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Kapuskasing finishes first phase of industrial minerals study

The first phase of the Kapuskasing Regional Industrial Minerals Project is complete, and in the next few months, community and economic development officials will be sitting down to look at their next step.
Andre
The Kapuskasing Regional Industrial Minerals Project, launched in 2010 has now finished its first phase. The project identified eight areas in the Kapuskasing region that have potential and merit for more work. Andre Robichaud is the project coordinator of the Kapuskasing Economic Development Corporation.

The first phase of the Kapuskasing Regional Industrial Minerals Project is complete, and in the next few months, community and economic development officials will be sitting down to look at their next step.

The project was launched in 2010 to identify potential areas of industrial minerals and aggregate in the Kapuskasing area.

The first part was to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the industrial mineral sector of the region, and to collate existing geological and analytical data.

“It was really to do an inventory of the known deposits in the area,” said Andre Robichaud, project coordinator of the Kapuskasing Economic Development Corporation, “to heighten their profiles.”

The industrial minerals under investigation are: clay, slate, soapstone and silica.

Through the study, the project identified eight areas that have potential and merit more work. But because all the locations are in private hands, exploration can't proceed.

“The next step is to see what we can do,” said Robichaud. “In our case, it will be promoting those locations.

“'Here's what we got in Northern Ontario and these are some of those locations.' It's going to come down to heightening the profile of the location. That's the overall goal.”

Industrial minerals are a $2.49-billion industry. The bulk of production is in southern Ontario.

The only mining in the area is Agrium's Kapuskasing Phosphate Operations, 40 kilometres southwest of town. But that operation is closing in 2013.

The industrial minerals project was also created in the hopes of attracting new companies and entrepreneurs to the area, and increase both diversification to the region, and visibility of the region to the global market.

There was also potential for job creation and additional value-added spin-offs.

“Phase one is done, and so is the report,” said Robichaud. “We know of these eight locations that have potential. We'll need some advice from experts in the field to see what we can do to assist those locations and projects.”

The next phase is to investigate the market potential and develop feasibility studies for the products.

“When it comes to mining, it's kind of difficult to gauge and undertake, because it's in private hands,” he said. “It's really to see what we can do as a group. Maybe give them a little push and assistance.

“We'll see how the project unfolds in 2012.”

www.kapuskasing.ca/Businesses/TargetSectors/Mining