OPP seize truck and give it away

For the first time ever in Ontario, or Canada for that matter, the government has seized the personal vehicle of a repeat drunk driver and forfeited it to a community interest group.
Timmins was the first location in the country where Ontario Attorney General Chris Bentley was able to seize and then forfeit that vehicle.
The event took place at the South Porcupine Ontario Provincial Police detachment in Timmins, Monday. The vehicle, a GMC 2500SL pickup truck, was seized from an Iroquois Falls man, who has had three impaired driving convictions in the past ten years. Bentley gave the keys of the vehicle to Anne Leonard, the Executive Director of the Ontario Community Council on Impaired Driving.
The action follows the Ontario government’s new civil forfeiture law, which is part of the Safer Roads for a Safer Ontario Act.
“This is the first time that the vehicles owned by repeat drinking drivers are being seized by the government under civil forfeiture laws. It is a very strong and very powerful message to those who think they can do what they like , who think they can repeatedly drink and drive,” said Bentley.
“But if you drink and drive, you’re gonna lose your ride,” he added.
Bentley explained that a conviction is not necessary. He said the new law may be applied in the case of anyone who has “been suspended for a drinking and driving offence two or more times in the previous ten years, you can be subject to having your vehicle and seized and lost forever”, Bentley told reporters.
The move was applauded by Anne Leonard, (below) the executive director of the Ontario Community Council on Impaired Driving, which runs Ontario’s well-known Arrive Alive-Drive Sober campaign.
“We are glad to see it off the road and not being driven by a repeat drunk driver,” she said, holding up the ownership papers for the truck. She added that the vehicle will be used to raise awareness among high school students about the many downsides of drinking and driving.

Through the wall at the mall!

It wasn’t a door crasher sale at the Porcupine Mall today that caused a car to smash through a wall there. Witnesses said the driver told police that the brakes failed on this Lumina Sedan during the lunch hour today. The front part of the car went through the brick wall and into the gift shop inside the mall. There was extensive damage inside the store, and although the staff was surprised, no one was hurt.

Fuel Poverty

Fuel poverty is a term many Canadians haven’t heard before(it came from Europe), but Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus says it’s going to become part of the language. Angus told a news conference in Timmins this morning he is concerned that the rising price of fuel oil and other fossil fuels will soon force many Northerners into poverty.
“It will be heat or eat,” said Angus referring to the fact that home heating oil will soon cost so much money that senior citizens and low-income earners will be forced to make a choice this coming winter between heating fuel or buying groceries.
Angus says long term solutions are needed to get Canadians into alternative heating solutions such as pellet stoves or geo-thermal heat.

Albert Lepic laid to rest

Funeral services were held Thursday for well-known former Timmins Police chief Albert Lepic, who died Sunday at the age of 92, Lepic served with Timmins Police for more than 40 years as well as being chief of the force from 1946 to 1953. Lepic was also a long time member of the Royal Canadian Legion. He was pre-deceased by his wife Beatrice in 1994. He is survived by three children, Dan, Chuck and Tina and five grandchildren. Interment was at the Timmins Memorial Cemetery.

Northern College $8 million expansion

The Ontario government gave Northern College a significant financial gift this week to help deal with the shortage of skilled-trades workers in the province.
It was an $8 million gift announced by Training, Colleges and Universities Minister John Milroy.
“We’re announcing today eight million dollars for a new technology centre here at the Porcupine campus as well as a satellite centre in Moosonee,” said Millroy. The provincial contribution will cover nearly 60 per cent of the cost of the new centre.
Millroy’s announcement was greeted with an extended round of applause from the gathered educators, industry leaders and community leaders.
“I hope you see this as signifying our confidence in the excellent work you do here,” Milloy told college officials.
Milloy had high praise for the college’s ability to form partnerships with industry and aboriginals communities.
“I think it’s so important that community colleges work closely with the business community to fulfill their training needs,” said Milloy.
“I also want to congratulate you for your special focus on First Nations,” he added.
Milloy also commented that Ontario is faced with global competition from such “low-wage economies” as those in China, India and Brazil.
“The only way Ontario can compete and the only way Ontario can prosper is if we have the most highly educated and highly trained workforce,” he said.
College President Michael Hill (in photo, on the left) commented on how pleased the college was to move forward on the new Nor Tech Centre for Trades and Technology. “Never have I seen a better match between a government agenda and what a college is meant to do,” he told the minister. Hill added that strong metal prices are fuelling the provincial economy “and this needs to be supported
“There is a convergence of circumstances that make this capital contribution to build a centre of excellence for skills, trades and technology at Northern College, just the right thing at just the right time,” said Hill.
Timmins city councillor Michael Doody, who was also a former chair of the college’s board of governors, congratulated the college on behalf of the city. Doody reminded the minister that Northern College has some challenges to overcome with respect to providing education over great distances, but said the North is entitled to the same quality of education that can be found anywhere in Ontario.
Tom Ormsby, the manager of public and corporate affairs for De Beers Canada Victor Project spoke on behalf of the many industries that hire Northern College graduates.
“Thank you for making this tool available where we need it,” said Ormsby.
He added that he was quoting a colleague when he said “If we can employ those people who live within the shadow of the land, we know that they will give us a stable workforce.”
Ormsby added that the success of the college’s technical programs would be key to the success of the resource industries in the north that employ those workers.
He also credited Northern College and its education partners with contributing to the success of De Beers’ newly opened Victor Mine.
Porcupine campus student council president Laura Gagain commented that the announcement of the new centre will help provide students with the skills, training and education to be able to find good jobs - - “Jobs that not only pay well,” said Gagain, “but provide us with satisfaction after a good day at work.”
She added that she expects that more students will be able to fill the needs for skilled trades workers that so many local industries need.
“We will be able to learn, and then work, in our own communities,” she said.
The total cost of the college’s new Nor Tech Centre is projected at $13.75 million and is expected to create 130 jobs. Construction is expected to be completed by September of 2010 and will add roughly 35,000 square feet of learning space to the college’s Porcupine Campus.
Earlier in the week, Milloy announced $3.5 million funding toward the construction of facilities for l’Université de Hearst at the new Collège Boréal campus in Timmins, which is under construction on Theriault Boulevard.

Crash on Pine South, driver collapses

Paramedics, firefighters and Timmins police rushed to give first-aid to a man who collapsed on the road after two pickup trucks were involved in a minor crash at Pine Street and Moneta avenue this afternoon. Witnesses told police the man said he was having chest pains. The man was transported by ambulance to Timmins and District Hospital at about 2:45 p.m.

Another crash on Algonquin

Traffic was slowed to a crawl on Algonquin Boulevard again today when a crash involving a scooter and a van occurred near Fogg Street. Paramedics and firefighters arrived on the scene at about 5:00 p.m. to find a young woman laying on the roadway next to the blue Yamaha scooter-style motorbike. The woman was transported to Timmins and District Hospital. Timmins Police Service is investigating. (click on any photo in this blog to see it full size)

Car crashes into pole

Traffic on the main artery in Timmins was blocked for roughly half an hour at noon today when a car crashed into a utility pole on Algonquin Boulevard, just west of Balsam Street. Police believe the driver of the car suffered some sort of medical problem just before the crash. The driver was transported to Timmins and District Hospital.
Car Crash Update at 3:00 p.m. - - Timmins Police says a crash on Algonquin Boulevard today denmonstrates the value of seat belts. Police say a 17-year old-male driver suffered a seizure today, crashed his car into a telephone pole which snapped off. The car then continued westbound along Algonquin, went up on the sidewalk, then crossed into the eastbound lane and then hit a building at Algonquin and Maple. Police say the driver suffered only minor injuries which would have been worse, had he not been wearing his seatbelt.

Norman Street fire update - arson charges

Timmins Police Services says three youths have been arrested in connection with the warehouse fire at 961 Norman Street on Tuesday. Police says the arrests come after information was provided from witnesses in the area of the fire. All three youths are each charged with one count of Arson, Damage to Property. A court date has been set for November. Police credit members of the public for taking the action to provide information to the police.

Mining Act changes too rushed say prospectors

The Goldrush Room at the Howard Johnson Inn in Timmins was crowded Monday night by mine exploration people who fear that with proposed changes to Ontario’s Mining Act, they may never see another gold rush ever again.
In a three-hour public session, stakeholders from across the North and even Eastern Ontario, took part in the first of a series of public meetings initiated by the provincial government aimed at changing the rules for mining exploration. The province says it’s “a modernization process.”
Officials from the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines (MNDM) presented a 20-page discussion paper. The room then broke up into small discussion groups to consider the changes, for nearly an hour.
As the groups came back to present their findings, some common threads emerged. The main one seemed to focus on the timing of the changes. Many complaints were voiced that the discussion paper was released on the same day of the first workshop with the result there was no time to study the document before discussing it.
The other concern is that the Ontario government appears to be moving uncharacteristically fast to get the changes to the Mining Act passed, according to many participants in the discussions.
That message came through when acting mayor Mike Doody presented a letter of welcome from the city to the ministry, where the ministry was invited to bring the consultations back to Timmins before any changes are passed into law.
“I am making this request because of the short time period we have had to review these very critical policy issues,” said Doody.
“Mining is the raison d’être of our city. It has contributed to the sustained economic life of our community for many years and we hope for many more,” Doody said.
“Your government’s review of the Ontario Mining Act will have a profound effect on our city and for this reason I feel an extensive amount of consultation is required,” he reminded the provincial officials.
The city’s letter also noted that the investment climate in Ontario has decreased dramatically in the past five years and the letter expressed concern about Ontario’s weakening economy.
“We cannot allow Ontario’s strength in mining to crumble,” said the letter.
The government’s rush on the issue was also a concern to veteran Timmins prospector Don McKinnon.
“This certainly was rushed,” said McKinnon, who added that he needed more time to fully analyze the document. He also commented on the concern for equal treatment by all stakeholders.
“We’re not looking for any concessions or special treatment. We want to be on par with everybody else,” said McKinnon.
Another concern was over what is called the “free entry” system that allows a prospector to enter and stake the land without prior consultation with the landowners. While the free entry system appears to bother some landowners and stakeholders, the prospectors made it clear that confidentiality and competitive secrecy have always been a part of mining exploration.
One part of the MNDM discussion paper said that aboriginal groups wanted to know beforehand where claims would be staked, so that they might decide whether the staking encroaches on their lands.
Several tables suggested that the mining industry does not have a problem with respecting aboriginal lands, but that there appears to be no firm rules about where prospectors can and cannot go.
One group suggested that a formal map of aboriginal “traditional lands” versus aboriginal “sacred lands” has to be defined. One prospector suggested that sacred lands, where ancestors might be buried, would be considered off-limits. But he said traditional lands, where there is hunting and fishing, should be open for prospecting.
It was suggested that aboriginal community has to make a decision on what lands are open and available to development and what lands are not.
“As far as Aboriginal rights, there seems to be a common thread; we need to know who to talk to and we need to know what the protocols are,” said geologist Bob Calhoun of the Timmins Economic Development Corporation.
Calhoun also defended mining exploration as an industry.
“The statement that is made fairly often that exploration companies run amok on the land is totally unfounded,” declared Calhoun. He said the industry has a host of regulatory agencies that are watching every step of the way.
“Mining is a business of rules, and we will follow the rules, but we really need to know what they are,” said Calhoun .
Calhoun added that the First Nations need to have some sort of formal land use planning in place.
“Those plans have to be developed by the First Nations, for the First Nations and the government has to be there to support them in that process.”
That concern was echoed by engineer and prospector Bruce Staines, who traveled all the way from Wawa to take part in the meeting.
“When we start to talk about traditional native lands, unless there are clear boundaries as to where those lands are, it is hard to engage in discussions and negotiations with people unless the boundaries and the limits are defined,” said Staines.
“When it comes to sharing the benefits of the mineral industry with First Nations, my concern is out of whose pocket does it come, does it come out of the government’s royalty portion or is it another dip into the profits of the company.”
“I think anytime you’re going to change an Act that has worked for many years, it’s an area of concern, because generally speaking this is not in favour of the mining industry,” he added.
“The mining industry is on a roll and anything that is going to dampen that is a negative for the province, and for Canada,” said Staines.

Murphy Road is closed!

Murphy Road, a gravel road that runs across the north end of Timmins, is closed. The road, which is popular with berry-pickers, ATVers and even dirt bikers, now has a locked gate at the western approach to the road, at Highway 655. A sign posted at the gate says Villeneuve Construction, Laforet Pit, No Trespassing. Villeneuve Construction, is a Hearst company. Company spokesman Mario Villeneuve told The Times this week “we own the property.” The company’s website says Villeneuve Construction has numerous aggregate resources between North Bay and Thunder Bay. “This important construction resource enables us to undertake construction contracts throughout Northern Ontario. We have access to a portable crusher, therefore we can provide aggregate resources wherever they are needed,” says the website. (click on any photo in this blog to see it full size)

Fire calls in Timmins

Firefighters in Timmins have been having a busy day. There was a car fire on Sunset road today that is being treated as a car theft and arson. That happened at mid-afternoon. Just before the supper hour, firefighters were called out to a warehouse fire on Norman Drive, just south of the Cedar Meadows property. The building is part of the old Ukrainian picnic grounds and was being used to store furniture. Police and fire investigators are treating that fire as arson as well.

Algonquin Reg't goes to the Arctic

A group of reservists from the Algonquin Regiment in Timmins will be part of a national military exercise to show Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic.
Eight members of Bravo Company of the Algonquins will be heading north next week to the community of Iqaluit on Baffin Island in Nunavut, says Sergeant James Vogl of Timmins(at left). “The Algonquins will be providing a section of soldiers from this location, along with our company in North Bay, to a landforce infantry company and contributing to that operation,” said Vogl.
“It will be a sovereignty exercise not only in Iqaluit, which is the capital, but elements of our company will be dispersed to other local communities around Baffin Island,” Vogl explained.
He says the exercise will not be a war games type scenario, but instead an exercise in demonstrating that Canadian Forces can be deployed where ever they’re needed in Canada’s North.
“It’s going to be patrolling, seeing the land, showing our presence up in the North,” he said.
Vogl added that scenarios will be played out “to keep the troops on their toes.
A Canadian Forces news release says Operation Nanook will include exercise scenarios that simulate maritime emergencies, such as the evacuation of a ship in distress and an oil spill.
Vogl says the exercise with involve all elements of the Canadian Forces including the army, the navy, the air force and the Canadian Rangers, which is the Aboriginal element that carries on regular patrol duties in the far north.

Goldcorp cleaning up Delnite

Goldcorp Porcupine Gold Mines brought welcome news to residents of the Delnite townsite this week.
In response to concerns raised about the condition of old mine tailings, Goldcorp has moved up its schedule to rehabilitate the abandoned tailings. Work has already begun.
Goldcorp environmental engineer Laszlo Götz (wearing vest in photo) outlined the new plans to several members of the Delnite community this week while on a brief walking tour of the tailings area.
Many local residents became concerned last summer when Goldcorp carried out exploration diamond drilling on the old Delnite mine property. The mine had been closed since the 1960s and residents were concerned that with the increasing price of gold, new mining work might begin at the mine.
Since the mine closed, many residents bought homes in the old town site, as they were attracted by the peace and quiet of the wilderness setting. Residents had also expressed concern about the condition of the old tailings, which were abandoned in 1964.
Götz said the tailings, which were covered with old lumber and other debris, were unsightly and posed a safety hazard to area children who might wander into the area.
He said the other problem was the increasing usage of ATVs and dirt bikes on the tailings, which stirred up the dust.
“It has been determined that the dust was a direct result of unauthorized vehicle traffic on the tailings,” said Götz.
That was just one part of the problem according to one area resident.
“The dust was one thing, the unsightliness of it, and worrying about pets because it was a playground for ATVs and dirt bikes and whatnot, there was a hell of a racket going on,” explained Delnite resident Steve Eley.
“We hope we can re-educate the population to keep away from these areas,” said Götz.
He explained that in order for the land reclamation and vegetation effort to work properly, no one will be allowed on the tailings. Götz says a fence will be installed around the tailings area to keep trespassers away.
He added that the steep sidewalls of the tailings dam would be re-sloped to a four-to-one gradient so as to make it less likely for the tailings dam wall to erode.
The tailings area itself, which encompasses several hectares, will be covered with a biomass mixture made up of pulp sludge from the AbitibiBowater mill in Iroquois Falls.
The company says the reclamation plan will be similar to the successful land reclamation project carried out on the old Coniaurum tailings, northeast of Schumacher.
As part of the reclamation project, Laurentian University botanical studies students are planting corn and canola crops in a test plot at the Delnite to see which soil type is best to put on top of the tailings.
Area residents who took part in the walking tour this week said they were happy to get the news.
“I am pleased. I’m pleased it’s being done. I went to one of the meetings they had and it looked like it was going to be put on the backburner, but now it’s going ahead, so I’m happy this is taking place,” said Eley.
As for the exploration-drilling program, residents were told back in February that Goldcorp has not ruled out future drilling.
“The Delnite Mine and area is still an exploration target, it just does not rank highly on our current exploration target list,” the company said in a letter to residents.

Police nab suspect in liquor store break-in

Value of stolen booze - $300
Total damage to LCBO - $3,500
Getting caught at 2:00 a.m.
with a texas mickey - Priceless!

At least one Timmins man is not likely a regular viewer of CSI on television. Timmins police arrested a break-in suspect Thursday after blood and a piece of clothing were left at the scene of the crime.
Police say the break-in occurred early Thursday morning at the LCBO store in the Hollinger Court when a rock was used to smash a window.
Police officers arriving on the scene, saw blood and a piece of clothing outside the smashed window. The police K-9 unit was called out at 1:34 a.m. and a suspect was tracked to the front of a house on nearby Borden Avenue.
At that time, police also seized a large bottle of liquor, often referred to as a Texas Mickey.
Police say a 29-year old man was arrested and charged with break, enter and theft, possession of stolen goods, mischief and six counts of breaching probation.
Police are seeking a second suspect in the break in. The total value of the stolen alcohol was roughly $300. The damage done to the window and a cash register was $3,500.

Xstrata expands Kidd Mine

Xstrata Copper today announced it will spend more than C$120 million to extend the life of the Kidd Mine in Timmins.
The Kidd Mine, which is already the world's deepest copper and zinc mine, will be extended from 9,100 feet to 9,500 feet. It will allow the company to extract an additional 3.4 million tonnes of ore and extend the life of mine by roughly one year, to 2017. The expansion will allow for the creation of 75 new full-time jobs for the duration of the construction project.
In a news release, Xstrata Copper Canada Chief Operating Officer Claude Ferron said of the investment:
"The investment approval reflects Xstrata Copper's commitment to the sustainability of Kidd Mine and the Timmins community and its business strategy to continually implement improvements to enhance the value of its operations. Our ability to mine safely and efficiently at the current 8,800 level, the commitment of our employees and support of the community were fundamental factors in obtaining the necessary approvals."
"We continue to study the potential to add more reserves at the mine and to further extend its operational life" said Ferron.
Construction is already underway and scheduled for completion by mid 2010.
In 2007, approval was given to extend the mining zone to 9,100 feet and in June 2008 to 9,500 feet for a combined additional investment of C$148 million.
The Kidd Mine, which began operations in 1966, was developed by Texasgulf.
It now forms part of the Xstrata Copper Canada division, one of five operating divisions of Xstrata Copper. Together with the Kidd Metallurgical complex, it employs close to 2,200 employees and contractors. In a news release, Xstrata says the Mine D expansion project was completed in 2006 at a capital cost of C$664 million .

House fire in Porcupine

Firefighters from Whitney and South Porcupine responded to a house fire call on Highway 101 in Porcupine Tuesday. No one was at home at the time of the fire which is believed to have started in the kitchen, where a pot was left on the stove.

Lake Shore Gold moving towards production

Lake Shore Gold Corp. (LSG) in Timmins says it’s well on it’s way to becoming North America’s next significant “mid-tier” gold producer.
Company president Tony Makuch told reporters in Timmins Tuesday that he is confident his company’s Timmins West project will eventually push the company into the big leagues.
When asked to define mid-tier, Makuch said, “ We expect to fill the marketplace between the junior and the senior producers. We’re something above a junior company and something below the Barricks and Newmonts of this world.”
Makuch said Lake Shore Gold is different from a lot of other smaller gold companies. “We already have 1.2 million ounces in reserves in the ground,” said Makuch. “So that gives us the foundation to start with and to build upon. We have sufficient gold reserves right now here at Timmins West for at least 11 years.”
The company held a family day Tuesday to show off all the work that has been at the Timmins West site in the past year and to bring the local media up to date on the status of the project, which so far has seen a local investment of roughly $26 million.
“We are on track, we are well on track with what we said we were going to do here,” said Makuch, who is also a Timmins native.
“We expect to be producing ore by 2009 from Timmins West,” said Makuch adding that he expects the company to produce about 30,000 ounces of gold in that first year.
“It’s a good time for Timmins, and definitely a good time for Lake Shore Gold and a good time for Northeastern Ontario,” he declared.
The shaft sinking process has just begun. Operations vice-president Chris Stewart says the new 18-foot diameter circular concrete and steel shaft is currently sunk to 35 metres, but will eventually reach 650 metres.
Makuch says production at the mine is expected to eventually reach 150,000 ounces per year. Once production begins, LSG will be shipping its ore, by truck, to the Bell Creek mill in Porcupine.
Stewart says the job of refurbishing the mill is “progressing very well’ and he expects it will be done by the end of the year and will be able to begin processing ore in the first quarter of 2009.
“The mill was put away well,” said Stewart referring to the fact that the Bell Creek property shut down several years ago. It was purchased by LSG last year. Stewart said an inspection of the mill showed that of 50 electric motors inside the plant, only two needed serious repairs.
In September, the company will also drive a ramp at the Timmins West mine. As part of process of developing the ramp, Makuch says the company will also be able to begin extracting ore as the ramp moves through the ore zones.
Makuch says for all the that the new mine has to offer in the way of reserves and brand new equipment and facilities, “ the real main asset we have is people.”
He says Lake Shore is working towards international standards in terms of health and safety. as well as the environment. Makuch says the company’s goal is “zero harm” to the people who work at the mine and to the community that surrounds it.
Currently there are roughly 160 staff and contractor workers employed at the mine. Makuch says he expects that will reach 230 by the end of this year and 300 employees in 2009-10 when the mine goes into full production.

Bob Izumi coming to Timmins

One of Canada’s best known outdoors ambassadors, Bob Izumi, is coming to Timmins this week. The public has a chance to meet the man on Friday.
Izumi, who is known across North America as the enthusiastic host of The Real Fishing Show, will be appearing at Krazy Krazy Audiotronics at 1330 Riverside Drive.
The store is celebrating it’s 20th anniversary and Izumi will drop by Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to help draw attention to an in-store fishing promotion. Izumi has been to Timmins previously to promote fishing and to videotape segments for his television show, while visiting fishing lodges in the region.
Aside from being a successful TV host, Izumi is an avid angler first and foremost. He has won more than 50 professional fishing tournaments in Canada. In 1995 he became Canada’s only triple-crown fishing winner, capturing the Canadian Open bass tournament, the GM Pro Bass Classic and GM Pro Bass Angler of the Year Award.
In 1998 Izumi founded Fishing Forever, a non-profit organization committed to preserving and enhancing Ontario's fisheries. He has acted as Chairman of the organization since its inception.
Izumi, who is now 50, became Canada’s first ever full-time fishing pro in 1978. The native of Chatham, Ontario was an avid angler long before that. Izumi won his first fishing derby when he was eight years old.
Photo Credit: Bob Izumi’s Real Fishing Show.

Racer runs red, loses car

A driver who tried to outrun local police after getting four flat tires, has had his car, and the flat tires, impounded by police for seven days.
Police say the car, a ’97 Pontiace Grand Prix was clocked at 50 kilometres in excess of the speed limit on Highway 101 in the Schumacher area on Wednesday. According to police, the driver refused to pull over, tried to evade police, was involved in a collsion and left the scene of that collision.
As a result, police say 20-year-old Ronald Hansen of Schumacher is charged with racing, failing to stop for a red light, failing to stop for police and failing to remain at the scene of a collsion.
Police say Hansen has also had his driving privileges suspended for seven days.