Alamos Gold is extending the suspension of mining operations at Island Gold in northeastern Ontario for an additional two weeks.
The company first announced a shutdown on March 24 but the suspension has been extended by 14 days with the underground operation being placed on care and maintenance until April 22.
The 7,926-hectare Island Gold Mine is 83 kilometres northeast of Wawa and just west of the town of Dubreuilville.
Alamos is also temporarily shuttering its Mulatos Mine in Mexico until April 30 as per a mandate by the Mexican government to close all non-essential business in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Only critical personnel remain on the site, overseeing water management, environmental protection and security.
Mining operations at the Young-Davidson mine, near Matachewan, have not been impacted. The lower mine expansion remains on track to be completed in June.
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Alamos is withdrawing its 2020 gold production targets at both Island Gold and Mulatos due to the production downtime and the potential for further voluntary or government-mandated business interruptions,
“The health and safety of our employees, their families, and the communities in which we operate remain our top priority,” said company president-CEO John McCluskey in an April 2 statement.
“To date, we have not had any confirmed cases of COVID-19 among any of our employees or contractors. We will continue to monitor the situation and take further action to prevent the potential spread of the virus based on the best available information and the recommendations of relevant government authorities.”
