Vale’s history began in Sudbury, Ontario when the discovery of ore was made more than 100 years ago. In addition to the rich deposits of base metals that Vale currently mines in the Sudbury region, exploration efforts continue to discover additional deposits of nickel, copper and precious metals.

Our current Ontario Operations is home to a refinery and packaging centre in Port Colborne, Ontario, as well as six mines, a mill, a smelter and a refinery in Sudbury – making it one of the largest integrated mining operations in the world.

Not only is it one of the largest mining operations, it’s also one of the safest too. In the very recent past, Sudbury’s mines have won the national CIM John T. Ryan safety award four years in a row (from 2006-2009). This prize is awarded to the mine with the lowest accident frequency in all of Canada.

Sudbury is also the heart of Vale’s environmental initiatives. In partnership with the community, we have made great strides in our environmental recovery program, both in terms of reducing atmospheric emissions and reclamation activities. Our improved mining practices and support in the re-greening of the region helped make Sudbury one of twelve world cities awarded the Local Government Honours Award at the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit.

Vale’s Manitoba Operations, located in Thompson, Manitoba, opened in March of 1961. In its first 50 years of production, the operation produced more than five billion pounds of 99.99% electrolytic nickel.

With three operating mines – T1 Mine, T3 Mine and Birchtree Mine - Manitoba Operations has a strong future in mining and milling. Its goal is to continue to grow as a safe, high-quality, sustainable and long-term nickel producer. We are committed to Zero Harm to our employees, to the community and to the environment, and we work to achieve that goal through a risk-management culture called SafeProduction. In recognition of our employees’ commitment to SafeProduction, our Manitoba mines were awarded the national John T. Ryan trophy for 2011.

Vale’s Newfoundland and Labrador Operations began at the Voisey’s Bay Mine and Concentrator Project in 2005 where mining and milling activities continue today in one of Canada’s most significant mineral discoveries.

The Voisey’s Bay site employs a workforce of 450 and is a remote fly-in/fly-out operation located on the north coast of Labrador, approximately 35 kilometres southwest of Nain and 350 kilometres northeast of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The Voisey’s Bay camp complex offers first class accommodations that include a cafeteria, a full size gymnasium, a squash court and cardio and weight exercise facilities. Medical and emergency response facilities, along with a mine service office and maintenance complex, support the operation. The Voisey’s Bay site has a fully functioning port allowing the shipment of materials and supplies to site, and shipment of concentrate from site year round.

In Long Harbour, Newfoundland, located approximately 95 kilometres west of St. John’s, Vale is building a new processing plant. When in operation, the Processing Plant will employ approximately 475 people within the Refinery, Leach Plant, Site Services, Port, and support functions. The Processing Plant will utilize state-of-the-art hydromet technology to process concentrate from the Voisey’s Bay Operation.

Initial construction work on the Long Harbour Processing Plant began in April 2009 and construction of the Processing Plant is expected to be completed in 2013.

Vale is investing in the international fertilizer industry with the objective to become a leader in the global market. The company has been developing projects and acquiring fertilizer assets in order to elevate Vale to one of the world’s largest producers over the next six years.

By 2017, Vale plans to produce 10.7 million tons of potash and 19.2 million tons of phosphate rock annually from mines around the world. Vale’s Kronau Project in Saskatchewan will form an integral part of its overall global potash production strategy. The Kronau Project is planned to be in production in 2017 and will ultimately produce 2.9 million tons of KCl (potassium chloride) per year.

Vale’s Base Metals Technology Development (BMTD), located in Mississauga, Ontario since 1964, has played a key role in the development and commissioning of a variety of large projects including the Voisey’s Bay project in Newfoundland and Labrador and major upgrades in the Sudbury, Thompson and Indonesia Operations. This team works to enhance Vale’s competitive edge and support growth strategies through the safe and environmentally responsible use of technology.

Vale operates two research and technology facilities in Mississauga, Ontario and employs more than 140 employees working in 76,000 square feet of laboratory, mini-plant space and offices. In addition our Port Colborne facility allows us to test pyrometallurgical processes at a pilot plant level.

The team is focused on the long-term sustainability of our current operations and supports the development of new and future projects to satisfy the world’s demand for nickel and other base metals. To carry out this work, the Base Metals Technology Development group is divided into two functional areas. Within our Process Research group, employees focus on research and development and operations support in the areas of mineralogy, mineral processing, pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy and carbonyl technology. The Process Engineering and Strategic Studies group is involved with flowsheet development, scoping level studies and the development of feasibility studies for potential nickel projects.