Minago Project
Norway House Cree Nation
ABOUT
The Minago project is the first, 100% First Nation owned, critical minerals asset in Canada. The project is positioned to become a Ni mining and processing hub as it sits on a rich nickel deposit in the central region of the Thompson Nickel belt in Manitoba.
Norway House Cree Nation has made a substantial investment in the future of its community that will have positive returns for generations to come. This project will create wealth and a brighter future for the people of Norway House Cree Nation & surrounding communities, while also protecting the sacred environment.
The long-term plan is to develop a nickel mine but first, over 111 million tonnes of Dolomite (a type of limestone), with 10-12% magnesium, must be quarried and removed. There will be opportunities for training, jobs, and investment in this project.
“By taking full control with 100% ownership and management, we can drive this project forward, focus on the environment, maximize employment, and build economic opportunities for our people.”
Chief Larson Anderson,
Norway House Cree Nation
Project Mandate
Chief Anderson has mandated the Minago Project leadership to establish an operation that will have long-term benefits for its community through training, job creation, and environmental care as reflected in the following vision:
“To establish the first green project with low CO2 emissions using the most environmentally sustainable processes with minimum emissions to air, water, and land.”
The project will fulfil its mission by focussing on the following:
- Creating jobs for Norway House Cree Nation and surrounding communities, including in-depth training programs, that will have a lasting positive impact for generations to come.
- Taking effective measures to ensure proper care for the environment that protects air, water, and land using the most sustainable and advanced extraction processes.
- Seeking expertise and advice from various informed sources that will support the decision processes of the Minago Project.
- Inviting outside investments from the public and private sectors to ensure the growth and long-term sustainment of the Minago Project.
Leadership
The Minago leadership team represents years of experience ranging from business development and environmental management and monitoring to financial management, mining exploration and geology.
Mr. Rondeau is a Senior Advisor to Norway House Chief and Council for Special Projects.
Mr. Rondeau currently is the President of Systematic Design and Plum Creative, two international award-winning design companies that work around the world. He also serves as vice president of ICMD, a company that provides pharmacy and medical services to First Nation and other clients in Western Canada.
He serves on the National Board of The Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, Toba Grown Inc. as well as other Non-Profit Boards.
Mr. Rondeau is a former member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1999 to 2016, and served as a cabinet minister from 2003 to 2013. In 2004, Mr. Rondeau was promoted to a full cabinet portfolio as Minister of Industry, Economic Development and Mines. Under Mr. Rondeau’s leadership, Manitoba was recognized as the Best Jurisdiction for Mining in the World by the Fraser Institute. During his tenure 2 new mines were opened and one reopened in Manitoba.
He has received the Queen’s Jubilee Award, The Canadian Cancer Society Recognition Award and the Fred Douglas Foundation Award
Doug Ramsey is a Registered Professional Biologist in British Columbia, with four decades of experience in the areas of environmental assessment, permitting, and indigenous consultations in the mining sector. In Manitoba, Mr. Ramsey led the environmental monitoring and permitting at the Tanco mine for 12 years, and acted as the lead Technical Director for the Sherridon orphaned mine site reclamation project.
Over his career, Mr. Ramsey’s practice has included clients such as Inco, Falconbridge, Kinross, Barrick, Spanish Mountain Gold, Environment Canada, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, as well as numerous First Nations in Manitoba as well as in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.
Mr. Ramsey is regularly called upon to present scientific information to indigenous stakeholders and has made presentations on environmental and reclamation issues at various mining conferences.
John Giavedoni is a business professional with a Chartered Professional Accounting designation, a degree in finance, entrepreneurial spirit and a wealth of business, accounting and information systems experience. In addition to his 5 years with the Major Project Group of Norway House Cree Nation, John has worked as Controller, CFO and VP-Finance at a broad range of companies in the airline, legal, property management, commodities, banking and large retail warehousing businesses. He also has extensive experience as a business consultant, and has owned his own businesses and gained valuable experience working for KPMG and Deloitte. John is very community minded and is involved in many non-profit and charitable organizations.
Mr. Oosterman is a professional geologist with over 20 years’ experience in the exploration and mining industry managing companies and projects both on the ground and at the executive level as the CEO of several junior explorers during his career. He has spent over a decade exploring for nickel, beginning his career with Falconbridge (Glencore) and Inco (Vale) working in the Sudbury basin and in the Thompson Nickel Belt, and has explored for minerals across Canada from Newfoundland to the Western Cordillera, as well as having global experience exploring for minerals Nevada, Bolivia and Mongolia. Mr. Oosterman holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in geology from Laurentian University and is a member of the Professional Geoscientists of Ontario. He is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43–101.
Norway House Cree Nation
Norway House Cree Nation (Kinosao Sipi) (NHCN) is one of the largest Indigenous communities in Manitoba with a growing population of 9369 registered members, with 6883 members living on reserve.
Norway House Cree Nation is recognized as a progressive community and boasts a large number of amenities, including a new $150 million hospital that opened in 2024, a personal care home, educational facilities, postsecondary facility, public work facilities and many business establishments.
NHCN is continuing with its progressive approach with its’ latest investment in the Minago Project.
For more about NCHN visit NHCN.ca
CRITICAL MINERALS
With the current focus on critical minerals, the Minago Project is well-positioned to take its place as a key source for nickel and magnesium. Both minerals are essential to Canada’s economy and are key to building a green and digital economy ranging from solar panels, electric vehicles to smartphones and mobile networks.
Multi-Phase Approach
The Minago project will be a multi-phase process with a focus on being a green project. The initial phase will be to remove the Dolomite which has a low CO2 content, a cleaner version of limestone, and will be extracted using the most environmentally sustainable processes with minimum emissions to air, water, and land.
Limestone
Stuff about Limestone
Granite
Stuff about Granite
Magnesium
Stuff about Magnesium
Nickel
Stuff about Nickel
Platinum Groups Metals (PGMs)
Stuff about PGMs
Location and Maps
The Project site is in the Central region of the Thompson Nickel Belt. Minago is the most advanced project in this underexplored section of the Belt. The Project is well-located to existing infrastructure – adjacent to PTH 6 and a 230 kV hydro power line, 60 km south of the Bay Line rail at Ponton, and a 4.5 hr drive north of Winnipeg.
The property currently comprises 94 mineral claims and 2 mining leases covering 19,661 ha.
The current Minago mineral resource and project plan is primarily based on open pit mining of the Nose Deposit. with possible future expansion to include the North Limb deposit, which has not yet been fully drilled off.
The Nose deposit remains open at depth, and the North Limb is open along strike and at depth.
CURRENT ACTIVITIES
Update on general activities
Quarry Training
Stuff about Quarry Training – link to jobs section of site
Green Electric Power
Stuff on power
Spur Line
Stuff about Spur Line
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDIES
Stuff about studies
Community Consultations
Consultation outcomes
Core Sampling / Drilling
Stuff about the drilling
JOBS
The Minago Project will create over 500 well-paid, community-based jobs. We’ll need truck drivers, heavy equipment operators, drillers, security people, housekeeping, environmental testers among many employment opportunities.
Join us and begin your rewarding and meaningful career now. If you’d like to be a part of this exciting project please email your resume to: career@minago.ca
DRIVER
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HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR
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HOUSEKEEPER
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TRUCK DRIVER
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SECURITY OFFICER
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5 jobs found
Training Projects
Overview of training approach
Hudbay Training
Youth Career Opportunities
REMOTE CAMP
The NHCN remote camps have the capacity to accommodate 124 people in 9 different camps. Some are fully equipped with kitchen and dining facilities. Private sleeping quarters can include single beds, desks, closet space and many with their own bathroom facilities.
Our camp staff provide great meals, housekeeping services and camp maintenance. These camps have been used by multiple mining and exploration companies including Rockcliff Minerals, Hudbay, North-west Drilling, Flying Nickel and others.
For More Information email info@minago.ca