People Power

For almost 140 years now, the name Rio Tinto has been heard around the world. From its modest beginning in 1873 as a company created to mine ancient copper workings in Rio Tinto, Spain, to the formation of the Consolidated Zinc Corporation in 1905 to treat zinc-bearing mine waste in Broken Hill, Australia, the company has continued to grow because of its relentless interest in finding, mining and processing minerals worldwide.

In fact, the Rio Tinto Group was formed in 1997 to further reflect and reinforce its international status as a leading mining Group. Headquartered in the UK with strong representation here in Canada as well as Australia, the United States, South America, Asia, Europe and Africa, the company truly leaves no stone unturned on the international scene.

In other words, The Group is a major player in almost every market that interests it; including aluminum, copper, diamonds, coal, uranium, gold, iron ore as well as industrial minerals such as borax, titanium dioxide, and salt and talc.

Like all mining companies in pursuit of these minerals, Rio Tinto is not afraid to go out of its way and off the beaten path, literally, to find them. In doing so, however, they’ve treaded in other people’s backyards but out of respect for host countries and communities, Rio Tinto credits much of its success in foreign lands with its understanding and implementation of the social and environmental rights of its hosts.

Corporate Social Responsibility plays a huge part in Rio Tinto’s business plan and unlike some other companies that claim the same; they actually follow through by putting their reputation where their mouth is.

All projects are developed and implemented with ‘sustainable development’ in mind and to further demonstrate this, the company launched a climate change program of its own in 2003 whereby each business unit in the Rio Tinto Group must develop and implement a three-year climate change work program and report progress every six months.

These site-specific work programs are designed to reduce emissions from mining and processing operations but moreover, they’ve been put in place by the company to promote responsible business practices in a transparent and accountable manner.

Taking this responsibility even further, the company is also known for having a long history of community engagement in which dialogue with local residents spells out what’s taking place insofar as mining and development is concerned in their backyards.

In Canada, Rio Tinto’s projects involve and impact many people and their communities but none more than the people of the First Nations across the country. To help ensure there’s an interaction between indigenous communities and Rio Tinto, the company establishes agreements with local groups that provide the company with access to their land for activities such as exploration, mining or power generation, while the communities benefit from new opportunities, education and jobs.

Here’s a quick look at what’s happening at Rio Tinto sites across Canada to help ensure that everyone is on board with the project.

RIO TINTO ALCAN IN B.C.

In 2006, the company released an Indigenous Peoples Policy based on extensive input and guidance from indigenous groups in Quebec and British Columbia. Business partnerships were formed to include a number of initiatives with communities involving land, forestry and environmental stewardship, education and training, and regional industrial development.

In British Columbia, for example, the company signed a landmark Haisla Nation-Rio Tinto Alcan Legacy agreement establishing a formal framework to work together for the next 30 years. The Haisla First Nation’s traditional lands are directly linked to the smelter in Kitimat. The company also has a relationship agreement with the Cheslatta Carrier Nation, which was relocated to a new territory as a result of the creation of the Nechako Reservoir in the 1950s.

Moves of that scope and nature do not happen without trust and understanding between everyone involved and again, proof that Rio Tinto works with its neighbours.

In 2005, the company also established a Regional Industrial Development Centre in Kitimat to facilitate economic growth in the northwest. Additional independent agreements have lately been offered to increase economic opportunities, including underwater logging in the Nechako Reservoir for the Cheslatta and Rio Tinto is exploring the feasibility of port facilities with the Haisla First Nation.

And finally in B.C., the company had an agreement, known as the Three Nations Forest Stewardship Initiative, which dealt with insect infestation of certain forests on Rio Tinto Alcan lands in the reservoir area. This project is now complete.

RIO TINTO ALCAN IN QUEBEC

Like operations in B.C., Rio Tinto Alcan has a strong relationship with the people and the communities where it has mining activities in the province.

One in particular is the agreement the company has with the Conseil des Montagnais du Lac-Saint-Jean to help ensure that such principles as mutual understanding and a harmonious cohabitation in the territory exists.

Rio Tinto Alcan also established a Regional Industrial Diversification Centre (RID) in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint Jean region in 2004 which resulted in an agreement with the Pekuskamiulnuatsh First Nation in 2008 that is focused on collaboration with the RID Bureau to promote economic growth for the region.

Part of Rio Tinto Alcan’s agreement was to provide a full-time economic development officer based in Masteuiash to work directly for the Council under the supervision of and with networking from the bureau.

IRON ORE COMPANY OF CANADA QUEBEC, NF & LABRADOR

The Innu Band Council of the Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam Reserve in Sept-Iles have been working with IOC for many years now to provide workers for the company’s iron ore operations in the province.

Of particular interest is the collaboration for the Innu-owned Tshiuetin Rail Transportation Inc., now responsible for passenger train service between Sept-Iles and Schefferville. This service was transferred from QNS&L, a subsidiary of IOC, to the first aboriginal railway in Canada.

RIO TINTO, FER ET TITANE (RTFT)QUEBEC

The RTFT division of the Rio Tinto Group owns and operates an ilmenite mine and ore terminal in the Minganie area of Quebec, along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, about 250 km east of Sept-Iles.

Like many other Rio Tinto projects, the operations are situated within the boundaries of an area used by people of the First Nation. In this case, the Ekuanitshit people use the area for hunting, fishing and trapping.

In keeping with other Rio Tinto projects, the company respects the local community and its people and a new initiative is now in place to promote continuous dialogue between RTFT and the First Nation.

Studies are currently being conducted to better understand how community members practice their traditional pursuits, including the use of land and natural resources.

Special attention is being given to identifying historic or cultural sites of interest. The initiative is also looking at ways for the community to develop further benefits related to the presence of the QIT mine and terminal.

DIAVIK DIAMOND MINE, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

Probably one of the more ambitious and socio-economic projects currently being undertaken by the Rio Tinto Group in Canada is the Diavik Diamond Mine, located about 300 km northeast of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories.

As a 60 per cent owner in the project (Harry Winston Diamond Corporation owns the other 40%) Rio Tinto is committed to developing significant opportunities for the NWT and Nunavut’s West Kitikmeot region.

For example, individual Participation Agreements with the Tlicho government, the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, the North Slave Metis Alliance, the Kitikmeot I
nuit Association and the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation were completed before mining started in 2003.

Diavik also completed a Socio-Economic Monitoring Agreement with the government of the NT, with the five Aboriginal groups as signatories. Highlights of the agreement include community-based trade programs during mine construction and expansion and an on-going Aboriginal Leadership Development Program.

Since its inception, Diavik’s scholarship program has awarded about US$1.5 million to northerners. In terms of employment, about 500 are from local communities and Diavik is one of only a handful of companies in Canada to have surpassed US$1 billion in support of local businesses. Diavik has spent 3.3 billion.

It’s this kind of involvement with communities, regardless of whether they be in the tropics or the Arctic, that has made the Rio Tinto Group one of the more respected and adventurous mining companies in the world and Canadian Mining Journal is proud and pleased to present you with this in-depth look at the company and a few of its projects.

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