Heather Latter
While they’re not building the mine just yet, crews are busy at the site of New Gold’s Rainy River project clearing and preparing the land for construction.
Located north of Barwick, project general manager Grant Goddard said clearing has begun in key areas, including the plant site and location of the open pit mine.
“Looking ahead, we will continue to gear up the construction work as we move into summer,” he added, noting preparing the site requires plenty of planning due to species at risk, as well as the water management plan.
In fact, they only have until the end of the month for clearing because once nesting season begins May 1 for species at risk, areas that haven’t been cleared cannot be touched.
And although the company has received approval, both federally and provincially, for its Environmental Assessment (EA), New Gold is continuing to seek out additional permits for its work on site.
“You can’t get the permits without the plans,” Goddard explained, noting the work has been planned out in precise detail.
“In reality for us, it’s more than the plans—you have to have the execution,” he stressed.
“So our team, our equipment, our water management systems all need to be in place.”
Goddard said with the EA approved, now the company just is setting out to do what it said it was going to do.
“It’s how you do it to ensure you are protecting the water and not disturbing land around it,” he remarked, adding New Gold’s environmental team is coaching workers so they know the commitments, conditions, and permits.
“It comes back to our value and integrity,” Goddard said. “It’s do what you say you are going to do. . . .
“Now, let’s go out and do the right thing,” he added, noting it takes a lot of work to ensure the intermediate gold mining company is doing everything properly.
“The reality is it takes a lot of steps ahead of time before you actually get into the mining piece,” said Goddard.
“We are now just beginning to execute the plan.”
Goddard noted they are looking forward to starting mine development in late fall.
“To do this, our first phase of mining equipment will arrive in late summer,” he said, adding workers then will assemble the drills, trucks, shovels, and other support equipment required.
Then they will start to open up the mining area.
“[We] will start major mine road construction, provide materials from the rock and overburden we’ll remove to the construction team, and most importantly, start the training and development of our operations mining and maintenance team,” Goddard said.
To do this, the company will be building the team for mining and maintenance.
New Gold will be hiring 10 operators and 10 maintenance personnel for the fourth quarter of this year, leading into the first big hiring of more than 100 positions starting in January.
“So we’re going to hire the first wave to get the equipment up and running, and get all of the training in the first wave done and systems in place,” Goddard noted.
There will be the posting of roles, short-listing, and interviews and assessments throughout the summer, with those 20 employees hired by summer’s end.
“And then we’ll start moving material and developing roads, and starting to actually open up the pit, first getting what we call waste materials—rock and clay—and then we’ll start to open up some more,” Goddard explained.
“Then we can stockpile.
“And as we move past here into later 2016 and 2017, we’ll be adding more people and multiple shift operations, and more equipment will be arriving,” he added.
Goddard stressed anyone is invited to apply—men, women, old, and young.
Employment open houses already are being held across the district, with one last week in Barwick.
“We had a good turnout,” Goddard said.
“People seem to be showing interest in the project and the opportunities.”
Another open house is slated for tomorrow (April 23) from 4-7 p.m. at the Emo Legion.
A third session will be held Tuesday (April 28) from 3-6 p.m. at La Place Rendez-Vous in Fort Frances.
“The people we are looking for are people who fit with New Gold values,” Goddard remarked.
He noted positions will be posted on the company’s website at newgold.com/rrcareers, as well as within the local communities and newspapers.
“This is an exciting time for all of us,” Goddard enthused.
“It is a real opportunity to be part of a team developing and starting to operate Canada’s premier gold- and silver-producing operation.”
