Timmins’ motto as a “city with a heart of gold” may soon become more than just a figure of speech following a recent announcement by Goldcorp Inc. for plans to begin open-pit mining operations in the city’s downtown.
Known as the Hollinger property, the former mining operations stretching between downtown and the suburb of Schumacher ceased in 1989 after producing more than 19 million ounces of gold throughout its lifetime.
However, following the recent completion of a year-long pre-feasibility study, Goldcorp has identified various economic targets along the Hollinger-McIntyre trend. As such, the company plans to open three open pit mines with an average lifespan of roughly five years.
“We’ll be working entirely within our existing fence line, all on our own property,” says Dave Bucar, stategic development manager for the Hollinger Project.
“We’ll be staying away from residential and commercial areas.”
Slated to reach between 400 and 600 feet deep, the open pits will be located upon former mine workings, including one which will be located upon the former Hollinger Golf Course driving range. The mining activity is due to occur hundreds of metres away from any neighbourhoods, which has caused officials to consider different ways of containing as many of the effects as possible.
Given the general proximity to what has become an increasingly bustling city, a 20-metre-high berm or wall will be built within the first year to abate some of the noise and dust.
As mining moves deeper into the pits, these issues will be naturally dampened, Bucar says.
To further minimize the impact on nearby residents and business owners, a new hauling road will also be built between the property and Goldcorp’s Dome mill rather than regularly moving trucks through the main roads.
The project is now in the permitting stage which could take anywhere from six to 24 months. Once complete, project officials will take another look at the economics to determine whether it remains financially viable.
While some items such as the exact cost have not yet been released to the public, Bucar says the equally untold number of jobs that will be created should help to maintain employment levels once the local Pamour site is shut down.
City officials hailed the move as being positive on a number of fronts, particularly on its potential economic impact.
“This is a truly great project moving ahead for the city, and it should keep mining going strong in Timmins for those five years it’s going to be in operation,” says Timmins mayor Tom Laughren.
The project also stands to rehabilitate an area of the city which has long been plagued with problems related to subsidence, such as cave-ins and crevices.
By digging through the former workings, officials will be able to backfill the problem areas and cover them with various types of material, including rock. In fact, Bucar expects that two of the three open pits may also be able to backfilled even throughout the mining operation.
Once covered, these areas will then be revegetated and returned to the City of Timmins.
“It’s all part of putting this area back together, and we’re really happy about hearing what we’re hearing here,” says Laughren. “Goldcorp has always been a great corporate citizen, and they’ve been willing to meet these challenges head-on.”
While the project is slated to last five years in its current form, there still remains the potential for two new underground operations to emerge in the immediate area.
Targets beneath Pearl Lake drilled off through last winter may provide an opportunity for one such mine, Bucar says, while another may be viable through the Hollinger workings.
More exploration work will continue in the coming months to determine whether these new projects may be feasible.
