http://www.brandonsun.com/story.php?story_id=43913 Business Thursday, February 22nd, 2007 Campbell Resources suspends mining at Copper Rand project after rockfall Canadian Press MONTREAL (CP) - Shares in gold and copper producer Campbell Resources Inc. (TSX:CCH) plunged 12 per cent Thursday after a rockfall stopped work at its Copper Rand mine in the Chibougamau, Que., region. "It's at a strategic location," Andre Fortier, chief executive of the penny-stock miner, said in an interview. "We think we can rehabilitate that particular area, but there are risks involved in doing so," he said, adding late: "It makes you wonder about the stability of the mine to produce." The suspension of work, expected to last two to three weeks, followed the collapse about 1,400 metres underground during the night shift and subsequent ground movements in the area, Fortier said. "We had a man on the other side of the rockfall who was able to crawl his way out," he said, adding that the worker was uninjured and no equipment was damaged. "We took all the men out and all shifts are cancelled," Fortier said. About 100 miners will lose their pay during the stoppage until Employment Insurance kicks in, he said. The rockfall is six to nine metres long and more than three metres in height and width, Fortier said. A complete assessment of the situation will be done before operations resume. The fall comes at a sensitive time for the company, which is under protection from creditors and is to appear in court next week as part of its restructuring. "We were starting to re-emerge from difficult circumstances," he said. "I deserve better luck than that." In the 12 months ended Sept. 30, Campbell lost $30.2 million. It has been one of the most actively traded companies on the TSX in the last few weeks, but John Ing, an analyst with Maison Placement Canada Inc. in Toronto, said that's simply due to the large number of shares outstanding - more than 236 million. "It's a major setback," Ing said of the rockfall. "Their major contributor is shut down for a while. It's not good." Last month, Nuinsco Resources Ltd. (TSX:NWI) disclosed it had acquired a 10.4 per cent stake in Campbell "for investment purposes" while it provides consulting services to Campbell under a previous arrangement. Campbell stock closed down two cents at 14.5 cents on the TSX, representing a market value of $57 million.