The KWG presenter was Bob Middleton, Moe Lavigne wasn't in town. The KWG presentation was a good history lesson on the ROF and a comparison of other chrome deposits throughout the world. Most I already knew and most here already know the score. A few blanks were filled in, the main one being why the rail line was staked, New to Ontario and soon to be Law Bill 191.
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources – Ontario is taking an important step toward the permanent protection of at least half of the Far North of Ontario, an area three times the size of Lake Superior. Under legislation to be introduced later today, the province is proposing to:
- Enable a community-based land use planning process allowing Far North First Nations and Ontario to determine areas to be protected and identify areas for economic development that benefit First Nations communities and consider ecological and cultural values.
- Conserve essential habitat for more than 200 sensitive species, including woodland caribou and Ontario’s only populations of polar bears and snow geese, through a network of conservation lands.
- Fight climate change by ensuring the vast Far North boreal landscape keeps its capacity to act as a giant carbon sink – the largest of its kind in North America.
Thats the gist of it. Northern Ontario is to become a PARK.
Staking from what I gatherd allows a loop-hole for the construction...for now.
The route misses all the first Nations in the area. This was do to geography (following the eskers for aggregate) not politics. Most of the Matawa First Nations communities may still get access to the rail line via a road system.
The thing I felt was that Thunder Bay will not see a Furnace. No direct rail link to Thunder Bay. The Kinghorn line form the Nakina / Geraldton area to Thunder Bay is being removed as I write this. (really smart the NW doesn't need infrastructure we need more parks.) You can tell I do not like to be governed from Toronto.
Bob's presentation was OK but with over 100 possible investors in attendance it would have been nice for a little more depth in the geology department of the Big Daddy Deposit.
Bob touched on the fact that this may be the largest chrome deposit in the world and compared it to many other deposits in the world. Also mentioned was the fact that there are no other economic deposits in North America and Chrome is a strategic metal so we have something of value.
I hope this helps a bit and it would be nice to hear from anyone else who attended. Maybe they got a little more information than I did.
rallard
