Star Explorer - Volume 1, Issue 3

The Star Explorer
Exploring Saskatchewan’s Diamond Resources
Volume 1 Issue 3
October 20, 2008
Employment and Business
Development
Partnership Agreement
On August 29, 2008, an Aboriginal Employment Development (AED) partnership agreement was signed in Melfort with the provincial
Ministry of First Nations and Métis Relations,
industry, local First Nations, Métis and training institutions. Those businesses committed to
signing the agreement include Shore Gold and
its suppliers: Kimberlite Catering Partnership
Limited; Nuna Drilling; FALC Ltd.; and Whitford Construction Ltd. Muskoday First Nation
and the Métis Nation - Saskatchewan Eastern
Region II are both on board as are the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT)
and Cumberland College.
The partnership came together in order to meet
the unique needs and challenges of Saskatchewan’s booming resource sector. Its multipronged goal is to create a more representative
workforce in the Fort à la Corne area while providing sustainable economic growth and permanent benefits. Through AED, the partners work
to remove barriers preventing First Nations and
Métis people from achieving job participation in
proportion to their population numbers. In turn
provincial education and training institutions offer programs to give people the skills they need.
Tour of site by Sturgeon Lake First Nation
in Smeaton. There was a very full agenda. The
primary agenda item was the NI 43-101 Resource estimate. The technical report supporting the estimate was released on July 22 and is
available on SEDAR www.sedar.com, as well as
on Shore’s website. Other meeting highlights
included an update on site sampling programs,
environmental impact studies, training needs
for mine development and production, the
hydro- electric project proposed by the James
Smith Cree Nation, and the provincial government’s duty to consult.
Service Canada
Service Canada’s Manitoba/Saskatchewan regional director and four representatives from
their provincial offices travelled to the Fort à
la Corne area on July 24 to spend a few hours
touring Shore’s properties and learning more
about the company’s exploration activities. The
visitors were provided with a guided tour of the
site by Chief of Security, Dan Stevely. He explained the step-by-step recovery of diamonds
Signing Partnership Agreement
from kimbelite samples gathered from underground and large diameter drilling (LDD) rigs.
Mr. Stevely described the intricacies of creating
“We at Shore want to do our part in ensuring a facility where security of the diamonds is adthat all people have an opportunity to partici- dressed through each step of the processing.
pate in the growing opportunities in Saskatchewan”, Eric Cline, Vice President, Corporate Tisdale Wine and Cheese
Affairs said. “By signing this Partnership Agree- An information event, hosted by the Tisdale &
ment Shore Gold demonstrates a willingness to District Chamber of Commerce and sponsored
be part of the solution to help all Saskatchewan in part by the Town of Tisdale and resource inresidents prosper.”
vestment company 49 North, was held in Tis“The opportunity for our First Nations to part- dale on September 29. The wine and cheese
ner with business through this agreement has us evening at the Civic Centre Auditorium was
hopeful that we can develop more and better attended by approximately 50 local residents
employment opportunities for our members,” and business owners who were there to learn
added Eldon Crain, Muskoday First Nation Ed- more about upcoming economic opportuniucation and Labour Force Development portfo- ties including Shore’s mining operations in the
lio Councillor. With this signing, there are now region. Shore Gold’s Corporate Procurement
88 Aboriginal Employment Development part- Manager, Arden Sobush, and Corporate Affairs
Vice President, Eric Cline were on hand to disnership agreements in the province.
cuss the goods and services the company would
require, economic spinoffs and to answer about
how local businesses could become involved.
tices. Shore’s staff provided a tour of the large
diameter drill (LDD) rigs, sample processing
facility, Orion South shaft and water treatment
ponds. The highlight for the visitors was an indepth tour hosted by Bill VanBruegel, Project
Manager and Ethan Richardson, Manager, Environment which allowed them to learn more
about the environmental management of the
trial reclamation area, the air monitoring site,
Caution Creek and a reclaimed drill pad.
Tour of site by Sturgeon Lake First Nation
On August 21, 13 representatives (chief and
council along with the Economic Development Committee) met at Shore’s employee
pick-up point in Prince Albert. The group
arrived at site via company bus at about 11:30
AM and proceeded through the visitors’ security clearance. After a safety orientation individuals enjoyed lunch and were then outfitted
with Personal Safety Equipment (PPE). The
site Assistant Project Manager, Mark Shimmel
guided the group to the large diameter drill rig
at the main site, the Orion Site and the geology
core shed. Asmaa Anwar, Senior Project Geologist, explained the drill core, maps and charts
around the building and assisted visitors to view
a core sample under the microscope. The tour
wrapped up at about 2:15 PM and everyone was
back in Prince Albert by 4:00 PM. Comments
from the visitors included: “ it was very informative”, “ we learned a lot” and “it was a very
worthwhile day”.
***
***
Community Relations
Site Tour for James Smith Cree Nation
On June 25, members of James Smith Cree Na-
Diamond Development Advisory Com- tion’s elected leadership, along with their environmental consultant and Saskatchewan Minmittee
istry of Environment representatives, visited
The last Diamond Development Advisory Shore Gold’s site. James Smith’s interest was to
Committee (DDAC) meeting was held June 25 observe first hand Shore’s environmental prac-
Rough Diamonds
Shore Gold Inc.• 300-224 4th Avenue South • Saskatoon, SK S7K 5M5 • (306) 664-2202
[email protected] • www.shoregold.com
Geology
Shore and Service Provider Employee
Orion South
During the summer the 48-inch large diameter
drilling program was done on Orion South.
There were a total of 29 holes completed with
6,900 metres of drilling. The 2008 core drilling program on Orion South was finished in
June. Seventeen holes were completed for a total drilling length of 4,635 metres. This core
was logged in detail and is being utilized to update the geological model for Orion South. The
underground sampling at Orion South included
the completion of the vertical shaft. Lateral
drifting (tunneling) on the 185 metre level (185
metres below surface) was initiated with Pense
material followed by some sampling of Early
Joli Fou kimberlite. It is in these lateral drifts
where the majority of the sample tonnages will
be collected for final diamond recovery. These
samples will be used to gain a strong estimate
of the kimberlite grade and average diamond
value.
Taurus
Large diameter drilling commenced in the Taurus cluster of kimberlites west of the Orion
kimberlites, with the intention of completing 15
holes on three bodies. This drilling is expected
to be completed by the end of the year.
***
by location of Residence from Worksite (August 2008)
For every direct mining job, two jobs are created indirectly in other sectors.
About Shore Gold
• Shore’s current expenditures to date in 2008
Company Profile
on goods and services total $22 million.
• Expenditures to date on businesses located Shore Gold Inc. is a Canadian-based corporation publicly traded on the TSX as “SGF”.
within 100 kms of site total $5 million.
Shore, with its wholly owned subsidiary, Kens• Businesses beyond the 100 km radius of site, ington Resources Ltd. and joint venture partbut within Saskatchewan, total $5 million.
ner, is exploring the huge, uniquely preserved
• Purchases from First Nation and Métis owned kimberlite deposits centrally located in a settled
region of Saskatchewan, Canada and is conbusiness reaches $9 million.
ducting the world’s largest diamond exploration
As of August, 2008 Shore Gold and its service project, with a 2008 exploration budget of over
providers employ a total of 313 employees. The $100 million. Shore has assembled a team with
chart below represents a breakdown of the em- combined mining experience of over 240 years,
ployee numbers by residence.
to move toward production.
• Approximately 97% of employees are Saskatchewan residents from neighbouring communities.
***
• ‘Local Sask’ are employees that live with 100
kms of their workplace.
Diamond Mining is Safe
Unlike various other mining activities, diamond
• ‘Sask’ are those employees who live farther
mining does not involve the use of potentially
than 100 kms from their workplace but within
hazardous chemicals, mill reagents or emisSaskatchewan; and
sions, but uses only non-hazardous reagents.
• ‘Other’ are those Shore or service provider Thus, tailings, water, water management and
employees who reside outside of Saskatchewan. air quality issues are very manageable. As exploration proceeds, Shore intends to employ a
Environment Record: Baseline
Safety, Health, and Environmental ManageStudies, Monitoring, and Recment System (SHEMS) to deal with any potenlamation
tial safety, health, waste management, hazardNewmont Mining Corporation ous and industrial waste management, spill and
emergency response, explosives management,
• Environment monitoring and protection is of of Canada Limited
closure and reclamation and monitoring issues.
paramount importance to Shore.
***
• Progressive reclamation of any forest distur- Kensington Resources Ltd.’s (Shore’s wholly
bance from exploration activities is carried out owned subsidiary) joint venture partner Newto promote forest regeneration.
mont Mining Corporation of Canada Limited
• Regular sampling and analysis of groundwater is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Newmont Mining Corporation. Founded in 1921 and publicly
and surface water continues.
traded since 1925, Newmont Mining Coropora• Baseline studies of air quality, soil, vegetation tion is one of the largest gold companies in the
(including rare plants), wildlife (including rare world. Headquatered in Denver, Colorado, the
species), groundwater, surface water, heritage company employs approximately 15,000 people,
sites, fish and fish habitat and noise level.
the majority of whom work at Newmont Mining Corporation’s core operations in the United
States, Australia, Peru, Indonesia and Ghana.
Newmont is the only gold company listed in the
S&P 500 index and in theDow Jones Sustainability Index-World. Newmont Mining Corporation’s industry leading performance is reflected through high standards in environmental
management, health and safety for its employees and creating value opportunity for host
communities, employees and shareholders.
***
Service Providers
Quality Jobs and Contracts for
Saskatchewan People
• Mining is the highest-paid industry in Saskatchewan.
• Mining means high-paying, quality jobs requiring skills and training. Mining creates jobs.
***
While mining is Saskatchewan’s third-largest
industry, its environmental footprint is relatively small, using approximately 0.1% of available
land in the province. A diamond mine in the
Fort à la Corne Forest, including open pit, processing, fines piles, overburden pile and other
requirements would occupy approximately
2,327 hectares out of a total 132,502 hectares
in the forest, or about 1.76%. The addition of a
second open pit, for example, on Orion South,
would add another approximately 1100 hectares, raising the footprint to about 2.5%, leaving 97.5% of the forest undisturbed. Once mining activity has ceased, all sites are subject to
remediation and reclamation requirements.
News
•Next DDAC
October 21, 10:00 AM
Kinistino Half Century Hall
Kinistino
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•Developing Minds, Managing Resources, Aboriginal
Community Development with the Resources Sector
Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association
Nov 2- 4, 2008
Delta Bessborough Hotel
Saskatoon
***
•Saskatchewan Geological Survey Open House
Ministry of Energy and Resources
Dec 1- 3 , 2008
Delta Bessborough Hotel
Saskatoon