I recently posted an Alert from the Western Shoshone Defense Project,
which requests support in dealing with multinational mining companies
who threaten to destroy sacred hot springs near the ranch of Mary and
Carrie Dann. I compiled the following report on what we know about these
companies.
* Oro Nevada Mining Company, Inc. (ONMC) of Reno Nevada is owned by
Oro Nevada Resources (ONR) Inc. of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ONR, in
turn, is owned by MVP Capital Corporation, also of Toronto. ONR was
incorporated in Canada on 16 Feb 1996.
* On 13 August 1996, ONMC filed a Notice of Operation with the Elko
BLM office. As you know, a map accompanying the notice shows that
test drilling will occur at the Dann family hot springs, on Dewey
Dann Creek, and near Duff Creek, in Townships 28N and 29N, Range 49E.
* MVP is known for investing in high-risk, speculative mining ventures.
The company often loses, having gone into receivership at least twice
in the last four years. Their stock, on the Toronto Exchange, sells for
only 9 per share.
* A company named Loewen Ondaatje McCutcheon, Ltd (LOM) provided the
funding for Oro Nevada, to the tune of US$40 million. LOM is well-known
in the financial world for finding quick cash for risky ventures.
This money was used to purchase the Dean (Alves) Ranch next door to the
ranch of Carrie and Mary Dann..
* ONMC recently paid $350,000 to the BLM for retention of its claims.
* In August 1996, Barrick Gold Corporation paid $27 per share to buy
Arequippa Resources; Arequippa owned a gold mine in Peru. LOM developed
financing for Arequippas mining efforts.
* ONMC was incorporated in Reno on 27 August 1990, by Boyce Cook and
Robert "Bob" Jones. Cooks corporate address in Lakewood, Colorado,
matches an address used by Western Mining Corporation (WMC) at the time.
WMC is no longer at that Lakewood address, and Boyce has since been
replaced on the ONMC board of directors.
* ONMC changed its board of directors on 24 July 1996. Bob Jones is
listed as President, and Larry Bigler is the Secretary/Treasurer. Two
additional directors, Michael Farrugia and John Craig, list addresses
in Toronto, Ontario (home of parent company ONR).
* A founding director of ONR is Ian Park, a well-known geophysicist
involved with several mining ventures, including a diamond mine in the
African Serengeti and gold mines in Canada and Borneo. According to
industry reports, Ian Park has a "golden touch" meaning that his
operations tend to be very profitable.
* ONMC once had offices in the same place as did Welsh Minerals.
According to Bob Jones, Welsh Minerals is a defunct company that ONMC
purchased. In 1989, Welsh Minerals filed a mining plan notice with
the Elko BLM, for Township 31N, Range 49E, Section 6 a location
north of the Dann Ranch, on the north side of the Dry Hills.
* ONR and ONMC control nearly 350,000 acres in Nevada, including
about 94,043 acres around the Dann ranch. Their properties include
the 48,437 acre Dean Ranch and 44,606 acres of staked "public domain"
lands. Other Oro lands are in the West Snowstorm Mountains and
Anderson Canyon in the Osgood Mountains.
* WMC has a well-known reputation for avoiding publicity and public
scrutiny. They avoid posting information on computer networks, and do
not issue press releases.
* WMC is based in Australia, where it has a terrible human-rights
record in regard to indigenous peoples. Peter Slocombe, the investor
manager for MVP, has a strong Australian accent.
* WMC initiated a 6 September 1996 meeting with the Western Shoshone,
through a former University of Toronto professor names Tom Jewiss. Mr.
Jewiss claims to be the director of WMC's indigenous policies, stating
(lying, that is) that WMC has a "clean record" on indigenous issues.
My Working Scenario:
Oro Nevada is, essentially, a front for speculators who expect to sell
a sucessful discovery to Western Mining Corporation. WMC may, in fact,
have made overtures to buy Oro if and when it is successful. Thus, WMC
avoids any bad publicity from a clash with the Western Shoshone.
What we need to know:
* Is WMC connected in any way to Oro Nevada or its financing companies?
* Where did LOM come up with $40 million for financing ONR?
* What is Ian Park's involvement? What is Park's record in Borneo
and Africa? He is associated with Greenstone Resources and Borneo
Gold, among others.
* Who is on the boards of directors for the Canadian companies
involved?
* Who shares offices or buildings with other mining companies?
* We need background information, especially on Mr. Jewiss.
Addresses & Names:
Oro Nevada Mining Company, Inc.
6490 South McCarran Blvd.
Building D1, Suite 34
Reno, NV 89509
702/825-7499 voice
702/825-5277 fax
Dr. Bob Jones, President
Dr. Thomas R. Kalk, VP Exploration
Oro Nevada Resources Inc.
40 King Street West
Suite 2100
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5H 4A2
Ian Park, Founding Director (Suite 4900)
Dr. Bob Jones, President
MVP Capital Corporation
20 Adelaide Street East
Suite 200
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5C 2T6
416/867-1100 voice
416/867-1109 fax
Peter M. Slocombe, Manager, Investor & Public Releations
Margaret Jamieson (position unknown)
Loewen Ondaatje McCutcheon, Ltd
Canada
I dont have an address yet
Garrett Herman, CEO
Chris Bradbroock, Analyst
Jewiss, Young & Associates
Global Consultants
Canada, US, Central & South America, Australia
Legal, Historical, and Community Research
P.O. Box 333
La Ronge, Saskatchewan, Canada
S0J 1L0
306/425-8058 voice
306/425-8059 fax
tjewiss@chass.utoronto.ca
tjewiss@trentu.ca
Western Mining Corporation
27 Birralee Road
Regency Park, SA, 5010
Australia
08 345 0240 phone
H.M. Morgan, CEO
Dr. Stephen Davis, Group Geographer
Ian G. Park, Geophysicist
Suite 525
744 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC, CANADA
V6C 1A5
416/862-1231 voice
416/862-1233 fax
Any help will be gratefully appreciated. Please e-mail or fax
any information you might have, to ScottRobertLadd@juno.com or
970/387-0271 (voice) or 970/387-0277 (fax). Thank you.