Being clean and green helped Goldcorp land $5 million from federal Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi to spend on its fleet of underground vehicles at the company’s new Borden Lake Mine, near Chapleau.
The government said replacing diesel vehicles with battery-powered ones deliver environmental benefits by reducing greenhouse gas emissions while creating 250 mining jobs.
The funding is dipped from the $155-million investment pool that is Natural Resources Canada's Clean Growth Program (CGP), designated for clean technology research, development and demonstration projects in the energy, mining and forest sectors.
"Improved environmental performance in Canada's mining sector is one of the key paths to a low-carbon economy,” said Sohi in an Oct.29 news release.
"Developing and adopting clean technologies will help Canada meet its domestic and international commitments and help maintain our natural resource advantage for years to come,” added Sudbury MP Paul Lefebvre, Sohi’s parliamentary secretary.
"Innovation that improves the environmental footprint and sustainability performance of our mining operations underpins our core values of making Goldcorp's operations safer, more productive and more responsible,” said Goldcorp CEO David Garofalo.
“We will make faster progress through partnerships, and it's gratifying to see governments at multiple levels supporting the development and deployment of clean technologies in the mining industry."
The mine goes into production in 2019.
Sohi then delivered $743,000 to the Northeast Superior Regional Chiefs Forum to promote Indigenous participation in forestry-related business opportunities.
According to a government news release, the regional chiefs’ Conservation Economy Strategy is a cornerstone for forest sector economic development in member communities, including Missanabie Cree, Brunswick House, Michipicoten and Pic Mobert First Nations.
The funding came through NRCan's Indigenous Forestry Initiative (IFI) and Indigenous Services Canada's Strategic Partnerships Initiative.
Missanabie Cree First Nation Chief Jason Gauthier said the work they’ve done over the last three years is moving from an incubation phase toward “developing a conservation economy.”
“We now have a number of initiatives through Wahkohtowin Development that resonate with our world view of people, participation and place.”
Minister Sohi’s swing through northeastern Ontario continues in Sudbury on Oct. 30 with a mining announcement at the Vale Cavern inside Science North.
