Around the North

Six Matawa First Nations Chiefs signed a memorandum of understanding with Great Slave Helicopters Ltd., Feb. 12 for a joint venture to provide helicopter air charter services to customers within their traditional territories.

Ursa Major Minerals is launching into nickel and copper ore production armed with (US) $2.5 million arranged through a metal financing facility. In a Feb.

Kirkland Lake Gold Inc. (TSX: KGI), which operates in the camp of the same name, has bolstered its ranks with the official appointment of Mark Tessier as chief operating officer and John Thomson as chief financial officer.

The City of Temiskaming Shores has secured a $1.2 million loan through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to improve water services in the region.

An increase in transportation equipment sales lifted the fates of Canadian manufacturing as a whole in December 2009, which rose 1.6 per cent to hit $43 billion, according to Statistics Canada.

Dominic Giroux, president of Laurentian University, has been honoured as Personality of the Year in education by Le Droit / Radio-Canada on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Global mining giant Vale's net income for 2009 hit US$5.3 billion, down from the $13.2 billion seen in 2008, according to the company's financial reports.

The provincial government is providing $295,015 to Sault Ste. Marie's Algoma University to create an Ontario Digital Games Business Incubator Network. MPP David Orazietti made the announcement Feb. 10.

North Bay mayor and anti-Buy American campaigner Vic Fedeli is claiming victory. In an international agreement announced Feb. 5, Canadian firms can now bid on American stimulus projects. In return, the provinces agree to allow U.S.

A new First Nations transmission company is meeting with companies to discuss the possibility of building projects on treaty lands in northeastern Ontario. At the inaugural Feb.