KWG Longs,

So I was wrong (see my post from a few days ago) and Cliffs did file an appeal, essentially at the eleventh hour. I think it took Bill Boor so long to file the appeal because he was spending his time following the dismissal of the easement application on updating his resume.

Is it just me or does this appeal seem to be an act of desperation on the part of Cliffs? Purely posturing and saving face: the government that you were working with (McGuinty) is long gone and nobody at Queen’s Park is talking to you anymore; FNs aren’t talking to you; your ass was handed to you on a platter by Frank via the easement decision and you will be handed seconds when the appeal is decided more than a year from now at best; you hate the clock since you are in a hurry to develop an alternate business since your core business is dropping faster than a prom dress; and, Cliffs cannot mount a takeover of KWG – they are in financial trouble and without a CEO and what Board will approve this takeover after all the sharp objects you have walked into in the ROF?

KWG Longs – call the florist because Cliffs is dead.

Cliffs’ hands are tied in the worst way. The cannot even partner with Noront on the east-west road; first, Cliffs have publicly stated that the east-west road is uneconomical; and second, according to Noront’s 2013 report, the last 80 km (just south of the Webequie from the mine sites) is a slurry pipeline and a winter road and you cannot slurry chrome over a distance of 80 km!

Regardless, Frank continues with firming up resources on the Bold site and continues furthering the development of the railway; whether that comes as public investment in the form of the New Deal or comes from private backing will remain to be seen. But my guess is that the some sort of infrastructure and/or partnership agreement is announced from KWG before the appeal is even heard – he’s just that kind of guy.

Stay strong KWG Longs!

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