With more than 400 exhibits and demonstrations, the 2018 Canadian Mining Expo is officially underway in Timmins.
The annual show is set up at the McIntyre Arena and runs until 6 p.m. today, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 7.
At the opening ceremony, Kirkland Lake Gold and Tahoe gave brief updates on what’s happening at their respective companies.
“Kirkland Lake Gold is a company…it’s on a role, we’re in a heavy growth mode, we’re performing very well and we’re on track to reach a million ounces of annual gold production over the next half decade or so,” said Marc Utting, Kirkland Lake Gold VP of investor relations.
He said Canada and Australia projects will play a “critical role in adding the 400 plus ounces of gold production that we need to get over a million ounces.”
“Our biggest capital project to get there is going to be right here in Northern Ontario, it’s a new shaft at our Macassa mine and it started earlier this year. And that’s going to double production at Macassa from just under 200,000 last year to over 400,000 ounces… within the next five to six years,” he said.
While the company is performing well, Utting said they are going to do even better in the future.
“And when you get a company that is transitioning and growing to the extent that we are, events like this where we can get out and talk to all our stakeholders and make sure they understand that we’re doing a lot of work, but we’re doing it for the benefit of the company, its shareholders, its community, the economy of the region, it’s important for us to be out talking to people as much as we can and really I can’t think of a better venue than this one right here,” he said.
Tahoe’s Tom Laughren said Timmins is a great place to do business, and that there is a lot of opportunity in the city and around the area.
Tahoe has two mines here, Timmins West and Bell Creek.
“Right now we are doing a 100 million plus expansion of the Bell Creek mine with a new shaft and taking the shaft down from the 300-metre mark down to the 1,080, as well as some improvements to our tailings and facilities,” Laughren said.
Admission to the annual expo is free.
There are a number of indoor and outdoor vendors, as well as a career fair in the ballroom of the McIntyre Community Centre.
After the official opening, the jackleg competition started, with Mayor Steve Black taking a turn to drill into the rocks brought in for the competition.
For more information visit canadianminingexpo.com.
