From the wire
engineers, government representatives and First Nations and Indigenous communities impacted by mine closure. An additional three courses of the program are currently in development and will tackle the environmental and technical aspects of closure, topics on First Nations and Indigenous Peoples in the context of closure and post-mining land use, infrastructure and transition. Each course runs for six weeks and will be offered several times a year. The Indigenous-focused course will be taught by both Curtin and UBC and will include instructors who provide Indigenous perspectives from Australia and Canada. “It’s really going to be based on storytelling,” Araujo said. “We’re going to work with Elders of different nations, and
[examine] the implications that mining has on the land, on the culture, on the spirit, on all the different aspects—air, water, biodiversity—[with teachings] from Indigenous instructors, while also focusing on global frameworks, like the UNDRIP [United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples].” The cost of the New Perspectives on Mine Closure course is $949 and learners can register online. The program is also in the process of developing scholarships for Indigenous learners. “The goal of this program is to create an industry—and by industry, I don’t mean only companies, I mean rights holders, everyone that is involved in mining—that really understands and plans and works towards responsible, effective, ethical mine closure,” she said. – Silvia Pikal
Courtesy of Osisko Metals
is offered remotely and includes a mix of live sessions, online readings, activities and assessments. The live sessions are presented by Jocelyn Fraser, a lecturer and senior researcher at UBC’s Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering who also leads a working group on community engagement for CIM, and André Xavier, an honorary professor at the same institute, and senior manager of natural resources management and sustainable development at the Canadian Executive Service Organization, an international economic development organization. Araujo said the courses are not only targeted to mining industry professionals, but would be useful to aspiring mining
Compiled by Ashley Fish-Robertson Richard O’Brien, former president and chief executive officer of Newmont from 2007 to 2013, has joined New Gold Inc.’s board and is expected to be appointed chair following the retirement in August of Ian Pearce, who has held the position since 2017. O’Brien has over 40 years of experience in the mining and energy sectors and has served in several CEO and chief financial officer roles. E3 Lithium has welcomed Sonya Savage, former cabinet minister and minister of energy for Alberta, to its board of directors. Savage was heavily involved in the implementation of policies, legislation and regulations related to critical mineral development in Alberta during her time as minister of energy from April 2019 to October 2022. Sarah Goodman has joined the B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy as president and CEO. Goodman is an experienced climate policy expert, previously holding the role of the prime minister’s senior advisor on climate action and sustainable economy from January 2020 to August 2022. Evolution Mining appointed Nancy Guay as its new chief technical officer to manage several technical functions, such as its projects, long-term planning and technical services, starting June 1. Guay has over 30 years of operational experience in the mining industry, and most recently worked as VP of technology, optimization and innovation for Agnico Eagle Mines.
18 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 19, No. 3
The Gaspé Copper mine officially closed in 1999, but its new owner, Osisko Metals, is aiming to restart its operations by 2030.
Osisko Metals pushes ahead on copper project Following the decommissioning and reha-
bilitation of the Gaspé Copper mine in Quebec by previous owner Glencore Canada in 1999, Osisko Metals bought the project in July 2023, with the plan of potentially reopening it by the end of the decade. As part of these efforts, Osisko announced on Feb. 27 that it had recently
formed a technical consultation committee and tasked it with devising a plan to dewater the Mount Copper open pit at the mine “as soon as possible” following past flooding, to permit “deeper in-pit” resource evaluation and geotechnical drilling of the pit and establish if it is possible to advance the project to commercial production. The mine is located near the town of Murdochville in Quebec’s Gaspé region. The committee, which is being guided by Ann Lamontagne, the company’s recently hired vice-president of environment and sustainable development, is also comprised