Around the North

Cliffs Natural Resources is upping its bid to take over Spider Resources as part of the major power play to gain control of a massive chromite deposit in the James Bay Lowlands.

The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) has launched an e-mail writing campaign over what they call a "costly and unnecessary" permitting process to protect caribou habitat.

Goldcorp's Porcupine Gold Mine workers are the provincial winners in mine rescue. The team won the 60th annual competition staged by Workplace Safety North and Ontario Mine Rescue in Timmins, June 11 and 12.

Construction has begun on a new French Catholic School in Sault Ste. Marie. The new École Notre-Dame-du-Sault will merge three existing schools and will offer programming from junior kindergarten to grade 12.

Parry Sound's airport is undergoing another round of construction and expansion.

Schneider Power has inked a 20-year power purchase agreement with Ontario Power Authority (OPA) for energy produced by a wind farm near North Bay. The 10-megawatt Trout Creek Wind Project will be producing power by 2012.

A shuttered Thunder Bay paper mill was one of four properties sold to American Iron & Metal Company (AIM) for $8.7 million. The Fort William mill was shut down three years ago.

Rainy River Resources reports it has found more high-grade gold in northwestern Ontario. The Toronto junior miner released results from drilling at its 433 zone at its Rainy River Gold project. One result produced 128.5 grams per tonne over 5.

Pioneer Construction of Sudbury has been awarded a $3.2-million contract to rehabilitate an eight-kilometre section of Highway 11/17, east of Thunder Bay, near Highway 587. The work involves resurfacing, new drainage and grading.

Scott Lund has been named chairman of the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation. The vice-president and general manager of MCTV was chosen to succeed Guy Labine at the organization's annual general meeting, June 9.