Vale is sponsoring a photography exhibit about the LaCloche Mountains a year after the company agreed not to mine portions of the mountain range.
Under its aggregate licence, the company had rights to mine portions of the mountain range, located between Espanola and Manitoulin Island, along the North Shore of Lake Huron. It ceded those rights in response to public outcry, following the start of a campaign by Willisville photographer Jon Butler to “save the mountain.”
Vale is now teaming up with Butler to sponsor an exhibit of his work, featuring photographs of Willisville Mountain, entitled The LaCloche Spirit: The Equivalent Light. It will be part of a larger exhibit called CONTACT 2012, to be displayed in the south lobby of the Royal Bank Building in Toronto, home to Vale’s global base metals operations.
“Jon’s photography of the area is remarkable and serves as a symbol of how companies and communities can work together in order to achieve a greater good,” said Angie Robson, manager of corporate affairs for Vale’s Ontario operations. “The relationship that has been created between Jon and Vale is very special, and we are so happy to be able to support him in showcasing the beauty of Willisville Mountain.”
“LaCloche Spirit: The Equivalent Light is both a celebration of the beauty of LaCloche and of Vale’s decision to protect the Willisville Mountain area for generations to come,” Butler added. “I try to capture the experience of the LaCloche moment in my photographs for all to enjoy and interpret.”
The exhibit will be displayed until May 26, following which it will move to the Gore Bay Museum Heritage Centre, where it will be available for viewing from June 10 to August 6.
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