Project History, From 1936 to the Present

Discovery of the deposit in 1936 by the Champlain Gold Mine.
In 1945, a 60-metre shaft (the Wildcat shaft) and an underground level were built.
Between 1965 and 1971, 1.9 Mt of ore from the Wasamac deposit were processed by Wasamac Mines Ltd., then by Wright-Hargreaves Mines Ltd.
In May 1971, the mine paused operations due to the low price of gold and an increase in production costs.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Lac Minerals Ltd. resumed exploration work.
Following an option agreement with Lac Minerals in 1986, exploration drilling was done by Ressources Minières Rouyn.
In 1994, Richmont restored the Wasamac mine and did surface exploration work each year from that point on.
In 2011, Richmont did a preliminary economic assessment of its project, which included a shaft, a headframe, and a plant near private homes in the vicinity.
Faced with major social acceptability issues, the project was put on hold.
In 2017, the project was acquired by Monarch Gold. The company conducted a feasibility study in 2018 that yielded a new strategy for the Wasamac project’s development, including two access ramps and main infrastructure positioned north of Route 117.

In early 2021, Yamana Gold acquired the Wasamac project and began the first phase of its exploration program. After optimization of its feasibility study, the company confirmed its intention to begin operations after obtaining government authorizations.

The Wasamac team has launched a podcast in collaboration with historian Jean-Lou David that stirs up the past to help us understand how the mining industry helped shape Rouyn-Noranda and the surrounding area.

The podcast is only available in french.

Spotify: ttps://bit.ly/3BUnO0G

Québec podcasts: https://bit.ly/422GvKk