NioBay Metals continues its quest to start Niobium mine in Moose Cree traditional territory
Quebec firm says it has found high-grade deposits of niobium, which makes steel lighter and stronger
A small Quebec-based company says it hopes to work with the Moose Cree First Nation to develop a mine in its traditional territory.
NioBay Metals says the mine would be about 45 km south of Moosonee. It says it has found high-grade deposits of niobium — a metal that, when added to steel, makes it lighter and stronger.
Derek Teevan, NioBay's vice-president of Government and Aboriginal Affairs, says about $10 worth of niobium would reduce the average-sized car by about 150 kg, reducing the amount of fuel required in carbon emissions.
"It's now being recognised as a critical metal by the U.S., because there's no domestic supply [there]."
The company has just finished a preliminary economic assessment of the northern Ontario mine, which could be an open or underground mine, or a combination of the two.
"What we're looking to do is build a small mine that would allow for a potential 23 to 30 year mine life, subject to the engagement and approval of Moose Cree," Teevan said.
The plans also include a 40 km all-season road from Moosonee to the mine site, as well as other infrastructure work.
The project, which NioBay says could create 400 jobs, would be situated off a tributary of the Moose River. Development in this area has been controversial in the past.
Consultation sessions were held in Moose Cree First Nation over the weekend, and there is no word yet on how the community feels about the proposal.
'We need to sit down and talk'
Teevan acknowledges the Moose Cree are "integral to whatever happens next."
Reaction has been mixed, so far.
"Because we need to sit down with them and talk. Right now it's a concept. We need to do years of environmental baseline. We'd like to collaborate with the communities to make sure that they're actively involved in the gathering of everything from traditional knowledge, archaeology, environmental baseline," he said.
NioBay plans to do more drilling in the area this winter — with an environmental baseline to start in the summer of 2021.
"And that will lead to a feasibility study. And that feasibility study would be a deeper dive to see how we could actually develop it."