Around the North

Vale Inco's parent company, Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (Vale SA), stated it plans to boost production, despite a losing millions as a result of low prices for iron ore and nickel, in its quarterly reports, announced July 30.

Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd. announced July 30 that it has confirmed the presence of a highly conductive body in the Milnet Mine claim block of their Parkin Offset dyke joint venture property in Sudbury.

The Town of Kirkland Lake is in agreement with the southern Ontario Town of Innisfil in its efforts to make the harmonized sales tax not include electricity sales.

Largely due to the high price of gold, the Municipality of Red Lake is moving ahead expanding its commercial business area.

Noront Resources Ltd. has been accepted as a member of the International Chromium Development Association (ICDA).

Runway repaving work has started at North Bay's Jack Garland Airport. The $8 million project to resurface the 10,000-foot military-length runway and connecting taxiways started June 29 and will be completed by late August.

Long-awaited federal money for an Invasive Species Centre in Sault Ste. Marie has finally arrived. Federal Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt delivered a $13.

A northeastern Ontario quarry on Lake Superior has been given an approval by a provincial planning tribunal to start mining aggregate.

AbitibiBowater is running tests on its idled No. 6 paper machine in Fort Frances to determine if it can be used to make different types of paper. It has been shut down since early March because of poor market conditions.

Unionized train engineers at VIA Rail were poised to strike this week if a new agreement is not reached. The 340 locomotive engineers were set to walk off the job at noon July 24.