Baie Verte Mining Resurgence Dominates Conference 

The resurgence of mining on Baie Verte Peninsula dominated the 21^st Annual Mining Conference in Baie Verte on the weekend and formed the foundation for a celebration of an industry that is truly flourishing.

�The entire Baie Verte Peninsula is a buzz with mining activity,� said the Honourable Kathy Dunderdale, Minister of Natural Resources.  �The Pine Cove gold mine is up and running, Nugget Pond is processing gold ore from Greenland and Rambler Metals is proceeding with pre-feasibility work around the old Ming copper mine.  Baie Verte is quickly returning to its former glory as a mining centre in the province.�

More than 200 delegates attended this year�s event, making it one of the best-attended mining conferences in recent memory.  The Baie Verte Peninsula played a pivotal role in the province�s early mining history with gold, copper, asbestos and other mining operations. The recent string of mining successes in this area and across the province was the focus of the weekend.

�We�re averaging one new mine per year in the past four years, which demonstrates that we have the right resources, business climate and policies to compete for and attract investment,� Minister Dunderdale said.  �The value of our mineral shipments and exploration expenditures are approximately four times higher than five years ago and this government is dedicated to building on this momentum to ensure long-term growth in this industry.�

Budget 2008 demonstrated the Provincial Government�s strategy for building the province�s global mining competitiveness by enhancing exploration infrastructure and improving the province�s mineral resource knowledge through geoscience.  The budget committed $3 million over the next three years to carry out new geological mapping and $500,000 to develop an online permitting system.  The province is also maintaining its record-high $2.5 million funding for the Mineral Incentive Program to stimulate new mineral exploration.

The minerals sector is playing an increasingly important role in the province, especially in rural areas.  Mining activity directly employs approximately 4,000 people throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

The new Pine Cove mine will employ 44 people, the newly-reactivated Beaver Brook antimony mine near Glenwood employs nearly 100 people and Duck Pond, near Buchans, employs 192 people,� the minister said.  �Add to that the 1,500 employees working at the Iron Ore Company of Canada mine in Labrador City and the 900 employees at the Voisey�s Bay mine project and it�s clear mining is have a major positive impact on people who live and work in rural areas.� 

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Media contact:
Tracy Barron
Director of Communications
Department of Natural Resources
709-729-5282, 690-8241
tracybarron@gov.nl.ca

2008 06 16                                        9:30 a.m.