Noront Resources Announces $3 Million Private Placement of Flow-Through Shares

/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/

TORONTO, Nov. 29, 2011 /CNW/ - Noront Resources Ltd. (TSX-V:NOT) (the "Company" or "Noront") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Dundee Securities Ltd., on behalf of a syndicate including Raymond James Ltd. (the "Agents") under which the Agents have agreed to offer for sale, on a best efforts private placement basis, flow-through common shares (the "Flow-Through Shares") at a price of $0.86 per Flow-Through Share for gross proceeds of approximately $3,000,000 (the "Offering").
In addition, Noront has granted the Agents an over-allotment option (the "Option") to sell up to an additional $1,000,000 of the Flow-Through Shares sold pursuant to the Offering, at $0.86 per Flow-Through Share, exercisable at any time prior to 48 hours before the Closing Date of the Offering.
In connection with the Offering, the Agents will receive a cash commission equal to 5.0% of the gross proceeds raised under the Offering (inclusive of the Option). The Closing Date of the Offering is scheduled on or about December 20, 2011. All securities issued will be subject to a four month hold period. The Offering is subject to a number of conditions, including, without limitation, receipt of all regulatory approvals.
The gross proceeds from the sale of the Flow-Through Shares will be used for Canadian Exploration Expenses ("CEE"), with the Company to use best efforts to qualify such CEE as "flow-through mining expenditures", to fund ongoing exploration activities on the Company's McFauld's Lake project. Such CEE will be renounced in favour of the subscribers of the Flow-Through Shares effective on or before December 31, 2011.
About Noront:
Noront Resources Ltd. is focused on developing the high-grade Eagle's Nest nickel-copper-platinum-palladium deposit, the exploration and development of the Blackbird chromite discovery and regional exploration for additional mineral deposits within its large, highly prospective land position in an area known as the "Ring of Fire", an emerging multi-metals camp located in the James Bay Lowlands of Ontario, Canada.

For further information please access the Company's website at www.norontresources.com or search the Company's publically filed documents at www.sedar.com.

Wesley (Wes) Hanson
President & Chief Executive Officer

McGuinty government urged to kill plans to ship 'Ring of Fire' refinery work to China

U.S. multinational Cliffs Natural Resources says it will seek exemption to Ontario Mining Act to ship raw chromite overseas, but Teamsters wants the government to tell foreigners that if you 'mine it here, then refine it here or keep it in the ground'

OTTAWA, Nov. 25, 2011 /CNW/ - Queen's Park will squander huge potential benefits of the so-called "Ring of Fire" mining discovery in the James Bay lowlands if it allows the lion's share of raw materials to be siphoned off and sent to China for refining, says the head of Teamsters Canada Rail Conference Maintenance of Way Employees.
"A senior executive of Cliffs Natural Resources told CBC news this week that it plans to ship much of the raw chromite to Asia for refining and will seek an exemption to the Ontario Mining Act because the law prevents materials mined in Ontario being refined outside Canada," says William Brehl, president of the union representing maintenance workers on several short line railways in Northern Ontario that may carry Ring of Fire minerals.
"Premier Dalton McGuinty's government has called the Ring of Fire the most promising mining opportunity in Canada in a century. We urge his minority government to stand tall, protect Ontario jobs and help Northern Ontario's economy by denying the exemption. If you mine it here, then refine it here or go away and leave it in the ground. We have been urging this for the past year since we first heard about the China plan," Brehl says.
The Ring of Fire, about twice as large as Prince Edward Island, is said to hold one of the world's largest and richest deposits of chromite, the key ingredient in making stainless steel. It is also said to possess nickel, copper, platinum, gold, zinc and magnesium.
Instead of extracting the minerals from beneath the Canadian Shield and shipping them to China - a country not known for its environmental and labor protection laws - the chromite and other materials should be refined in Ontario, creating Ontario jobs and bolstering business for the ONR (Ontario Northland Railway) which is subsidized with Ontario tax dollars, Mr. Brehl says.
"This is a simple win for Ontario. There is infrastructure in Timmins to refine where a former Falconbridge refinery closed recently, there are trained workers there, there is a potential for more jobs in Ontario's North and fewer tax dollars required to subsidize the ONR because shipping the minerals will add needed money to ONR's coffers. There is nothing stopping Premier McGuinty from saying 'no' to the exemption except big powerful multinational corporations who will threaten to take their ball and bat and go home. If the Occupy Movement has taught us anything, it is that sometimes we have to do what is best for people, not what is best for Wall Street financiers and corporations," Mr. Brehl adds.
About TCRC-MWED
Teamsters Canada Rail Conference Maintenance of Way Employees Division (TCRC-MWED), a division of Teamsters Canada, represents more than 4,000 maintenance of way workers at more than 20 short line railroads across Canada, including the ONR, and CP Rail. Its members are involved in inspecting, monitoring and repairing the tracks, bridges and structures on the network. TCRC-MWED's mission is to make sure that the railw

Webequie First Nation Reaffirms Community Rights in Ring of Fire

THUNDER BAY, ON, Nov. 23, 2011 /CNW/ - The Chief and Council of Webequie First Nation is reaffirming its community rights and local autonomy with respect to decision-making processes in the Ring of Fire. Today, Webequie First Nation released two independent documents; a Community Position Paper and a Consultation and Accommodation Protocol, which both clarify and outline for industry, government and the public that the membership of Webequie First Nation will determine their own community-led negotiated process as it relates to the traditional, historic, ancestral, and customary areas of Webequie First Nation.

Chief Cornelius Wabasse of Webequie First Nation says; "Following recent reports in the media and consequent enquiries, Webequie First Nation would like to remind all those who wish to work with our First Nation and, particularly commercial entities, that they must have direct engagement and consultation with our First Nation before and above any other agency. We, the Webequie First Nation people, are the primary contact and exclusive decision-makers for our community, not any third party or external organization."
Webequie First Nation is one of the two northern First Nations that will be most directly impacted by the potential mining developments for the Ring of Fire area. Webequie First Nation is a member community of the Matawa First Nations Management Tribal Council, which was created to serve First Nations.
In recent weeks, the Matawa First Nations Management Tribal Council has been promoting a stop order on development in the Ring of Fire and lobbying for a Joint Panel Review Environmental Assessment on behalf of all the regional Matawa First Nations. Webequie First Nation supports regional First Nations' concerns over the current Environmental Assessment process but notes that the Matawa Tribal Council or any other third party, is not a decision-making authority or community voice for Webequie First Nation.
Continues Wabasse; "Matawa First Nations Tribal Council provides our First Nations with important support services but it must be clearly understood that its staff do not represent our First Nation membership on community issues. Industry and government are required to engage directly with our First Nation and it is the Webequie Council through quorum who can legally commit Webequie First Nation to any type of process or agreement that affects its membership."
In addition to establishing Webequie First Nation's position on the Matawa Tribal Council, the Community Position Paper also provides important community information on Industry and Government Protocol, Regional Infrastructure as well as the Discovery Area.
"The purpose of publicly releasing these documents is to help guide industry, government and any other commercial interests through the process of doing business or working collaboratively with our First Nation. We want to demonstrate that there are meaningful paths forward to building positive and mutually beneficial working relationships. We believe that education and awareness are the best way to build understanding and reciprocal respect."
Webequie First Nation has built tremendous community capacity over the past three years to become investment-ready and prepare to take advantage of emerging socio-economic benefits in the Ring of Fire. This capacity includes the establishment of a community-based Webequie Ring of Fire team. Copies of both the Community Position Paper and Consultation and Accommodation Protocol are available upon request through the Webequie First Nation Ring of Fire Office.
Webequie First Nation is a growing Ojibway community located 540 km north of the city of Thunder Bay. Webequie First Nation is the closest community to the discovery areas in the Ring of Fire and it has over 700+ community members, many of which are actively enjoying their traditional cultural practices and harvesting activities.

COAWS Speaks Out

Take time now to assess impacts of mega-mines in Northern Ontario, environmentalists tell federal and Ontario governments

Groups demand greater scrutiny through joint review panel

TORONTO, Nov. 7, 2011 /CNW/ - Today Ecojustice and CPAWS Wildlands League are calling on Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent and Ontario's Minister of the Environment Jim Bradley to appoint an independent joint review panel to assess a proposed mega-mine for chromite in northern Ontario by the American-based Cliffs Resources Company.

The public interest groups are supporting the demand earlier this month by Matawa and Mushkegowuk First Nations that the federal Minister conduct a review panel.

The Cliffs project is the first proposed mine in this vast, intact area. The environmental groups are concerned that mining will cause massive permanent changes to sensitive ecosystems and local communities in Ontario's Far North.

"The cumulative impacts of this project are wholly unknown at this point and approval of the first one will most likely lead to multiple others being developed. Just how much mining can one watershed sustain before its health is compromised?" said Anna Baggio, Director, Conservation Land Use Planning for CPAWS Wildlands League.

Public interest groups have called on governments this year to conduct a regional assessment of mining in Ontario's Ring of Fire area to ensure that the total extent of impacts on the area will be fully considered before mining development proceeds any further.

"Communities and indeed all concerned Canadians need this type of critically important information before massive exploitation of Ring of Fire mineral deposits commences, at the very least we need a joint review panel," says Baggio.

Contrary to the assertions of Cliffs Resources, an environmental assessment by a "joint review panel" would be far superior to the current process of "comprehensive review study" that the federal government has initiated. A joint review panel will avoid having multiple assessment process federally and provincially and will ensure that local First Nations who will be most impacted by this project will have a role in deciding how it can be developed. Additionally, concerned Canadians will be able to participate and provide submissions in public hearings to impartial panel members.

"The Matawa and Mushkegowuk First Nations need a joint review panel in order to address concerns about how this project will impact their communities and the environment," said Justin Duncan, staff lawyer for Ecojustice. "Doing so will ensure those communities have a stronger voice on a project that will transform Ontario's Far North."

The federal and provincial Ministers of the Environment have the discretion to reach an agreement to bump up the environmental assessment of Cliffs Chromite Project to a joint panel review. For example, the Ministers struck a joint review panel for the proposed Marathon platinum and copper mine in August of this year. One of the main reasons for such a decision is public concern. Ecojustice and CPAWS-Wildlands League hope that other members of the public, including other companies operating in the Ring of Fire encourage Canada and Ontario to conduct a more thorough assessment of the project.

NORONT RESOURCES LTD. | Noront announces additional chromite results from McFaulds Lake

NORONT RESOURCES LTD. Noront announces additional chromite results from McFaulds Lake