Under the terms of the amended agreement, Jennings can earn a 50 percent interest in the Lac de Gras property by paying the full legal survey costs required to convert existing mineral claims to mining leases; paying the first year’s rental fees for the mining leases; and conducting a review of existing geophysical magnetic data using a proprietary processing technique and recommending drilling targets for follow up exploration work. North Arrow will be responsible for funding the first C$1,000,800 in exploration expenditures on the property, subsequent to which exploration of the Lac de Gras property will be carried out based upon a 50-50 joint venture. Follow-up exploration will include geophysics and diamond drilling with initial field work to begin this spring. Jennings also has agreed to subscribe to a private placement of 2.78 million units of North Arrow at a price of C18 cents per unit for total gross proceeds of C$500,400. Each unit will consist of one common share of North Arrow and one half of one common share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share of North Arrow at a price of C30 cents for a period of 12 months from the closing date of the private placement. Completion of this private placement will be subject to regulatory acceptance.

POLYMETALLIC – Darnley Bay Resources Ltd. Feb. 23 outlined its 2010 exploration plans for its properties in the Paulatuk area of Northwest Territories. The company’s main focus is exploration for base metals and diamonds in an area surrounding the hamlet of Paulatuk, which located along the shores of Darnley Bay in the eastern Beaufort Sea. Darnley Bay has completed permitting for airborne surveys to take place in March-April 2010. Sander Geophysics Ltd. is preparing to mobilize to Paulatuk for a 5,980 line-kilometer airborne gravity and magnetic survey covering all of Darnley Bay’s properties where they encompass the Darnley Bay Gravity Anomaly. The purpose of the survey is to significantly improve the resolution of the previous ground gravity surveys over the anomaly and to locate targets for drilling. Geotech Ltd. is preparing to mobilize to Paulatuk for a 2,600 line-km airborne VTEM time-domain electromagnetic and magnetic survey covering the eastern and northeastern portion of Darnley Bay’s properties, where previous sampling and airborne surveys indicate the presence of gabbro sills and dykes. The purpose of the survey is to identify conductors bearing sulphide mineralization as targets for drilling. Darnley Bay engaged Aurora Geosciences to undertake any ground-based activities that may be required, including ground geophysics and sampling, and to manage a 2010 drill program. Through Aurora, Lou Covello has been appointed the company’s project manager. Covello is a consulting geologist with more than 40 years of exploration experience. He is based in Yellowknife and has worked throughout Arctic Canada and Alaska for decades. He was the president of the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines until November 2009, and remains a director. Darnley Bay also engaged Kavik-Axys as its environmental consultant, to assist with permit applications and to provide guidance for operating in a responsible manner with respect to the environment and wildlife. The company also said it is working closely with the Paulatuk community and the Inuvialuit Regional Corp. to develop training programs and investment opportunities for Paulatuk residents, with the assistance of territorial and federal agencies, so as to maximize the local benefits from the company’s activities.

LITIGATION – After 16 years, the Supreme Court of Canada has brought to an end the C$10.7 million wrongful death suit by widows and families of nine miners who were killed during the bombing of the Giant Mine near Yellowknife during a bitter labor dispute. Mineweb reported Feb. 22 that Canada’s high court concurred with an appellant court decision, which ruled Pinkerton’s of Canada, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and the National Automobile, Aerospace, Transportation and General Workers of Canada union were not negligent in the case of one of Canada’s worse mass murders. Roger Warren, a striking miner at the time, was convicted of the murders, which resulted when a rail car transporting mine replacement workers hit a trip wire the morning of Sept. 18, 1992, setting off the explosion that killed the miners. Warren said he only intended to frighten the replacement workers and cause those in charge to force them out of the mine, bringing operations to a halt and bringing the 18-month-old strike to an end. Miners Vern Fullowka, Norm Hourie, Chris Neil, Joe Pandev, Shane Riggs, Robert Rowsell, Arnold Russell, Malcolm Sawler and Dave Vodnoski were killed in the explosion. Royal Oak bought the Giant Mine in 1990 when the price of gold had dropped below mining costs, and slashed costs and boosted production, but the union complained that mine safety was compromised in the process. The union had planned to strike on May 23, 1992, but Royal Oak management had locked them out a day before. The strike lasted 18 months. The Giant Mine ceased operating in 2004. Surviving family members of the murder victims sued Pinkerton’s of Canada, which had been hired to protect property and miners, and the territorial government for not closing the mine, in spite of clear knowledge of the dangerous situation. The survivors also filed a claim against union officials and members of the local union for failing to control Warren and for inciting him. They contended that the replacement miners had “reasonably relied on Pinkerton’s to take reasonable precautions to reduce the risk and Pinkerton’s must have shared the miners’ expectation for safety. However, Canada’s high court found the miners were aware that they faced risk and decided to accept it. The justices also found Pinkerton’s and the Territorial Government had met the requisite standard of care. The court also found the government took reasonable care in deciding not to close the mine. The Supreme Court also found that the national office of the union “cannot be found to have incited Mr. Warren’ since the national and local unions are separate legal entities. The unanimous decision ends the 16-year legal battle and terminates a C$10.7 million wrongful death suit. The lawyer for the miners’ families said many of the widows are “just devastated by this decision.”

LEAD/ZINC – Tamerlane Ventures Inc. Feb. 22 said it has commenced confirmatory diamond drilling of the N-204 deposit at the company’s Pine Point lead-zinc project located in Northwest Territories. The deposit has been shown by historical drilling to be a large, open-pitable, low-grade deposit and the current drilling is planned to confirm the historic data and provide samples for metallurgical testing of the dense media separation process on the ore. The new drill program will consist of more than 24 diamond drill holes, totaling up to 1,500 meters. The purpose of this program is to convert historical resources into NI 43-101-compliant resources and provide the metallurgical data necessary to allow a feasibility study to be completed on the N-204 deposit. Completion of the feasibility study will enable the N-204 resources to be added as reserves to the property’s existing reserve base. Drilling is expected to continue through late March or early April, and the results will be used for continued long-term mine planning of the advanced Pine Point Project. Tamerlane has contracted Pro Core Drilling of Hay River, Nwt. to complete the drill program. Pine Point’s current mineral inventory contains NI 43-101-compliant proven and probable reserves of 7.8 million metric tons grading 3.01 percent lead and 6.16 percent zinc; measured and indicated resources of 8 million metric tons grading 1.13 percent lead and 2.26 percent zinc; and inferred resources of 4.1 million metric tons grading 0.82 percent lead and 2.36 percent zinc. In addition, the property hosts non-compliant historical resources totaling about 50.9 million metric tons at a grade of 1.24 percent lead and 3.84 percent zinc, of which the N-204 deposit is a portion.