The Project Approval and Construction Phase only begins once advanced exploration confirms the project’s feasibility, permitting and approvals for the mine development have been received, and a closure plan is approved.

Based on the Initial Project Description, we have developed a preliminary site layout and preliminary list of activities to be conducted at Upper Beaver during the Project Approval and Construction Phase.  Please click here to view the preliminary site layout.

Agnico Eagle is planning to develop, operate and eventually reclaim a new open pit and underground, gold and copper mine and processing facility at the Upper Beaver project site.  The proposed underground and open-pit gold-copper mine would operate year-round on a 24-hour basis.  Based on the proposed processing rate^[2] – of ~4,000 to 6,000 tonnes per day – and current information regarding the ore body, the life of mine could extend to approximately 14 years.

Agnico Eagle will continue to evaluate opportunities to add other ore sources and extend the life of mine.  In order to reduce the environmental footprint and impacts, we will utilize and expand upon and/or modify historical underground facilities and workings.

Underground mining

Ore will be extracted from stopes, i.e. underground rooms, by conventional drilling and blasting and will be transported to surface, either by trucking up a ramp or by means of a shaft, for crushing and processing in onsite facilities.

Mineral waste (non-ore mine rock) associated with the mine development will be reused to backfill the mine as practical.  Excess mine rock that cannot be reused underground immediately but cannot be retained underground, will be stored on surface in a stockpile.  The rock may be returned underground as needed for support, reused as aggregate if warranted by rock geochemistry, or will remain on surface and be reclaimed in place.

Open pit mining

Upper Beaver is mainly an underground project that was initially planned to be developed by ramp and shaft only (underground development).

However, to address a rock stability issue at surface related to the historical underground development, Agnico Eagle is proposing an open pit mine that would operate for only the first four to five years of the project.

The stability issues potentially extend near and under York Lake, which means there is a possibility that a connection could develop between the lake and the old underground stopes – meaning that a breach could connect the workings with the lake and flood the mine.

In order to address this risk in the safest, most reliable way, the Company plans to develop a small pit (100m depth/300 m diameter) that will intersect York Lake at surface but avoid Victoria Creek to the west and the Ava Lake to the East.

Agnico Eagle is confident that the proposed solution will allow for safe operations. This approach will also provide an opportunity to rehabilitate other historical legacies in this area, such as mine rock and tailings in York Lake and near the Misema River system.

In accordance with best practices, Agnico Eagle integrates closure considerations early in our operations, planning and engineering processes.  We are committed to rehabilitating our sites to ensure long-term physical and chemical stability, in consultation with nearby communities and in a timely manner. Learn more about our approach to closure and rehabilitation in our Sustainability Reports and our Sustainability Stories and Videos.

Every advanced exploration and mining project must provide a detailed closure plan which is filed with Ontario’s Ministry of Energy and Northern Development and Mines (ENDM).

These plans must detail how Agnico Eagle’s activities during both the Advanced Exploration and Production phases at Upper Beaver will comply with provincial standards protecting the public and the environment.  Additionally, we must provide a financial guarantee^[3] to the government before the start of any construction activities.  Provincial mining inspectors ensure compliance with the closure plan through ongoing audits and site inspections throughout the life of the project.

Agnico Eagle has already submitted a Closure Plan and a Financial Assurance to ENDM for the Advanced Exploration Phase, which are currently under review.  A new Closure Plan will also be submitted for the Production Phase of the Upper Beaver project, which will include all additional components that will come with this phase.

Advanced Exploration Phase Closure and Rehabilitation

A Closure Plan was filed with ENDM in 2012 by a previous owner.  Following Agnico Eagle’s acquisition of the Upper Beaver project, we made changes to the project description and scenario, submitting a Notice of Material Change in July 2018.  We also recently submitted a Closure Plan Amendment to the Advanced Exploration Closure Plan (2012) that includes new infrastructure such as: shaft, vent raise, portal, rock storage facility, buildings and water management facilities.  The Closure Plan Amendment includes an updated progressive rehabilitation plan and an updated closure cost estimate for historic features and new infrastructure.

Mine hazards will be rehabilitated in accordance with the Mine Rehabilitation Code.

Production (Mining) Closure and Rehabilitation

There is still work and studies to be done to confirm what the final closure conditions will be for Upper Beaver, but the land restoration will meet the standards of the Rehabilitation Code of Ontario.

At closure, our preliminary plans (subject to change and/or approval) include reclaiming all the remaining historical legacies on site.  We will also secure all openings to surface, remove or dismantle all buildings, infrastructure and equipment, remove all chemicals and hazardous material and revegetate the disturbed area.  For the closure of the pit, engineering work will be required to confirm the best closure option, but Agnico Eagle’s intent is to let the water go back into the pit, remove the dams, and bring back the flow in the natural pathway of the Misema River system.

All general site access and haul roads, which will not be required for the long term will be scarified (broken up), and revegetated when no longer needed to support final reclamation, long-term site management and environmental monitoring.  The road established for access to the boat launch will be left in place for continued use.

We will provide our preliminary plan to reclaim the site for comment during the Impact Assessment process.  In addition, a detailed regulatory Closure Plan will be required before any construction starts for the mine.

As the footprint of the Upper Beaver project site is small, it is expected that the active phase of reclamation of the project will be completed in less than one year after operations cease.  Environmental monitoring – physical stability, surface water and groundwater and biological monitoring – will continue after reclamation is completed.