Around the North

Ontario Energy Minister Brad Duguid and Ontario Power Generation president Tom Mitchell were in the Far North in late August, inspecting progress on hydroelectric dam construction on the Lower Mattagami River.

Tickets are still available for the Northern Ontario Business Awards set for Thunder Bay this fall. The 24 th annual event, celebrating the region's best and brightest in business, is slated for Oct. 7 at Thunder Bay's Victoria Inn. Tickets are $169.

A group of First Nation chiefs want money from the Ontario government to begin reparing their communities for mine development in the Ring of Fire. Chiefs from the Matawa First Nations issued a joint press release requesting $2.

Quadra FNX Mining Ltd. continues to add new blood to its management team with the appointment of Robert “Don” MacDonald as its new chief financial officer. MacDonald replaces Stuart McDonald, the former CFO of Quadra, and interim CFO of Quadra FNX.

Pioneer Construction of Sudbury has been awarded a $7.1-million contract to repave a highway in the Sudbury area.

Rainy River Resources is increasing this year's exploration budget for its northwestern Ontario properties by $6.1 million. The company directors have approved an increase in the company's budget for the 2010 calender year from $18.7 million to $24.

North American Palladium (NAP) has released a preliminary economic assessment on its Offset Zone, which will extend the life of its Lac des Iles Mine north of Thunder Bay.

Serpent River First Nation and the Mansour Group of Sudbury are eyeballing a northeastern Ontario short line railway for “immediate” business opportunities.

With commercial production expected at its flagship Timmins Mine in the fourth quarter of 2010, Lake Shore Gold has entered into an agreement to raise gross proceeds of up to $76.9 million.

Members of the Timmins Chamber of Commerce have named three new individuals to the board of directors. Tembec's Alan Thorne, RBC Financial Group's Patty McGirr, and J.L.