The development of new mines in Ontario's Far North offers First Nation communities a wealth of employment and business opportunities.

Frank Kwissiwa, a 33-year-old Ojibwe from the Pic Mobert First Nation, 35 km east of Marathon, Ontario, is a good example.

An assay lab technician at the Musselwhite gold mine, 480 km north of

Thunder Bay, Frank prepares rock samples to test them for gold content. Information gained from assay results helps define the orebody and tells geologists and mine planners where to drill and blast.

Frank worked for six years in the assay lab at the Williams Mine near Marathon and began working at Musselwhite in March 2005.

A fly-in, fly-out operation, Musselwhite is located on the south shore of Opapimiskan Lake surrounded by pristine wilderness. Frank works 12-hour days for two weeks straight, then gets two weeks off. The mine provides air transportation from Thunder Bay and several other locations in Northern Ontario for more than 300 employees.

"'Accommodations at the mine are excellent," Frank says. "'They really treat us well."

He has his own room in the mine's bunkhouse and can go fishing, sailing or kayaking in the evenings. There's also a full size gymnasium, a weight room, saunas, pool tables and a TV lounge.

"'It's better than a country club," he says.

The mine, jointly owned by Placer Dome Inc. (68 per cent) and Kinross Gold Corp. (32 per cent) has produced more than 1.7 million ounces of gold since start-up in 1997.

In any mining operation, ore grade and profitability are closely linked. If the ore grade is too low, the value of the gold will be exceeded by the cost to produce it, and the mine will shut down. This is why the assay lab is so important.

Frank works in the sample preparation end of the lab, feeding core and muck (blasted rock) samples into a series of machines that crush and pulverize them to a fine powder. Each sample is bar-coded and tracked by computer.

"'You're busy all day, and the time goes fast," says Frank.

There are no specific academic requirements to work as an assay lab technician, but it helps to have some knowledge of Chemistry, he notes.

Musselwhite is one of the first mines in Ontario to enter into a comprehensive impact benefit agreement with First Nation communities. The terms of the agreement set targets for employment and commit the mine to offer First Nation businesses opportunities to supply goods and services.

Close to 30 per cent of the mine's workforce is from First Nation communities.

The two weeks in, two weeks out rotation allows Frank to spend quality time with family and friends at Pic Mobert. He enjoys spending time with his daughter, plays hockey and baseball and loves camping.

"I live a drug-free life and see myself as a role model for the kids on the reservation," he says.

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