EDITORIAL PAGE — Deep-felt commitment

Nothing warms the cockles of an old miner’s heart more than to read that some aging mine somewhere in Canada, tottering toward depletion, discovers a new zone or orebody. Closure postponed, a few hundred jobs preserved for a few more years.

In the past weeks, we’ve reported on a few interesting developments which relate to old mines and old camps. Just last week, it was reported Rio Algom had drilled decent massive sulphide intersections in the Bathurst camp of New Brunswick. At Geco, near Manitouwadge, Ont., Noranda is drilling a deep hole to probe the depth potential of the structure that hosts the Geco orebody. Both Rio Algom and Noranda demonstrate their belief in the old adage that the best place to find an orebody is near an existing one.

Beyond that, it is reassuring to see Canadian companies poking drills into Canadian rocks — and coming up with results.

Canada has a long history of mining and more than a few old mines — the Dome (1910), the Sullivan (1892) and a couple of Sudbury mines (near the turn of the century). The whole of the fertile Flin Flon-Snow Lake region began delivering on its promise in the 1930s, as did Sigma in Quebec. Most sport healthy reserves (though Sullivan is rapidly running down) and they will continue mining if unit costs can be controlled.

But it is worrisome that so many Canadian companies are exploring in other regions of the globe. The Northern Miner reflects this “globalization,” week in and week out, when its pages report on activities in countries as far-flung as Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

Of course, the Canadian mining industry has always been international, to a degree. Long ago, Falconbridge founder Thayer Lindsley sent scouts to scour the globe for interesting geological structures. Placer operated South American mines decades before the dictators began giving way to democracy. The difference today, however, is that the movement is broad-based, consisting of juniors and seniors. It wasn’t so long ago that a junior had a devil of a time getting investors enthused in a play in Latin America. The checkered history of most of the countries south of the Rio Grande meant that, too often, risks far outweighed rewards. Not any longer. This offshore migration of Canadian miners also has the feel of permanence. It isn’t just a 2- or 3-year wonder and then back to business in Canada. The countries seriously courting Canadian exploration companies truly want to build a mining industry of their own. And they will build it, given favorable geology, a sympathetic government and luck.

Canada, unfortunately, is stuck in a period of uncertainty about mining. Largely because of how government has reacted to environmental concerns, mine development has slowed in this country.

And that is why it is so heartwarming to see the commitment of a Noranda to drilling deep into the Manitouwadge Synform or of a Rio Algom to revisiting the old Bathurst camp.