Glenn Polson, Coopérative Pikogan

Since the launch of the impact study for the Wasamac underground mining project in March 2021, numerous communications and exchanges have taken place with the Indigenous communities and organizations interested in taking part in the assessment of the project's impacts.

Throughout the discussions, it was possible to identify various issues relating to the Wasamac project and its review, as defined and expressed by Indigenous communities and organizations. These comments, questions and suggestions contributed to the process of optimization and continuous improvement of the project, in order to prevent or limit the impacts on the environment. The entire Yamana Gold team as well as the firms involved in relations with the community and the carrying out of the impact study would like to thank the teams from the Indigenous communities and organizations for their time and their contribution to improving the project and for the collaborative process.

We invite you to consult this 2021-2022 progress report to see the efforts undertaken as well as the concrete impact of the contributions received at the level of the project and its review.

Read the report

At this 12^th meeting, the task force took a break from discussions on Coexistence Guide topics to hear the Yamana team's update on its applications for advanced exploration permits. Given construction of temporary infrastructure, bulk sampling of the deposit, and preparatory work, permit applications will be submitted this summer. The information presented to the task force will also be presented at the June neighbourhood meeting, where a consultation on mitigation measures will also be proposed.

The meeting was also an opportunity to follow up on the PROPRIO-CHOIX program, including the appraisal pilot project, which will begin with two volunteer homeowners who are members of the task force. The accredited appraiser will also attend the neighbourhood meeting to field questions.

Finally, the upcoming neighbourhood meeting will include a brainstorming session to gather ideas for neighbourhood projects that could become Yamana's contributions to the community. The members involved in the community project committee will help facilitate the exercise.

Lastly, Yamana presented a proposal for a neighbourhood assistance program modelled on employee assistance programs. In a nutshell: to address the psychosocial impacts of a mining project, a combination of solutions is required. In addition to the important processes of dialogue, information and creation of a relationship of trust between the mining company and its neighbours, Yamana would propose a concrete new measure that would provide access to direct services, regardless of whether the request for services is related to the mining project's impacts or not. Initial reaction to the idea was positive and a more detailed presentation of the proposal will be made to the task force at a later date.

To read the complete minutes of the meeting (french only): https://www.wasamac-consultations.com/20630/widgets/83491/documents/97931

Yamana Gold is proud to announce that it was given the Excellence in Sustainable Development award from the Quebec Mineral Exploration Association (QMEA) at the Xplor mineral exploration convention on October 5, 2022.

The award is bestowed to a company in recognition of its elevated sustainable development standards. The Yamana Gold team is proud of its accomplishments as regards the Wasamac underground mining project. We want to thank the company’s various departments for their contribution as well as our partners, service suppliers, task force and neighbours in the community.

Together, we will continue to develop this mining project in keeping with the industry’s best practices.

Should you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us:

By phone: 1 833 510-0330

By email: wasamac@yamana.com

In conjunction with the annual province-wide Journées de la culture, the Wasamac underground mining project team is proud to launch its art acquisition program to encourage the development of professional and emerging artists from Abitibi-Témiscamingue and the First Nations.

The works acquired through this program will be on view to the public at the Wasamac Underground Mining Project's community relations office and Yamana Gold's regional office.

A selection committee made up of company representatives, a professional artist and a First Nations member will meet once a year to evaluate the applications submitted. Artists wishing to submit a work may do so before mid-November of each year by filling out the form at https://www.wasamac-consultations.com/policies-and-community-support-program.

"With this initiative, we want to make the artworks accessible to the people who visit us at our offices and to offer a showcase for local artists. From the outset, we have strived for closeness to area residents and a smooth integration of our activities in the community. The art acquisition program aligns perfectly with this desire. There is no doubt that art is a great asset to our beautiful region. We hope to be able to make a difference for the artists through the promotion of their work.”

Our operations are being planned in such a way as to meet all prevailing environmental standards. Preventive inspections are suggested out of concern for maintaining a peaceful coexistence with our neighbours.

Experts and authorities agree that it is a good practice to conduct a baseline inspection of the foundations of homes near a mining project prior to construction or active operations. We made this commitment to the Task Force and commissioned outside experts (the firm WSP) to carry out the inspections.

Accordingly, we propose to conduct some inspections this fall on boulevard Rideau, in the area near the Yamana property. The inspections will allow us to document the pre-existing condition of properties before advanced exploration work begins in the winter of 2023. Although we do not expect any structural impacts on the properties in question, the inspections will facilitate any eventual follow-up should an issue arise. The work will also make it possible to monitor the most sensitive or fragile components of a property throughout the construction and operation period.

Our plan is to continue with the other properties in the vicinity later in 2023. The results of the environmental impact assessment will allow us to more precisely determine the area to be covered by the baseline inspections.

The inspection process

A voluntary inspection offer will be mailed to the homeowners concerned in September. A WSP expert will then contact the homeowners to answer any questions they might have and arrange an appointment at their convenience. The inspections will be done in October.

A homeowner can expect the inspection to take about one hour. One person living in the home must be present during the visit. The inspector will take photos of the visible interior and exterior parts of the property.

If an existing fissure is observed in a foundation, the inspector could offer to install a crack detection scanner to measure any change to it over time and across the seasons. Homeowners have the choice of accepting or refusing to use the device. Evaluation of the progression of a foundation crack can also be done using comparison photographs.

The inspection report is strictly confidential. It will be seen only by the relevant Yamana Gold personnel and the homeowner.

Following the inspection, homeowners can expect to receive a satisfaction survey, which will help us improve the process in future.

For the coexistence guide

Monitoring and maintaining the integrity of properties will be an important part of the coexistence guide that is currently being developed. Residential inspections are one of Yamana's commitments in this regard and others will be added after the environmental impact assessment.

Should you have any questions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our team at 1 833 510-0330 or by email at wasamac@yamana.com. We will also be pleased to meet you in person at the Community Relations office, which is located at 14 d'Évain.

We are pleased to announce that Ms. Chantal Vallières and Mr. Sébastien Jacques have joined the Yamana Gold team as community relations agents.

Chantal has over 20 years of experience in the health and social services sector. Her knowledge acquired in the field as a manager, including six years with an Indigenous community, and her experience as a psychosocial worker will be put to good use on the community relations team. Chantal holds a technical diploma and a Bachelor of Social Work, both proudly obtained from the region's educational institutions.

Sébastien has more than a dozen years of experience in event organization and education. He also has a wealth of experience in communications, particularly in the area of multimedia platform management – a definite asset for the community relations team. Sébastien earned technical diploma in social work from Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue and a certification in recreation and leisure studies from Cégep du Vieux Montréal.

Both of our new staffers have training in the psychosocial field, and both have creative, dynamic personalities and people skills that are sure to make for positive relations with neighbourhood residents. They have already stepped into their roles and are ready to welcome you to the community relations office.

Chantal and Sébastien will contribute their expertise to the community relations team, joining existing members Geneviève Tétreault, Communications and Community Relations Coordinator, and Marcel St-Pierre, Project Superintendent.

At Yamana, we value and are deeply committed to advancing diversity and inclusion throughout our organization, in Quebec and wherever we operate around the world. Our team has established a diversity and inclusion policy that fosters a culture of belonging and ensures that all employees are treated with dignity and respect, free from conscious and unconscious bias.

As the project advances, we incorporate our diversity and inclusion philosophy into everything we do. We want to ensure that our practices and corporate culture are respectful of diversity in all its forms; that includes the representation of women, Indigenous peoples, persons living with disabilities, visible minorities, age, culture and geographic origin, in the evaluation of candidates for senior management and in hiring for all roles in the company. For example, women represent 52% of our project team in Rouyn-Noranda... a very high percentage in the mining industry. We are very proud of that!

We also invest in community initiatives that mirror our commitment to diversity and inclusion, which is a key focus of our community support program. Finally, we provide equal opportunities in our sourcing practices while upholding ethical business principles, which opens the door to competition from diverse suppliers.

We expect all employees, consultants and partners to follow our lead, identifying where there may be gaps in representation and creating measures for improvement.

Naturally, we are open to any recommendations that might help promote diversity and inclusion in our teams, practices, and corporate culture. Please do not hesitate to contact us with ideas!

Microblasting had been scheduled for September, and neighbourhood residents were mailed a flyer to that effect a few weeks ago. Using a network of seismic sensors with detonation of very small explosive charges, the tests were meant to study vibration transmission in the vicinity to help us better plan future operations.

As this is a new procedure meant to validate methodology and coordination between the various experts involved, we did a test far from any homes, on the Yamana property in Francoeur. We concluded that the exercise has the potential for disruption if there were difficulties with the implementation. Nor did the test offer us full assurance that we would achieve the desired objectives.

In keeping with our commitment to avoid or minimize disturbances to the neighbourhood, we decided to cancel the tests.

Vibration modelling will nonetheless be done using the usual conservative data. For example: the model considers that the rock is a single solid block, when the presence of fissures would, in fact, mitigate vibration.

The modelling would subsequently be adjusted using the data collected during vibratory monitoring of the bulk sample and the continuous monitoring of mining operations.

As part of the ongoing impact study, the Yamana Gold team recently had the opportunity between May and July to meet with three Indigenous communities, namely the First Nations of Abitibiwinni, Long Point and Timiskaming. The objective of these meetings was to discuss with them and some of their members on the evolution of the project and the environmental impact study to which several communities are contributing, to hear their concerns and suggestions for improvement on the project and to take stock of the various collaboration and business opportunities available to them in the months and years to come. Members of the Yamana team were warmly welcomed to the 3 communities and would like to thank them for their respective contribution to the ongoing dialogue as the project evolves.

It should be noted that operational agreements are in place with certain communities to confirm their involvement, in particular in the conduct of inventories, the revision of studies on various components of the project and sometimes even the production of studies led by themselves.

A series of thematic meetings with the communities concerned is planned for September with the aim of continuing to solicit their ideas, advice, and concerns in order to build a project that respects their interests, values and ancestral presence in the territory.

Since 2021, 18 organizations in the socio-community, economic, education and health sectors have contributed to the development of the environmental and social impact assessment. Their input has helped us to better identify the main issues, expectations and concerns of the community so as to adapt the Wasamac underground mining project accordingly to the greatest possible extent.

Housing shortage, labour shortages, increasingly limited access to healthcare, education, services for seniors and vulnerable groups, and childcare availability are the main issues currently facing the organizations operating in the field. Income disparities, particularly between men and women, also emerged from our consultations.

To provide feedback to socioeconomic organizations with which we have engaged in dialogue, our team will seek their cooperation again in the fall of 2022 and winter of 2023. These talks will be an opportunity to further explore the challenges of project implementation ahead and to discuss mitigation measures that could address them. All salient points of the process to date are contained in the downloadable document, here.

Click the image to read the progress report