GeoP
1. Post says: "IMO, NOT should proceed full steam ahead with constructing an E-W transportation route......hopefully the Government(s) will provide some financial support as an interim measure in the ROF to provide at least some of the aboriginal communities with more substantial transportation linkages to southern locations."
Agreed, NOT is in a good position to go ahead with Ni and PGM mining at Eagle once the EA has been accepted. In fact, they should start the permiting process (EA included) now for their proposed E-W road, since this road is supported to several FN communities and NOT can afford the costs to build it alone, and even without the subsidy from the governmements. Then make it a toll road which is open to anyone who wants to use it. Other companies (e.g. KWG) may want to use it, the general public would use it, the FN communities could use it and the fees would be paid by the governments. The governments may decide to share the cost up-front instead for the FNs free use, etc...This toll road will be a cash cow!
So what's NOT waiting for? Just get on with it, instead of getting side tracked with trivial stuff such as the Koper claim challenge.
2. CLF versus KWG: Post says: "So here we are.......appeal accepted............so what??"
As indicated elsewhere, IMO the Divisional Court ruling does not mean a win for CLF. It was cleverly crafted, but it contains nothing surprising, e.g. the government has the last word on the land use, especially if there is a public interest component in the use, but KWG would be given fair compensation for its legitimate claims, including the amount it has spent on the claims and future potential expected from the project.
The ruling in effect sent the case back to the beginning. Any easement proposal for private use of KWG claims must be resolved through a negotiated settlement. It would be fine for NOT to get involved in the process if it wants to take advantage of the N-S transportation corridor. Personally, I don't see any propect of making this valuable corridor a superhighway for monster trucks (private) use. Most likey, it will be for train (for chromite) plus a small service road (connection to the FN commnities such as Marten Falls and Eabametoong).
goldhunter (shareholders of both NOT and KWG)
