VANCOUVER — Artemis Gold Inc. has announced Blackwater Mine, Canada’s newest gold and silver mine, was officially opened at a ceremony last week.
“Blackwater Mine is an example of what can be achieved through collaboration with First Nations and the protection of vital lands and waters,” said Premier David Eby in a statement. “This mine is a part of what we’re building in B.C. the economic engine of the new Canadian economy. It creates hundreds of family-supporting jobs and builds prosperity here and across the country.”
Eby, along with Jagrup Brar, minister of mining and critical minerals, acting Chief June Baptiste of the Lhoosk’uz Dené Nation, and Chief Charlie Williams (represented) of Ulkatcho First Nation, attended the event with other representatives of Indigenous and municipal governments, industry associations, business partners, contractors and stakeholders.
The mine was built in 22 months, with the company receiving the BC Mines Act permit in March of 2023.
Construction was completed and the first gold pour occurred in January of this year.
Earlier this month, Artemis Gold announced it had achieved commercial production.
According to a release, the forecast production for the financial year 2025 is between 190,000 to 230,000 ounces of gold. To date there have been over 5.3 million hours worked at Blackwater Mine with no lost time incidents.
The mine is 100 per cent owned by Artemis Gold Inc., a publicly traded company based in Vancouver. The mine is located 110 kilometres southwest of Vanderhoof and 160 kilometres southwest of Prince George.
It is the largest resource development project in the Cariboo region of B.C. in more than a decade.
Blackwater Mine is an open-pit truck and shovel gold and silver mine with total M&I resources 11.7 million of gold and 122.4 million ounces of silver.
The mine currently employs over 400 people with 25 per cent identifying as Indigenous, 40 per cent from the mine region, and 80 per cent from B.C., the release continues. The mine is planned to be developed in three phases.
A decision about accelerating the phase two expansion will be made later this year. Phase two is expected to generate an additional 800 construction jobs and an additional 170 operations jobs once construction is complete.
The company states since 2022 it has spent over $1 billion with Canadian contractors and services providers to build the mine.
Over $700 million of that amount was spent in B.C. and over $300 million with local and Indigenous companies.
“Blackwater Mine was permitted because Artemis Gold proposed and committed to some of the highest environmental standards and will be managed in accordance with globally proven best practices,” the release notes. “The company is committed to being a responsible steward of the environment and to identifying opportunities to reduce its impact on the ecosystems where it operates. A new transmission line was built last year connecting and powering the mine site with BC Hydro’s renewable hydroelectricity via Glenannan substation near Endako, B.C.”
Artemis Gold also invested in a fully-electrified processing facility with all traditionally carbon-fuelled processes replaced with electric equipment.
“This provides the foundation for Blackwater Mine to be developed into one of the lowest greenhouse gas emitting open pit mining operations in the world,” the release adds.
As part of the permitting process, Artemis Gold collaborated with the federal and provincial governments, Lhoosk’uz Dené, Ulkatcho, Nadleh Whut’en, Saik’uz, Stellat’en and Nazko First Nations on the development of environmental management plans related to caribou habitat offsetting, fish habitat offsetting, wetlands offsetting and conservation and enhancement activities.
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