A Year of Transition

This has been a year of transition for Voisey’s Bay Nickel Company (VBNC). After achieving two major milestones late in 2005 – the beginning of nickel mining and milling operations in Labrador, and the launch of the hydromet Demonstration Plant in Argentia, Newfoundland – we became fully engaged during 2006 in the many challenges that accompany new operations.

We have a satisfactory safety record, but there remains room for improvement, and we are working continuously to ensure a safer, healthier workplace. Our environmental performance is strong, though there is still some distance to cover before we can reach our target of zero incidents.  

We have training and succession plans in place to advance aboriginal participation in the Labrador workforce, while maintaining the already exceptional gender diversity and local hiring benchmarks we’ve achieved in Argentia.

During 2006, VBNC was acquired by Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD), one of the largest mining companies in the world. I have visited the company’s headquarters in Brazil, met some of their key people, and am pleased to relate that safety and environmental responsibility are also top priorities for them. If anything, our focus on these critical areas will intensify in the months and years ahead!

In the meantime, our community investment program continues to assist a variety of not-for-profit groups and organizations, working in the arts, health care, education and more.  We are also working directly in communities in Labrador to determine the impacts of our operations – positive and negative – on Aboriginal people and on the communities on Labrador’s North Coast.

Our work, however, is far from over. We are in a time of transition, of considerable change and challenge, as we move toward construction of a commercial nickel processing plant in Long Harbour, Newfoundland. Right now, there are several different teams within VBNC working on key tasks as we prepare for the construction and operations of a commercial nickel processing plant. These teams are involved in environmental assessment work, the hydromet demonstration program, engineering planning, human resource development, supplier development and more.

Bringing the commercial processing plant on stream is a major milestone for VBNC which, when completed, will see a completely integrated mining and processing operation, contained entirely in Newfoundland and Labrador and operated almost exclusively by Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. To get us there, we will need to demonstrate the resourcefulness, hard work and careful attention to detail that has gotten us to where we are today.

As evidenced by our already excellent track record, I am confident that our people are up to the challenge.