Chamber of Mines News Briefs – September 19 - 23, 2013 [Note: News headlines are hyperlinked to their stories in this document.] Nunavut News ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Airport takes on Nunavut flights ............................................................................................................... 1 Legislative Assembly briefs ....................................................................................................................... 2 Resource Development and Energy News .................................................................................................... 4 North America's Forgotten Frontier: Canadian Arctic .............................................................................. 4 Where have all the mining towns gone .................................................................................................... 5 Quebec mining Bill to hurt investment – QMEA ....................................................................................... 9 Yukon to consult First Nation over mining claims .................................................................................. 10 Supreme Court will not hear case about mining rights in the Yukon ..................................................... 10 Canadian Zinc wins final permit to operate Prairie Creek Mine ............................................................. 10 Mining News Nuggets ............................................................................................................................. 11 Yukon prospectors unhappy with ruling on mineral staking .................................................................. 13 We now have a clear direction from the Supreme Court’ ...................................................................... 13 Canadian uranium sector prepares for rising tide .................................................................................. 16 Canadian exchanges push to relax private placement rules................................................................... 18 NUNAVUT NEWS Airport takes on Nunavut flights Cambridge Times – September 17, 2013 Melissa Murray WATERLOO REGION – Starting Thursday, as many as four weekly flights will lift off from the Waterloo Region’s airport en route to Nunavut. Regional council approved a contract with Nolinor Aviation last week that will allow the airline to operate regular charter service of cargo and personnel for a Toronto-based mining corporation to the Qikiqtani Region in Nunavut on Baffin Island. It’s expected to bring about $400,000 in revenue from passenger processing fees, fuel surcharges, aircraft parking, landing fees and vehicle fees. It is expected that at least two flights will leave from the airport each week. The agreement also allows Nolinor, based out of Montreal, to use the terminal for screening of passengers and cargo. Coun. Jim Wideman, who chairs the planning and works committee meeting, praised the agreement as a “good news story” for the region. “It will simply get more bodies through the airport and will spark a neat wave of travel,” he said. The region is trying to promote its airport so it can stand alone and be profitable. “Four hundred thousand dollars a year is $400,000 closer to making a profit,” Wideman said following the meeting. The company will fly the Boeing 737-200-series aircraft round trip, stopping in Iqaluit for fuel before continuing on to Baffin Island and repeating the trip, taking a total of 11 hours. Chamber News Briefs 1 According to Nunatsiaq online, the mining project that’s the destination for the employees and cargo has been identified as the Baffinland Iron Mines Corp’s Mary River iron mine. Chris Wood, Waterloo Regional Airport general manager, said the agreement is fantastic news for the airport and community. “I think this is just the beginning. I think this is going to ramp up and it’s going to have some good spin- off,” he said. Since Boeing will be based in the region, Wood said the airline is going to want to keep busy, which could mean additional flights and revenue. “Airlines don’t like to have their airplanes sit on the ground. They don’t make any money sitting on the ground. I think everyone is going to try to keep that airplane flying as much as we can. It’s good for the airline, it’s good for us, it’s good for the local community.” The airplane is a “combi”, so it can have passengers and cargo on the same flight. The maximum number of passengers the flight can hold is 119, but Wood says initial talks indicate between 59 and 77 people will be on each flight and the rest of the space will be used for cargo. Wood said he was introduced the idea of offering the flights out of the airport a couple of years ago, but it was just a few months ago when discussions really started to take off. “They like the area, they like the airport, they like the ease for which we make things possible for them. I think they like the large population and the access of talent as well. They are eventually going to need to hire some people to work in this mine,” he said. Airline officials have already looked at renting apartments for flight crews and are working to find a caterer for in-flight meals. “They’ve already hired some companies to do the cargo handling and the fuelling and the security stuff here in the terminal building before they get on the flight,” Wood said. The agreement is for one year. Legislative Assembly briefs MLAs ponder election run Nunavut News/North – September 23, 2013 Myles Dolphin and Miranda Scotland The territorial election is only a month away and most Nunavut MLAs have announced their intentions for re-election. The new electoral boundaries, featured in Bill 22 - the Act Respecting Constituencies of Nunavut - were implemented in 2011 after recommendations made by the Nunavut Electoral Boundaries Commission. Under the new map, the number of constituencies will rise to 22 from the previous 19. Arviat, Iglulik and Iqaluit will each get an additional MLA. Repulse Bay and Coral Harbour will be paired together in a constituency while Kugaaruk and Taloyoak will make up another one. Gjoa Haven will now have its own MLA, as will Hall Beach. Whale Cove, previously with Rankin Inlet South, will now be grouped with Arviat North while Rankin Inlet North will be paired with Chesterfield Inlet. In the Kitikmeot region, Kugluktuk MLA Peter Taptuna will be running for re-election, but Akulliq MLA John Ningark announced he will not. Cambridge Bay MLA Keith Peterson and Nattilik MLA Jeannie Ugyuk are still on the fence. Chamber News Briefs 2 In the Kivalliq region, Rankin Inlet South-Whale Cove MLA Lorne Kusugak and Nanulik MLA Johnny Ningeongan are running again, while Arviat MLA Daniel Shewchuk, Baker Lake MLA Moses Aupaluktuq and Rankin Inlet North MLA Tagak Curley are not. In the Qikiqtaaluk region, Quttiktuq MLA Ron Elliott, Pangnirtung MLA Hezakiah Oshutapik, Tununiq MLA Joe Enook and Hudson Bay MLA Allan Rumbolt are running. Iqaluit West MLA Monica Ell and Iqaluit East MLA Eva Aariak will be running again, but not Uqqummiut MLA James Arreak nor Amittuq MLA Louis Tapardjuk. South Baffin MLA Fred Schell and Iqaluit Centre MLA Hunter Tootoo were still uncertain at the time of publication. Plan for new health centre in Cape Dorset going ahead Plans to replace Cape Dorset's aging health centre are still going ahead, according to the health minister. The project is currently in the planning process and no set date has been determined for when construction will start, said Keith Peterson in answer to a question asked by MLA Fred Schell in the legislative assembly on Sept. 16. Schell was wondering why the project had not been marked as ongoing like the health centre projects for Arctic Bay, Repulse Bay and Taloyoak. Peterson said he expects funding will be identified in next year's capital estimates so the planning can continue. Cape Dorset's health centre was built in 1983 and is one of the oldest health centres in Nunavut, noted Schell. "(It) is facing some serious issues due to aging, especially with respect to code upgrades, ventilation problems, and overcrowding of programs," he said. Materials sent to wrong community Hudson Bay MLA Allan Rumbolt announced work has finally begun to replace boilers and sewage lines at the Nuiyak School in his community. Speaking to the minister for Community and Government Services, Lorne Kusugak, Rumbolt asked why the work was underway when the school year has just begun. He also wondered about the delay in construction, as the material had been in the hamlet for the past year. Kusugak replied the material had accidentally been shipped to Qikiqtarjuaq, and only recently made it to Sanikiluaq. MLA wants airport designated as 'hub' Tununiq MLA Joe Enook wants his community, Pond Inlet, to be designated as the territory's fourth 'hub' airport after Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay. Enook said the community is located within an hour's flying time from a half dozen other communities and its proximity to the Mary River project "makes it a strategic choice for being designated as North Baffin's hub airport," he said on Sept. 17. Minister for the Department of Economic Development and Transportation, Peter Taptuna, said the government does not designate communities as hub airports or not. "Everything depends on economic activity of the community," Taptuna replied. "If it warrants that a community becomes a hub, it's