GM,

Despite some hurdles, especially regulatory ones, they have to jump though importing cheap electricity from Quebec to supply power to companies in the RoF (and De Beers) and surrounding communities is a good idea. However, adding quite a few big ticket items such as

- Seasonal Port at James Bay (presumably located at Moosonee...there was a proposed design from the University of Toronto School of Architecture(student project under supervision of a prof).

- Electrified RR

- Smelter

- Concentrator

would make the proposal too complicated with many unconventional ideas that make this grand scheme non-practical (a non-starter).

1. Seasonal Port at Moosonee is an option to existing RR, ports, and roadways in the south, but it would be difficult to justify it as a main gateway to the world. Existing RR, ports, road networks are economical and reliable, hence a safer bet would be to link up with this network rather than with a brand new concept which would take many many years to develop.

2. Electrified RR has a nice ring as far as the environment is concerned, but this is a non-conventional way for rail transportation. Apart from the safety (and maintenance) aspects posed by an electrified rail, the equipment is unconventional and not interchangeable with conventional equipment. Different kinds of skillsets would be required to run and maintain such RR (where would they get the skilled labour force?).

It would be easier to handle an accident (accidents will occur from time to time) involving a conventional diesel train than an electric train with electrified rail. Also, if the power grid is damaged (wind, snow storms) the train service would be interrupted.

Electric train is nice, but in North America, especially in remote areas, diesel locomotives still rule.

3. Where would the electric arc smelter be located? Certainly, not in the isolated North because the FN folks would consider it as a polluter. Also it would need some 500 skilled workers to run it (where to get the workers?), noting also that it would cost $1.8B each (where's the $?).

4. On-site concentrator: CLF has proposed this for BT, but the cost was $0.8. By now it would probably cost $1B (large Capex for the mine plan, where's the $).

At a first glance, this grand scheme seems to be too ambitious for it to get off the ground. A better way would be to keep it simple. Start small, stick with 1 item, i.e. importing cheap power from Quebec to provide electricity to a few potential customers, and leave the rest of RoF development aspects to others (mainly, the governments) to worry about.

Just my opinion.

goldhunter