Sagamok Anishinawbek First Nation and Poland’s KGHM International have signed an impact and benefit agreement (IBA) for the Victoria mine project after more than a decade of collaboration.
Located roughly 35 km west of Sudbury’s city centre in northeastern Ontario, the underground copper–nickel project sits within the ancestral territories of Sagamok Anishnawbek, Attikameksheng Anishnawbek and Whitefish River First Nation, all signatories to the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850.
KGHM plans to develop Victoria as an underground operation with an expected 14-year mine life and a potential start-up in about one year, subject to project readiness. During operations, the mine is expected to support about 200 direct jobs.
The agreement is to provide long-term stability for KGHM’s operations while creating economic and community-development opportunities for Sagamok Anishnawbek throughout the life of the mine – from construction and operations through to closure and reclamation.
Resource
Ontario government figures peg Victoria’s resources at 14.5 million tonnes grading 2.5% copper, 2.5% nickel and 7.6 grams per tonne total precious metals. The deposit was first discovered in 1888, saw intermittent exploration through the 20th century, and entered KGHM’s portfolio in 2010 via the company’s acquisition of QuadraFNX Mining.
Federal environmental assessments have been completed. In 2019, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency concluded the project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects with appropriate mitigation measures in place.
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