http://www.timminspress.com/2018/01/18/north-bay-backs-timmins-bid-for-noront-plant

Timmins Mayor Steve Black said he is encouraged by the decision of North Bay city council to endorse the Timmins bid for a chromite processing facility. Timmins is one of four Northern Ontario cities that is submitting a detailed proposal to Noront Resources Inc., which is the major player in the Ring of Fire chromite mining development. Black said he is hoping that Noront buys into the idea that the wider community support that exists for Timmins will only help Noront win support from the provincial government for start-up assistance in developing the Ring of Fire project overall.

TIMMINS - North Bay and Timmins are now united in the bid to attract a new Ring of Fire ferrochrome facility to the City of Timmins.

Timmins Mayor Steve Black said this puts the city in a good position. North Bay city council decided this week to lend unanimous support to the bid by Timmins that will be presented to Noront Resources Inc. on Feb. 2.

Timmins is one of four Northern Ontario cities that have been invited by Noront to submit a detailed proposal on establishing a processing facility for chromite. The other cities bidding for the chromite facility are Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay.

Noront is the Canadian junior mining company with the biggest claim to the major chromite and nickel discoveries in a remote region located in the James Bay Lowlands. It is the incredibly rich mining area known as the Ring of Fire, where the value of the minerals has been estimated in the tens of billions of dollars. Chromite is a mineral used in the manufacture of stainless steel. While it is not exactly rare, it is not in great supply either.

“We’re obviously very happy to have the support of North Bay and several other communities in the region as well,” Black said Thursday in response to the news from North Bay.

“Obviously North Bay stands to benefit as well as our bid proposal in partnership with the ONTC (Ontario Northland Transportation Commission).

“With Ontario Northland headquartered in North Bay, obviously it means a lot to their community as well in terms of the future sustainability of that operation, as Kidd closes and trying to find a replacement client for ONTC.”

Black was referring to the planned closure of the Kidd Mine and Kidd’s Hoyle concentrator which is expected for 2022. Kidd is a major freight customer for Ontario Northland.

North Bay city councillors made it clear this week that the key reason they’re supporting the Timmins bid is that it will rejuvenate and expand the freight-hauling capacity for Ontario Northland Railway.

Black said there is also a benefit to Noront in that the more support a particular bid has, the easier it will be for Noront to lobby the government for financial support.

“I think from a Noront perspective, this strengthens the Timmins bid in many ways. They (Noront) are going to need a lot of lobbying to make this project go forward in any regard,” said Black.

He said Noront has already announced it plans to have the nickel-copper minerals from the Ring of Fire processed in Sudbury at existing operations there. Black said by having the ferrochrome processed in Timmins, it would mean more community support across the North when Noront goes to the province looking for financial support to open up the Ring of Fire.

He added that Noront has already stated it wants to create its chromite facility in a community that welcomes the project. Black said the welcome attitude is building in Timmins and across the region.

“We want to show them that not only is our community one of the most supportive mining and metallurgical communities in the world, but the region as a whole is as well,” he said.

“We have the support of Kapuskasing, down to North Bay and many communities in between, as well as communities that are closer to us. I think it strengthens our proposal in terms of the community support aspect.

“I think choosing Timmins for Noront would allow them to turn that project and justify to the province that the project is really a game changer for all of Northern Ontario.”

Black said he is hoping Noront will buy into the argument that the more support it gets from multiple communities in the North, the more likely the province will be willing to provide start-up assistance to Noront.

“I think that is a pretty compelling case to make the argument to the province, that the province should step in and provide assistance to get up and running,” said Black.

It was suggested at the North Bay council meeting that Sudbury may have a distinct advantage with Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault representing that city as MPP.

Black said he could not disagree that anytime a city has a cabinet minister in the riding, it could allow for extra influence. He suggested Energy Minister Thibeault would rise above it.

“It is our hope the minister of energy seeks the value for all of Northern Ontario,” said Black.

He also said there is no likelihood that Noront would choose the Capreol site formerly favoured by Cliff’s Natural Resources Inc. because Noront has already revealed it does not want that site.

Black said regardless of the site that is chosen by Noront, he also believes the province should promise long-term preferred energy rates to help the ferrochrome facility get better established.