Agnico Eagle marks 90th anniversary of Macassa mine, makes $2.2m cancer donation

Staff Writer | September 15, 2023 | 3:29 pm Education Top Companies Canada Gold 
Macassa mine. Image from Kirkland Lake Gold.

Agnico Eagle Mines this week marked the completion and commissioning of the No. 4 Shaft at its Macassa mine in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, and commemorated the mine’s 90th anniversary.

“The completion of the #4 Shaft is an important step in our plan to build a new Macassa mine for the future,” Andre Leite, Agnico Eagle’s VP Ontario, said in a statement. “The new shaft will allow the team to increase production, improve unit costs, de-risk the mine, increase our exploration capacity and most importantly, significantly improve the working conditions for our employees.”

The Macassa team was joined at the celebration by Ontario Minister of Mines George Pirie.

“The new shaft, which has been under construction since 2019, is 6,395 feet deep and has a 216-feet tall concrete headframe that was constructed in just 11 days. With a total cost of approximately C$320 million, the new shaft is a significant investment in Agnico Eagle’s Ontario operating platform and secures more than 1,000 direct jobs for the foreseeable future,” Pirie said.

In addition to celebrating the No. 4 Shaft project, Agnico Eagle has announced a 10-year C$3 million ($2.2m) commitment to the Canadian Cancer Society to improve the lives of people affected by cancer living in rural and remote communities in Northern Ontario.

This includes improved facilitation of Northern Ontario indigenous populations’ ability to source and receive culturally appropriate and relevant cancer resources and support.

The commitment will create the Canadian Cancer Society Agnico Eagle Cancer Access and Navigation Hub that will include:

  • A Cancer Information Helpline Navigator, a dedicated CCS staff member who will help Northern Ontarians living with cancer, their family and caregivers navigate their cancer experience and access CCS resources and programs;
  • A year-long indigenous community and healthcare provider consultation and engagement period, resulting in a report to inform a 2-year work plan to co-develop new resources and materials alongside indigenous communities;
  • An environmental review of the most up-to-date resources, programs, and services (prevention through to palliation) available across Northern Ontario to ensure they are included in CCS’s Community Services Locator; and
  • The development and implementation of a plan to connect people from rural and remote Ontario with peers who have had a similar experience through CCS’s online community CancerConnection.ca.

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