News

Yamana held tours of the work site on August 26 and 27, welcoming representatives of First Nations, officials with the City of Rouyn-Noranda, and the Task Force of neighbourhood and vicinity residents established last spring.

The groups arrived aboard buses and spent just over two hours on the Wasamac property; the tours gave stakeholders and interested parties the opportunity to:

1. Acquire information and visual landmarks to help learn more about the project;
2. Grain an appreciation for the distances between the projected primary infrastructures and the neighbourhood;
3. Formulate their questions and concerns with greater specificity after their first-hand experience with the participative process.

There were four planned stops during the tour: at the site of the ore deposit and secondary infrastructure; at the area planned for the primary surface infrastructures, including the plant; near the drill rig; and on the future location of the tailings plant. Each stop was an opportunity for the Yamana team to expand on the Wasamac underground mining project, its history, the details unveiled at the end of July with the updated feasibility study, and the company's vision for the development of the project. The stops were also occasions for visitors to ask questions and talk to the company directors on hand. A spokesperson designated by the neighbourhood also presented a resumé of citizen mobilization and their principal concerns.

For a detailed account of the tour (available in french)

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Claude Laflamme to the position of Superintendent, Accounting with Yamana Gold.

Claude Laflamme brings over 25 years of experience in finance roles, with 12 years’ experience in the mining industry. He holds a CPA, CMA designation, and has a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Montreal, and a Bachelor of Accounting Science from HEC University.

Previously, Claude has held Director of Finance positions at Newmont-Goldcorp’s Eloenore Mine and Glencore’s Matagami Mine, in addition to controllership and procurement roles at other large organizations.

In connection with the Wasamac underground mining project, Claude Laflamme will be responsible for all accounting and finance activities related the Wasamac mine and Yamana’s other North American exploration projects. He will oversee the implementation of controls and finance processes at the Wasamac project and will report key finance expenditures and metrics to corporate. Claude will build and maintain key relationships with internal stakeholders to support all finance functions in the Abitibi as Yamana’s footprint in the region expands and will work closely with the corporate finance team to ensure timely and accurate financial reporting.

Let us all welcome Claude!

We remind you that if you have any questions or comments about the Wasamac underground mining project, you can contact us as follows:

By phone: 1-833-510-0330

By email: wasamac@yamana.com(External link)

Through our online platform: www.consultationswasamac.com

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Martin Duclos to the position of Director, Safety, Environment & Permitting with Yamana Gold.

Martin brings over 30 years of experience in environment and permitting in the mining industry and Ministry of Quebec. He holds a degree in Natural Environment/Environment Specialization from Cégep de St-Félicien.

Martin joins us from Canadian Malartic where he held the position of Manager, Sustainable Development & Environment for the last 3 years. He was responsible for permitting strategies and implementation, first nations relations, management systems implementation and site reclamation. Prior to that, he was with Goldcorp-Éléonore Mine and Stavibel (SNC-Lavalin).

In connection with the Wasamac underground mining project, Martin will be responsible for the safety, environmental and permitting of the Wasamac project. He will be responsible for developing and implementing phase appropriate safety and environmental management systems to ensure compliance with existing permits and applicable safety and environmental requirements aligned with Yamana’s HSSD framework. He will be responsible for developing and implementing permitting strategies and working closely with the regulatory agencies. As well as working with consultants to guide and coordinate implementation of environmental baseline studies.

Let us all welcome Martin!

We remind you that if you have any questions or comments about the Wasamac underground mining project, you can contact us as follows:

By phone: 1-833-510-0330

By email: wasamac@yamana.com(External link)

Through our online platform: www.consultationswasamac.com

We are pleased to present to you this 6th edition of the newsletter which covers various topics related to the update of the Project.

This newsletter announces the results of the feasibility study published last July. It was an opportunity for us to reaffirm our commitment to develop the Wasamac project. Important information is also presented on the impact study currently underway. Much work remains to be done and we are continuing our dialogue and consultation process with the Task Force, the First Nations, the neighborhood, and stakeholders in the territory.

Finally, you will find information regarding the hiring of new people to the Yamana team and the recent acquisition of the Community Relations Office, which will be able to welcome you very soon.

The newsletter was distributed by post to the neighborhood and is available digitally here on the online platform.

Enjoy reading!

As part of the federal impact assessment of the Wasamac underground mining project, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) is organizing two information sessions in October to present the Participant Funding Program to participants (PFP).

The PFP helps the public participate in the impact assessment process and communicate useful ideas, perspectives, and knowledge. If you have an interest in participating in one or the other of the sessions, please confirm it by email to Ms. Laurie Tremblay, Project Manager at IAAC at the following address: laurie.tremblay@iaac-aeic.gc(External link). The information to connect via Zoom will then be sent to you.

If you cannot attend one of the sessions and still wish to obtain information on funding, or for any other question concerning the federal impact assessment of the Project, please contact Ms. Laurie Tremblay by email or by telephone (418-572-8746).

Useful links:

• Video on the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (2 minutes)(External link)
• Web page of the Agency on the impact assessment of the Wasamac gold mine project(External link)
• Participant Funding Program

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Sébastien Pignol to the position of Project Geologist with Yamana Gold.

Sebastien brings over 10 years of experience as a Geologist in Abitibi-Temiscamingue. He holds a Diploma in Laboratory Science and Technology – Biological Engineering, a Bachelor in Earth and Environment Sciences, as well as a Master of Professional Geology of Natural Resources from University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse (France).

Previously, he worked for 4 years with Technominex at various projects, including Monster Lake, Heva and Nelligan, and more recently, he provided project management services for the exploration drilling program, as well as personnel management at the Wasamac project

In connection with the Wasamac underground mining project, Sébastien will continue to support and supervise aspects of the exploration drill program at the Wasamac property.

Let us all welcome Sébastien!

We remind you that if you have any questions or comments about the Wasamac underground mining project, you can contact us as follows:

By phone: 1-833-510-0330

By email: wasamac@yamana.com(External link)

Through our online platform: www.consultationswasamac.com

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Martin François Turgeon to the position of Superintendent, Procurement and Warehousing with Yamana Gold.

Martin François brings over 30 years of experience in procurement and supply chain, including 15 years’ experience in the mining industry, with Agnico-Eagle – Meadowbank Division and more recently Hecla Quebec – Mine Casa Berardi. He holds a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Administration from the University of Quebec in Abitibi-Temiscamingue. Through his experiences, Martin François worked with various suppliers to ensure that logistics of distribution were met in a timely manner. He was also responsible of the control and application of procurement policies and procedures, negotiations with suppliers and optimizing inventory management.

In connection with the Wasamac underground mining project, Martin François will be responsible of the activities surrounding inventory management and control and purchasing of goods and services for the Wasamac project, in compliance with Yamana’s governance requirements. In addition, he will build relationships with the various suppliers, local communities, and internal and external stakeholders.

Let us all welcome Martin François!

We remind you that if you have any questions or comments about the Wasamac underground mining project, you can contact us as follows:

By phone: 1-833-510-0330

By email: wasamac@yamana.com(External link)

Through our online platform: www.consultationswasamac.com

The third meeting of the Task Force with the neighborhood and the community of the Wasamac underground mining Project took place on June 21st, 2021, via the Zoom platform.

During this meeting, a summary update of the feasibility study was presented to the members in addition to confirming the acquisition of new mining properties. Members of the Task Force were also informed that the community relations office will be in the former Caisse populaire service point in the Évain neighborhood and that the community relations officer position will be filled shortly. A representative from Yamana also proposed a mechanism for following up on reports to the Task Force and explained the planned process for handling grievances, continuous improvement and internal and external feedback and follow-ups.

The purpose of the meeting was also to present the progress of the impact study and the timetable for the various related analyzes. The consulting firm WSP made a presentation to the members of the Task Force to better define the framework for an impact study at the provincial and federal level in addition to detailing the progress of the evaluation process, which includes a procedure before the Office of Public Hearings on the Environment. The representatives of WSP explain that the impact study must be a collaborative process with the community in order to better define the various parameters of the project’s receiving environment.

The community will therefore be able to express concerns related to the project which will be taken into account in the impact study. The schedule of planned and ongoing inventories is presented to members who were also able to see the schedule of anticipated results. Thematic meetings will be scheduled during the fall to present the procedures and mechanisms surrounding the impact study inventories and to learn about the first results.

Read the detailed report

The exploration program that began in March is gradually intensifying. Indeed, our teams will install two additional drills in the coming weeks. This increase in activities is possible thanks to the authorization received from the Commission de protection du territoire agricole (CPTAQ) in August 2021. This authorization, valid for a maximum period of 24 months, allows the use of the lots of land owners (with whom agreements have been signed as part of the exploration program) for a purpose other than agricultural (Homeowners’ agreement guide).

The authorization of the CPTAQ is also accompanied by conditions that must be respected. For example, exploration and reclamation work should be done under the supervision of an agronomist. Tailings should be collected and disposed of outdoors or in receiving basins. In addition, once the equipment has been moved, a complete inspection of the site must be carried out rehabilitated when necessary.

Each of these drills will be equipped with equipment designed during the first exploration work to reduce their noise impact. We maintain our commitments to put in place best practices to minimize the impact of our activities on the environment and the neighborhood, to compensate in a fair and equitable manner the owners where work will be carried out and to propose a participatory approach in collaboration with the neighborhood for the surveillance and monitoring of activities.

For more details:

• Read our report resolution policy, listening mechanism, taking into account grievances and citizen feedback.
• Watch the two videos to familiarize yourself with drilling activities and learn more about the mitigation measures put in place to reduce the impact of noise.
• Consult the page dedicated to the exploration program for the location of the drilling work in progress.

The works announced in the notice of work mailed to neighbors in the area in mid-August, and available here will begin on September 7th. For now, we estimate that the works should be completed at the end of October. The works will take place on a 7/7 schedule, during the day.

Several measures have been put in place to ensure that activities are carried out with respect for the neighborhood. We remind you that in the event of a problem, you can contact our team at the following coordinates:

By phone or text: 1 833 510-0330

By email at wasamac@yamana.com(External link)

Online, using the form available in the «Exploration program» section of www.consultationswasamac.com