The Neighbourhood

The Wasamac Mining Project team met with the community for a neighborhood gathering on May 22, 2024 at the Club de l'âge d'Or d'Évain hall.

The purpose of the meeting was to exchange views with the Wasamac mining project's neighbors and to introduce Agnico Eagle to the community, as it was the company's first public meeting since the Yamana Gold transaction. It also provided an opportunity to meet and talk with several local and regional team members.

The event featured presentations by :

• Agnico Eagle and its operations in the region;
• the development of the mining project (scenarios under study, timetable);
• advanced exploration (information and consultation);
• the forthcoming Good Neighbour Guide for advanced exploration and
• the Task Force.

Attendees were invited to browse the various booths at their own pace, and to talk with the team about topics of particular interest to them. Posters and equipment (maps, screens, sound-tracking probes, etc.) were available to participants throughout the event.

A consultative component was also part of the process, with the aim of improving the mitigation measures planned for advanced exploration. Citizens were invited to discuss with the team any concerns they had previously raised, or to identify new ones. Among the main concerns mentioned were

• the increase in traffic on route 117;
• the weight carried by the road and impacts on the pavement;
• loss of drinking water wells;
• vibration from drilling and blasting;
• the location of the final effluent in relation to Arnoux Lake.

All these concerns have been collated in a summary table, which also includes records of consultations held in the past by previous owners. This is available in the appendix to the minutes (below).

Two members of the Task Force also presented and collected ideas for the inauguration of Lac-Hélène Park, a community project co-created with the Task Force. They also took the opportunity to recruit potential new members.

For a detailed report on the meeting (in French): https://wasamac-eng.agnicoeagle.com/27423/widgets/111131/documents/135188

To see the TVA Nouvelles report (in French): https://tvaabitibi.ca/2024/05/23/projet-wasamac-des-scenarios-et-des-reponses-pour-les-citoyens/

At our last neighbourhood meeting on November 16, a range of topics were discussed, including air, vibration, noise, water and traffic management, and land use planning. The topics were presented by 14 members of the Wasamac underground mining project team. The meeting was intended to be an opportunity for discussion, sharing and gathering comments, suggestions and questions in order to optimize the project before the impact assessment is filed. Virtual reality was used so that residents in attendance could see the project's progress. We were fortunate to be joined by about 30 people from the neighbourhood and community.

In setting up these meetings, our aim is to reiterate the importance of forging close relationships through accessible consultations with an emphasis on openness, responsiveness and discussion.

The minutes of the meeting is available here (in french only): https://wasamac-eng.agnicoeagle.com/27423/widgets/111131/documents/97910

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our community relations team.

By phone: 1 833 510-0330

By SMS: 833-510-0330

By email: relations.wasamac@agnicoeagle.com

At the Community Relations Office, 14 rue d'Évain, Rouyn-Noranda, J0Z 1Y0

The purpose of the June 14, 2022 neighborhood meeting was to present an overview of the Wasamac Underground Mining Project, including its new interactive portal, share more details on upcoming advanced exploration, consult on our PROPRIO-CHOICE program proposal and discuss ideas for neighborhood outreach projects. The meeting, attended by several members of Yamana's management team, took the form of a circuit of themed kiosks featuring information panels to encourage more personalized exchanges. This enabled discussions to be adapted to participants' level of knowledge and interest. 

Some thirty people visited the kiosks and talked with the team during the evening. Those present shared their appreciation of this new neighborhood meeting format. They particularly emphasized the conviviality of being able to talk directly to the team on subjects of their choice. 

The main concerns voiced during the meeting regarding the impacts of the mining project and the upcoming advanced exploration work to bulk sample the deposit were : 

• Fear of a loss of quality of life, particularly in terms of noise and light in the area;
• Fear of increased traffic on rang des Cavaliers and its impact on the area's quality of life;
• Feedback on ongoing drilling operations, which have recently been reported to be noisier;
• Concerns about noise during construction;
• Concerns about the drinking water supply to homes.

Actions have been taken by the Yamana team to address these concerns, including the planning of a participatory workshop on the theme of traffic at the next neighborhood meeting, and the re-evaluation of the noise level of the drills in order to make the necessary adjustments to return to normal noise attenuation performance.

Yamana reiterated its commitment to finding useful solutions and mitigation measures before the impacts of the project occur. For example, guaranteeing access to drinking water for local residents has always been a clear commitment for the company. For all issues, the impact study will provide information on the various scenarios for which the company must be prepared.

Detailed minutes of the meeting are available here (in french). It includes a number of ideas submitted by the neighborhood for community projects that could be initiated by Yamana in the months and years to come. This consultation exercise was developed by the Neighborhood Projects Committee created by the Task Force and led by its members, whom we would like to thank for their involvement.

We would also like to thank the participants for taking part in this meeting, which was rich in exchanges.