Goldcorp Inc. signed an impact benefit agreement with three First Nation communities in northern Ontario related to the development of the gold major's Borden Lake project, which is set to contribute ore to its Porcupine mill starting in 2019.
The agreement is with the Brunswick House, Chapleau Cree and Chapleau Ojibwe First Nations and covers issues related to permitting, labor, training and contracting opportunities. The deal also stipulates that Goldcorp "recognizes and respects" the First Nations' rights and interests in the region and the groups "recognize and support" Goldcorp's rights and interests in developing Borden.
Goldcorp said the agreement was over two years in the making, and in terms of mining, it was a first for the First Nations. The chiefs of the First Nations could not immediately be reached for comment June 6.
Borden is a growth project for Goldcorp, which it got through the C$526 million acquisition of Probe Mines Ltd. in 2015. Goldcorp said the project is a key part of plans to grow gold production by 20% by 2021. Borden has 950,000 ounces of gold in reserves and will feed the Porcupine mill about 160 kilometers to the east, according to the company's website.
In 2017, Porcupine produced 272,000 ounces of gold.
Goldcorp has said it expects to begin commercial production at Borden in the second half of 2019 and will soon take a 30,000-tonne bulk sample from the underground project.
