty to the extent that, with respect to economic development on Crown lands, our elected governments are no longer ultimate masters in their own respective houses, and worth projects like Black Thor are held hostage to uncertain, ill-defined, unending economic shakedown-like accommodation and consultation process. Peter Best Greater Sudbury Advertisement

First Nations Influence

First Nations have final word on Ring of Fire, says ex-minister Laying the groundwork By: Ian Ross George Smitherman A former provincial energy minister-turned-consultant said First Nations will have the ultimate say on how the Ring of Fire mineral developments will unfold, and that includes the location of a proposed ferrochrome smelter. George Smitherman is pitching for the furnaces to be located in the northwestern Ontario municipality of Greenstone, and the village of Exton, which is already designated as a future ore transloading junction. Cliffs Natural Resources has maintained Sudbury is the frontrunner among four Northern Ontario communities to land the processing plant, and its 400-plus jobs, but only if provincial power rates are competitive with neighbouring jurisdictions. The international miner is expected to name the site for the plant sometime this year. “If the company persists in seeing the decision narrowly on the basis of power, then this has great project risk.” Smitherman said the Matawa tribal chiefs won't stand for the extraction of a resource from their traditional territories “to watch it trucked past their door.” He said Cliffs' statements that it was considering filing for a domestic processing exemption to take chromite ore out of the province for refining should be of great concern to all Ontarians. “This has got to be a decision taken out of the hands of the technocrats and into the hands of those steering the overall project.” Smitherman said the First Nations are the big X factor in the advancement of the Ring of Fire development. “Anyone who hasn't figured that out is at risk for a rude awakening.” Smitherman said there are no obstacles to delivering power to Exton by the time Cliffs wants to start mining in 2015. The environmental assessment of the proposed Little Jackfish hydro project near Lake Nipigon is largely complete. Smitherman is trumpeting Greenstone's proximity to the Ring of Fire deposits and its alliances with area First Nations as trump cards in the competition with Sudbury, Thunder Bay and Timmins to land the processor. Smitherman and a technical team hired by the municipality went to Cleveland in November to lay out their client's case before Cliffs Natural Resources. They're promoting a “holistic” plan that delivers power to new and existing mines, and gets First Nation communities off of diesel generation and onto the provincial grid. Smitherman said their approach builds off an already-established provincial energy plan by Hydro One to run transmission lines from the Little Jackfish into Pickle Lake, Dryden and Ignace. Smitherman said electricity is an “embedded issue” with the Ring of Fire, but in sizing up the immense potential of the mineral resources there, Ontarians have to figure out “what does it take for us, as a province, to take appropriate advantage of that opportunity?” Making Ontario as competitive with Quebec, Manitoba and other jurisdictions requires making tough decisions about infrastructure, jobs, training, resource sharing and making social progress, he said. “If the Ring of Fire is as big as we're told it is, then the policy response needs to be commensurate to that.”

Greenstone makes it's Bid for the Ferrochrome Processing Facility at Exton

Chromite competition

Friday, November 18, 2011

THUNDER BAY and Greenstone have both made their pitches to host the facility that will process chromite ore from the Ring of Fire, Ontario’s most promising mineral deposit in years. Both sent delegations Wednesday to the Cleveland offices of Cliffs Natural Resources, the key player, and both came away confident they’d made the case for this important development.
Both have benefits and drawbacks, and without knowing what went on in Cliffs’ boardroom it is impossible to ascertain who may now enjoy an edge. But Greenstone appears to have put more effort into selling itself. It hired former Ontario energy minister now consultant George Smitherman to bring his influence to bear. It is also working with a public relations company.
Greenstone issued an opinion piece to this newspaper timed to coincide with Cliffs’ open house in Thunder Bay Monday and the trip to Cleveland two days later. It made a compelling case involving proximity to the proposed ore transfer point and a regional energy grid which is the key to such a power-hungry development.
Upon its delegation’s return, Greenstone issued a statement outlining the nature of its meeting and the fact they met Tuesday with provincial officials at Queen’s Park. It even thought to add the tantalizing fact that the Cliffs meeting ran overtime.

In a region of such high unemployment, the chromite processor will mean hundreds of quality jobs and provide a major economic stimulus to the whole region. Thunder Bay and Greenstone are up against Sudbury, already a mining powerhouse and used by Cliffs as its “base case” model to plan for the ferrochrome production facility.
Thunder Bay appears to have opted for a quieter approach. There is no powerful former deputy premier, no PR firm and its post-trip presentation consisted of a media scrum at the airport. Meetings with provincial officials have occurred, but local delegates aren’t saying what went on. They do see a potential partnership.
Thunder Bay Mayor Keith Hobbs spoke about working with Greenstone to ensure the processor is built somewhere in the Northwest. If it goes northeast to Sudbury, he said, the benefits to this region will be minimized. He went so far as to say that if Cliffs doesn’t choose Thunder Bay, he hopes it picks Greenstone. Which is not to say that Thunder Bay is fading from the running, not by a long shot. Its public face this week may not have been as shiny as Greenstone’s, but this city has as many benefits for Cliffs to consider.
Both communities stressed the importance of their alliance with First Nations. But while Hobbs and other Thunder Bay leaders travelled to Cleveland with Fort William First Nation Chief Peter Collins, the Greenstone delegation did not include a representative from Matawa First Nations with member communities closest to the Black Thor chromite deposit. Matawa recently withdrew its support for the project in a dispute over environmental review. Greenstone instead met Cliffs with Charles Fox, a former grand chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation which includes Matawa. As such, Fox could be signalling he may be able to help get Matawa back on side.
Whereas the Municipality of Greenstone encompasses the sites where the ore’s road and rail transportation routes meet, Thunder Bay has the huge additional benefit of a seaway port. Thunder Bay also counts among its partners Thunder Bay Hydro, a potential bonus as Cliffs presses the province for a better break on electricity pricing. This is the biggest drawback for any Northern Ontario site. Neighbouring Manitoba and Quebec enjoy lower industrial power rates, as do U.S. states on the other side of the Great Lakes.
One big plus for Thunder Bay is the existence of its Ontario power plant which produces just the right amount of electricity needed to power the electric arc furnaces that will process the chromite ore. Central to a longstanding Northwest argument for a homegrown power rate is the fact more power is produced here than is needed. Ontario’s plans to modernize its power grid could easily accommodate the electricity needs of the region and the processor.
One final nugget: As Hobbs and Collins peered out the window of their flight home Wednesday, they agreed vacant land on Mission Island next to the power plant would be the perfect place for Cliffs to build is processor.

Greenstone pumps up efforts for ferrochrome processor

GREENSTONE – In Cleveland yesterday afternoon, senior management of Cliffs Natural Resources hosted a multi-hour meeting with a delegation from the Municipality of Greenstone. The focus of the wide ranging discussion was the potential for siting a ferrochrome refinery at Exton Siding (between Nakina and the Aroland First Nation). Greenstone Mayor Renald (Ron) Beaulieu observed, “I was pleased and impressed with the responsiveness and attention our submission received from the Cliffs representatives. They asked some tough but important and insightful questions. Clearly they have been giving a lot of consideration to the benefits of the Exton site.”

The Greenstone presentation in Cleveland is an updated version of the “North West Kick- Start” plan released at a media conference in Thunder Bay earlier in the fall. However, the submission has been upgraded with more detailed information and maps related to electricity supply. The Greenstone delegation made similar presentations to officials at Queen’s Park before going to Cleveland.

The Mayor commented, “I am very pleased with the quality of the case the Greenstone delegation made in Cleveland. Residents of Greenstone and throughout the Region should be confident that we advanced important points in favour of Greenstone being the site for the ferrochrome refinery. The points made were related to sustainability, economics, electricity supply, First Nations relations and support.” The Mayor continued, “We also talked about the Greenstone mining and exploration legacy and its strategic location as a labour source for workers in all facets of the planned chromite operation.”

Charles Fox, a former Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation carefully outlined the important relationship that Greenstone has with local First Nations, and the overarching importance of the Matawa First Nations cooperation to the success of the project.

The Greenstone delegation and Cliffs spent a significant period of time in the session, discussing the electricity related aspect of the “North West Kick-Start” and how it supplied an innovative and cost effective way of providing the required electricity to the Exton site. Meeting these criteria is considered to be an important element of site selection.

The delegation included the Mayor, Greenstone Chief Administrative Officer Roy Sinclair, Charles Fox and Meladina Hardy, former Deputy Premier of Ontario, George Smitherman, Don Huff of Environmental Communications Options and Larry Doran of Imperium Energy.

The session ran overtime, and concluded with Cliffs thanking the delegation, agreement on a list of items for follow-up, and a discussion when the next meeting would be held in Greenstone.

Mayor Beaulieu stated that the Cleveland trip is only a single step in Greenstone’s work with area First Nations, Cliffs, and others to ensure the ferrochrome refinery is appropriately located in Exton.

Greenstone Officially Opens New Administrative Building

Yesterday marked the Official Opening of Greenstone's New Administration Building, a project that has been on the municipal agenda for over 30 years. Located on the shores of Kenogamisis Lake, the facility is wonderfully accommodating to having municipal staff in an interactive location and which will serve the municipal interests for years to come. 

Following on many similar positive comments made by the over 150 guests who attended yesterday's event, I was very proud to have been a part of this project. 

An energetic team of employees set the stage superbly for the Official Ribbon cutting ceremony including setting up guiding tours, and providing refreshments.

To the TEAM:

We saw Greenstone put it's Best Foot Forward yesterday. I commented to several that we saw a community celebrating yesterday and we did it WELL! The complements of Mayors Beaulieu, Power and Hobbs acknowledged a Greenstone dream that's been on the books for over 30 years!! The optimism and pride displayed yesterday in our celebration is evidence we are coming together and have a future to look forward to and one we are confident to invest in.

To the team.............I salute you as an example of "Service Excellence" and hope that it will continue to invite civic and personal pride. I said to Holly on the way home, that this was a great event in terms of organization, co-operation, and the community pride expressed by former Mayor Power, Mayor Beaulieu and contractor Rene Blouin. There was passion and sincerity spoken yesterday. I heard Michael and Renald deliver a resounding complimentary message of community and it made me exceptionally proud to have been a part of this process and to get us to this point in time.

 This event was an wonderful example of how we should celebrate Greenstone.   We so often hear so much of the downside, let's tell this story based upon the turnout of the citizens and guests who came out yesterday. 

My personal CONGRATULATIONS is extended to the team who worked so hard for "Our Opening." 

Regards,

Jay Daiter

Councillor, Nakina Ward

Municipality of Greenstone

P.O. Box 342

Nakina, Ontario

P0T 2H0

Fall, 2011 Nakina Ward Newsletter

Dear Citizens,                                                                                                                           Fall, 2011

Nakina has lost a good friend with the passing of Jeanne Schram. I can recall when I first met Jeanne as she registered Jan and Jon in Nakina Public School after they moved to Nakina from Ramsey, Ontario in the mid 70’s. I came to know Jeanne well over the years during her employ with the Nakina District School Area Board  and subsequently with the Township of Nakina and then Greenstone. Jeanne was our most familiar face in the Nakina Ward office who took her responsibilities seriously. She enjoyed talking and sharing her many projects and talents. On behalf of everyone who knew Jeanne, we acknowledge the 30 plus years of dedication to supporting our community and serving well, the needs of others.  Our condolences to Doug, Jon and Jan, and family.  

Three of our busier roads have been recently repaved (with Gas Tax revenue). Recognizing that there are more roads which need our attention,  the resurfacing of Cordingley Lake to the Airport, Center Street and Main were identified as strategic to address future local development potential.  Council has agreed to discuss a multi-year plan to address and repair Twin Lakes Road. I understand the importance of this link to the cottagers and property owners on Twin Lakes and will fight hard to ensure funding support is available for work to commence next spring.

On September 20^th, Greenstone made a significant media release supported with a technical paper aimed at strengthening our bid to host Cliff’s Ring of Fire chromite refinery. Numerous media groups covered the story across the newswire including Northern Ontario Business whose headlines read, “Why process chromite anywhere else?” The Chronicle Journal headline was, “Look no Further.” The release included a research report prepared by former provincial Energy Minister George Smitherman and Don Huff of Environmental Commutation Options who concluded the Exton site, west of Nakina, as the best spot for the processing furnaces due to its rail access, power supply and environmental sustainability. Larry Doran, president and CEO of Imperium Energy, said it is feasible to supply Exton with the required energy, which would not only allow Greenstone to be home to the refinery, but benefit the entire region. “It’s both economically and sustainably positive and possible to provide the required power to build the refinery at Exton on the schedule that Cliff Natural Resources has requested,” Doran said. “We’ve also found that it provides a base for a much better opening of the grid system in Northwestern Ontario

From left, Don Huff, president of Environmental Commutation Options; George Smitherman, consultant; and Larry Doran, president and CEO, Imperium Energy Inc., speak about a possible chromite refinery site, Tuesday morning at Thunder Bay’s Valhalla Inn. (Brent Linton)

This media release was strategic for Greenstone because it came the day before the Northwestern Ontario Chamber and the Northern Ontario Municipal Association’s joint fall conference (which included the first Northwestern Ontario provincial leadership debate). Next steps are well underway by our Council to forge and strengthen regional partners as we aim to land this economic opportunity. The Northwest Kick-Start option involves a V-shaped grid connecting Nipigon to Dryden or Ignace through Greenstone. Doran said it would create social and economic transformation in the region by providing service to a wide range of existing needs and the grid would be strengthened. “It is the best option, because it meets the timeline with certainty,” he said. “That certainty is very important to the business.

G&G Global Solutions was contracted by Greenstone to create a proposal for bringing the refinery to Exton. First Nation aspirations, energy supply and sustainability were the three keys in the proposal.

Further details of the media coverage can be found at: http://jay--daiter.blogspot.com/

The $5 million airport ACAP project is virtually complete only waiting for the back-up generator. Speaking with several users and municipal staff, the work was very well done.  Replacement fuel tanks and catwalk have been approved and are on order for the airport. I enjoyed flying out of the airport with Councillor Chris Walterson last week in his “Dragonfly” aircraft. There was a thrill even getting into the cockpit of such an aircraft, but even more so, when I realized how few options I had to escape. Chris was kind to respond to my interest in getting some aerial shots of Nakina this beautiful time of the year and capture Nakina from the air, in particular the potential site location for Cliff’s refinery at Exton.  Several of the photos will be used to market and further promote Nakina. 

 The new municipal office ribbon cutting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 19^th.  The public will be invited to tour the facility and meet the staff.  Mayor and Council were impressed with the letter written by the students from Nakina Public School. More on this to follow.

A meeting has been organized by the Recreation staff with all the Nakina user groups of the Nakina Complex. The meeting date is October 13th at 6 pm. The purpose is to develop a schedule for the Nakina Sports Complex. If you have not been contacted, please call the ward office at 329-5356 for more information.

Regards,

Jay Daiter ,

Nakina Ward Councillor, Municipality of Greenstone

Exton Viable to Site Cliff's Refining of Chromite from Ring of Fire

MEDIA RELEASE

New report concludes Exton is viable site for Ring of Fire Refinery

THUNDER BAY – September 20, 2011 - A report released today concludes that siting a ferrochrome refinery at Exton for Ring of Fire minerals is technically, environmentally and economically feasible. George Smitherman and Don Huff were contracted by the Municipality of Greenstone to push for establishing a Chromite refinery at Exton. Exton is located adjacent to the railway in the Municipality of Greenstone between Nakina and the Aroland First Nation.

"NW KICK START"

"Our analysis, with specific emphasis on the viability of supplying electricity to service the proposed arc furnaces concludes that Exton is well positioned to serve as the refinery site,” stated former Ontario Deputy Premier George Smitherman. Smitherman observed, "The Exton site has the significant advantage of fitting with the territorial expectations of First Nations and is economically feasible."

The Municipality of Greenstone asked that three major themes be addressed: 1. The Exton site must mesh with First Nation aspirations; 2. The viability of supplying adequate power; and 3. Sustainability considerations.

The specific request to review sustainability was made because developing any project of this scale has impacts – and there needs to be an awareness of how to avoid, minimize or mitigate them. If sustainability issues are not adequately addressed, there are risks to Ontario's natural environment and reputation and to the corporate evaluations of participating companies.

"The prospect of moving massive amounts of unrefined ore hundreds of kilometers past Exton (the terminus of the proposed north-south rail link to the Ring of Fire) is unnecessary, costly and undercuts sustainability principles," added Don Huff, President of Environmental Commutation Options, an environmental consulting firm with decades of experience in Ontario's environmental, energy and natural resources sectors.

"An Exton location minimizes impacts and contributes the most to project sustainability,” Huff added. “It also has the significant attribute of following the principles laid down by area First Nations, who appropriately insist that the value-added exercise of refining must be done in close proximity to the point of extraction. Refining the ore at Exton also saves at least 28 million dollars per year in transportation costs.”

Ferrochrome refinery arc furnaces consume large amounts of electricity. They also result in significant power quality concerns for other customers connected to the system. In Ontario it is tthe responsibility of the load customer creating the power quality issue to pay for any mitigation required. Given that (at least initially) there would be no other load customers connected to the 230 kV transmission within at least 100 km of the ferrochrome facility, the need for mitigation measures and hence the related costs may be significantly delayed or reduced at the Exton site compared to the other sites (Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Timmins) being considered for the ferrochrome facility. However the basic question was can the Exton site be supplied with adequate electricity. The task of answering this question was undertaken by Larry Doran of Imperium Energy Ltd. Mr. Doran, who is extremely knowledgeable about transmission issues and specifically the northern Ontario electricity grid, indicates it can be done.

Mr. Doran stated, "Not only is it technically feasible to get the required electricity to Exton, it can be done in a timely and cost-effective manner". He added, "In fact, my analysis shows that supplying electricity to Exton will provide electricity system benefits for the region. The associated benefits of a stronger expanded and reinforced energy supply system will generate economic and social benefit across northwestern Ontario."

Greenstone Mayor Ron Beaulieu, on receiving the report from Smitherman, Huff and Doran observed, "What began as a research project to assist Greenstone has emerged as a very real opportunity to build a new backbone for the economy of northwestern Ontario. It is clear that a decision to site a refinery in Greenstone will do the most to accelerate opportunity throughout our region.”

“Area First Nations will not stand by and watch our economic opportunities being shipped out of the region or to another jurisdiction,” said Chief Sonny Gagnon of Aroland First Nation. “This report provides Cliffs and the Governments of Canada and Ontario with a game plan for moving forward.”

Standing with Raymond Ferris, Ring of Fire Coordinator for Matawa First Nations, Mayor Beaulieu concluded, "We will continue to work with the First Nations as we make our case to Cliffs and to the Governments of Canada and Ontario."

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For additional information or to schedule an interview contact:

Vicki Blanchard, Economic Development Officer Cell: 807-853-1000 Email: vicki.blanchard@greenstone.ca

Greenstone (Canada 2006 Census population 4,906) stretches 200km along TransCanada Highway 11 from Lake Nipigon to Longlac. It is one of the largest incorporated municipalities in Canada. Formed in 2001, it combined the Townships of Beardmore and Nakina, the Towns of Geraldton and Longlac with large unincorporated portions of Crown Land covering an area in excess of 3,000 sq.km.

The Ring of Fire is the area in the James Bay Lowlands in Northern Ontario, currently the site of major mining exploration projects (over 30,000 Claims have been staked). It has the potential to be the most significant mineral development in Ontario in over a century. It is centered on McFaulds Lake, 286 km from Greenstone on First Nation traditional lands.