NEWS RELEASE December 8, 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mayor, council and community stakeholders meet with Vale Canada

representatives THOMPSON, MB – In an effort to ensure that community issues continue to be addressed, mayor and council met with Vale Canada representatives, including Chief Executive Officer, Tito Martins at City Hall on Tuesday, December 7, 2010 to discuss Vale’s decision to phase out its smelting and refinery operations in Thompson by 2015. In addition to mayor and council, 3 community stakeholder groups were in attendance and have committed to meeting regularly on this issue, including representatives from the School District of Mystery Lake, Thompson Unlimited, and the Steel Worker’s Union Local 6166. During the morning meeting, Vale Canada provided a presentation that outlined the plan for the decommissioning of the smelter and refinery, and attendees were given the opportunity to provide community feedback, ask questions, and clarify issues. “On the day of Vale’s announcement, Tito Martins committed to meeting with the City of Thompson, and today he honoured that commitment,” said Mayor Tim Johnston. “We now have had the opportunity to discuss Vale’s plan and we are in a better and more informed position.” The City will continue to inform the community about discussions and talks as developments occur.

-30-

On behalf of the City of Thompson, contact: Tammy Lee Marche, BullMarket Consulting Ltd. 204.679.5436 tmarche@bullmarketconsulting.com The City of Thompson is the third largest city in Manitoba and home to a diverse population of 13,446 people. Known as the Hub of the North, Thompson is the regional trade and service centre of northern Manitoba, representing an additional 36,000 – 65,000 Manitobans. As such, it has all of the services and amenities that would be expected in a much larger urban centre. The city is located 830 kilometers north of the international border, and 739 kilometers north of the provincial capital of Winnipeg.