Resource World Magazine

Detour Gold Corp. recently poured its first four gold bars, totaling approximately 2,000 ounces, at its Detour Lake Gold Mine located 185 km northeast of Cochrane, Ontario. Photo courtesy of Detour Gold Corp. Ontario EXPLORATION AND MINING by Kathrine Moore & Vanessa MacLean I n terms of mineral wealth, Ontario is definitely a have province. Ontario is one of the world���s top 10 producers of platinum, nickel and cobalt and as well as a significant producer of copper, silver and zinc. The Sudbury Basin and the Timmins area are legendary in the industry for their enormous contribution to Ontario���s economy and its reputation as a province rich in mining history and mineral deposits. The Sudbury Basin has been mined for more than a century; mining is the backbone of this northern Ontario community and though the company names have changed, men for generations have 16 www.resourceworld.com gone down to work in the nickel and copper mines and smelters. The area is rich in nickel, copper, platinum, palladium and gold. Sudbury grew up as a mining city; the smoke stacks a familiar sight on the horizon. Those not directly employed by the mines often provided services and supplies to the mine. The Ring of Fire, located in Ontario���s Far North, is a huge area within the McFaulds Lake Belt. It covers an area of 5,000 km2. According to the Ontario Mining Association (OMA) with ���about 31,000 claim units and more than 30 companies exploring the Ring of Fire, there���s a potential for more than 100 years of chromite (used to make stainless steel) production as well as significant production of nickel, copper and platinum. OMA states that, ���it is one of the most promising development opportunities in northern Ontario in perhaps a century.��� The Timmins area is another mining district with a rich history. The area is mined for gold, copper, lead and zinc and nickel as well as silver. Rick Bartolucci, Ontario���s Minister of Northern Development and Mines, stated in Ontario Mining and Exploration Directory: 2012 that, ���For more than a decade, Ontario has led our nation in mineral exploration spending and remains among the top ten mineral investment jurisdicMARCH 2013

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