News

Learn more about the Wasamac Underground Mining Project: visit our virtual community relations office

On July 7, 2022, Yamana Gold issued a press release with news about its mining operations and development projects, including the Wasamac Underground Mining Project.

Advanced exploration: Applications for authorization to be filed soon

Last December, we announced the start of detailed engineering work ahead of submitting authorizations for bulk sampling at the Wasamac deposit, as per the recommendation in the updated feasibility study. Since then, our team has been busy planning this important step in the development of our project. Preliminary plans were presented to the Task Force last May and at the June neighbourhood meeting, where consultations were held regarding measures to be put in place to mitigate the impacts of this work. Applications for the various permits required will be submitted to the authorities shortly, detailing the construction of two access ramps to the deposit from the north of the 117 allowing for the recovery of a bulk sample and further exploration from underground exploration platforms. This new advanced exploration phase will allow us to recover a larger sample than we would with surface drilling to validate our predictions, including grade, recovery, backfill strategy and processing performance. It will also further our geotechnical knowledge and fine-tune the modelling for mine planning.

Project optimization continues to aim for a more efficient project

Over the last few months we have focused on updating the project’s strategic plan. The highlights are as follows:

• The acquisition of land adjacent to the site of the main surface infrastructure allows us to optimize its layout. The revised plan avoids environmentally sensitive areas and improves the layout of the processing plant and ore storage area, while continuing to minimize impacts on nearby residents.
• Additional geotechnical drilling has improved the design of the underground mine. The mining sequence also been optimized, allowing for a scenario of increased production in the first two years, to 200,000 ounces in 2027 and 250,000 ounces in 2028.
• The positive results of the exploration and infill drilling also allow us to formulate a new working hypothesis that suggests a potential increase of 7,000 tpd to 9,000 tpd in the third year of operation of the Wasamac mine. This would extend the gold production profile to 250,000 ounces per year until at least 2030, previously estimated at 169,000 ounces in the feasibility study. Further validation is under analysis to confirm this scenario, which would also require adjustments to the permit application process underway.

Further optimization work will be done in the coming months to fine-tune the treatment plan, the optimized configuration of the tailings filter plant and paste backfill plant and to further increase the levels of electrification, automation, and renewable energy used in our project.

Read the complete press release here.

The Yamana Gold team is very pleased to announce that the company was recognized with a Distinction Award from the Quebec Mining Association (QMA) in the “Community Relations” category, at its annual convention held on June 9, 2022.

This award recognizes the work done around our drilling program and the innovative approach to community relations: adapting to the environment, rather than expecting the environment to adapt to our operations. Silence on fore! Is a good example of this approach.

Above all, we want to mention the valuable contributions and ongoing support of our partners, the neighbouring community, our Task Force and, of course, our service providers as we develop the project. With your involvement, feedback, ideas and questions, you’ve helped us push our limits and adapt our practices to achieve the objective of harmonious coexistence.

We will continue to focus on matching and defining industry best practices in community relations.

Invitation to the Fourth Neighbourhood Meeting

The 4th neighbourhood meeting regarding Yamana Gold’s Wasamac underground mining project will be held on June 14, 2022, at the Évain community centre at 100 rue Leblanc.

We will be setting up kiosks so that attendees can make the rounds and meet with different key people on the Yamana Gold team, as well as resource persons who can answer any questions you might have.

Join us to discuss such topics as:

• The mining project, for which the environmental impact assessment and exploration program are in progress;
• The advanced exploration program, for which applications for bulk sampling authorizations will soon be submitted and for which preparatory work will begin in the fall;

Come chat also with the Task Force members and share your views or suggest ideas for neighbourhood projects Yamana is interested in supporting.

Three time slots have been scheduled for persons who plan to attend:

• 4:00 PM
• 5:30 PM
• 7:00 PM

Contact us to reserve and confirm your time slot either by email at wasamac@yamana.com or by telephone at 1 833 510-0330 (toll free).

Please remember to give your name, phone number and preferred time slot.

Open public meeting

All are welcome! See you then!

Yamana Gold is proud of its nomination for Silence on fore! in the Community Relations category

This announcement is recognition for the work we have done and our different approach to community relations: adapting to the environment, rather than asking the environment to adapt to our operations.

Silence on fore! is an excellent example. Since the acquisition of the property in 2021, the Yamana Gold team has been attentive to the neighbourhood’s needs, taking preventive measures to avoid potential impacts and fostering a harmonious co-existence with residents.

We also, and above all, owe this nomination to community participation. Thanks to the input of local residents, we were able to completely review our drilling practices in inhabited areas and enact new standards for noise reduction in urban environments. This is a real revolution in the world of drilling, enabling us to limit perceptible noise by at least 50%. For all this, we thank you all!

The winners will be announced on June 9 at the annual convention of the Quebec Mining Association.

This 11^th meeting of the Task Force was an opportunity for the Yamana team to present the preliminary version of its property acquisition program, PROPRIO-Choix: vente et garantie de la valeur marchande des propriétés. It was also an occasion to look back on the inauguration of the community relations office, where the Yamana team welcomed partners, community members and neighbourhood families. The office is open to walk-ins Tuesdays through Thursdays from 9 AM to 5 PM and on Mondays and Fridays by appointment.

Updates were also presented to the group: a summary of the meeting between Yamana and its neighbours in the Francoeur, Arntfield and Lac-Fortune mining sites; presentation of the map of Yamana's land holdings in the Wasamac Underground Mining Project (WUMP) sector; and creation of the committee that will work on proximity projects for the WUMP neighbourhood. Finally, the promised presentation of co-existence programs put in place by the Canadian Malartic Mine was also handed out.

This meeting’s main topic was Yamana’s proposed PROPRIO-Choix program which, after consultations, will replace the Property Value Maintenance Program (PVMP) originally proposed by Monarch Gold. The revamped concept would identify a core area with potentially higher risk of strong impacts and would offer those property owners the homeowner value for a set period of time (see presentation for details). For all property owners in the valuation area, from the time of Yamana’s acquisition of the project until site rehabilitation, the mining company proposes a market value guarantee as well as reimbursement of relocation expenses. A preliminary map of the land valuation area was presented to support the discussion; it will be revised in light of the impacts estimated by the ongoing environmental assessment. The objective of the program is to guarantee the market value of properties in the area and to provide a framework for voluntary acquisitions. The aim is harmonious cohabitation, transparency, and fairness, allowing owners to decide to move at any time without risk of being penalized, and evaluating properties as if the mining project did not exist.

A mock appraisal report annotated by the certified appraisers mandated by the Task Force was also prepared at the group’s request to clearly explain how market value and homeowner value are estimated. The document was distributed to members in attendance.

The discussion originally planned concerning a new version of the Property Value Maintenance Program (PVMP) had been postponed to the April meeting. The local team finished its revision of the document, but the corporate team had asked for more time to do additional validations. The meeting therefore focused more on a progress report, the 2021 exploration program report, highlights of the 2021 Task Force report, creation of the 2022 calendar, and an exploratory exercise to inform the drafting of the forthcoming Property Integrity Protection Program.

Yamana's presentation at the beginning of the meeting reiterated the invitation to the official opening of the community relations office. The office will be open Tuesdays to Thursdays from 9 AM to 5 PM and Mondays and Fridays by appointment. The office is located at 14 d'Évain, inside the former Desjardins branch.

Yamana also presented its community support program, for which applications can be submitted using the form that was recently posted online at https://www.wasamac-consultations.com/policies-and-community-support-program

A summary of the findings of Yamana's 2021 exploration program was presented, as well as the annual update of the Owner’s Agreement Guide. As required by the guide, a satisfaction survey was conducted with property owners who had drilling-related activities done on their land in 2021. A memo summarizing the highlights of the survey was also handed out to members.

The presentation document, attached herein, also contained the highlights of the Task Force’s annual report. This exercise evaluates the group's mandate; the meeting format; the degree of satisfaction with the facilitation; and areas marked for improvement.

The presentation document, attached to this summary, also presented the highlights of the Task Force’s annual report assessing the group's mandate, which aims to evaluate the group’s mandate; the meeting format; the degree of satisfaction with the facilitation; and areas marked for improvement.

See the complete report for more details.

The purpose of this ninth meeting of the Task Force was to continue to develop an updated version of the Property Value Maintenance Program (PVMP) and see to its integration into a broader agreement aimed at harmonious coexistence with the neighbourhood. At the previous meeting, Yamana had agreed to add additional terms to the PVMP in order to provide a framework for the voluntary acquisition, at replacement value, of properties located in the area identified by the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as potentially subject to significant anticipated impacts. Certified appraisers were on hand to describe the methods for assessing value, also known as owner's value, as well as the circumstances in which it usually applies. As this value is generally used in expropriation situations, several adaptations will be required to transpose its useful aspects into a program of acquisition by mutual agreement based on homeowners’ freedom of choice and without the objective of acquisition of all of the target properties. The appraisers will be helpful resources when the Task Force finalizes the updated PVMP+ proposal.

In a preamble to the meeting, Yamana shared news and project updates with the group:

• Renovations to the community relations office will be finished soon, though the team will continue to telework as long as health restrictions are in force.
• After that, it will be possible to make an appointment at the community relations office with Geneviève Thériault, newly hired as coordinator of communications and community relations on the team with Marc-André Lavergne.
• We have hired several new people recently and more hires are to come.
• A new timetable was presented for the environmental assessment currently underway in order to continue optimizing the project and studying alternative solutions. Yamana plans to table it by the year’s end.
• Online consultations on public uses of the land continue until the end of February at wasamac-consultations.com.

Next up was a presentation of the annual review exercise, which is meant to evaluate satisfaction with the Task Force’s accomplishments over the last year and with the facilitation work. Answers to this questionnaire will also be used to develop a work plan for 2022. The meeting closed with a brief look at incoming reports; only one such was made and quickly resolved since the last meeting.

Yamana Gold Community Relations Office Opens in Évain

We had a great time and many fascinating encounters at the opening of the Community Relations Office. On Thursday, March 24, between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m., our team had the pleasure of:

• hosting 50 partners;
• chatting with 100 people from the community;
• enjoying the laughter of over 350 children playing in the inflatable games and other activities.

From left to right, Brenda Brooks (Executive Assistant, Yamana Gold), Marc-André Lavergne (Director, Community and External Affairs, Yamana Gold), Benoît Lessard (Vice-President of the Rouyn-Noranda Chamber of Commerce and Industry) and Geneviève Tétreault (Communications and Community Relations Coordinator, Yamana Gold)

The Community Relations office, a space dedicated to welcoming the public and families, will become a hub for sharing information about the Project and gathering feedback. By providing this venue for meetings and discussions between the local population and our teams, we are continuing our involvement in the Évain neighbourhood and reiterating the importance of community relations we are developing there

The offices, located at 14 rue d'Évain, Rouyn-Noranda, are open to the public from Tuesday to Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mondays and Fridays are by appointment only (by phone: 1 833 510-0330; by SMS: 833 510-0330, by email: wasamac@yamana.com)

Welcome to the community!

Grand Opening of Yamana Gold's Community Relations Office for the Wasamac Underground Mining Project

Thursday, March 24 from 4 to 8 p.m.

at 14 Évain Street

Come meet us, talk with the directors and community relations team and visit our new office in the heart of the Evain district.

Outdoor inflatable games, a photographer for you and your family, beverages and snacks!

As of March 28, our opening hours will be Tuesday to Thursday from 9 am to 5 pm.

Monday and Friday by appointment only.

We look forward to welcoming you!

The collection of samples aimed at characterizing the sediments planned for the end of February on Lac Hélène as part of the environmental impact study is postponed to springtime, after the melting of the ice on the lake.

Adverse weather conditions did not allow the exercise to be carried out safely, so we decided to postpone it.

As a reminder, the WSP team, the firm responsible for carrying out the environmental impact study, will review existing data on the lake's hydrology by taking surface water samples. They will also conduct a hydrological assessment to establish current conditions as well as predictive simulations to ascertain the potential impacts of the future mine on the lake's water level – a point raised by area residents. At this time, the potential impacts are estimated to be minimal.

This exercise should not create a disturbance in the natural environment or for people living near the lake.

Area residents will be notified once the new dates for the work are known.

Should you have any questions regarding this work, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone at 1 833 510-0330 or via E-mail: wasamac@yamana.com