Category: Community News

Today, 31 May, marks our last day of operations in Kambalda before transitioning to care and maintenance.

Our CEO Luca Giacovazzi and Asset President – Kambalda Steve Price reflect on the journey of our Kambalda operations and extend their thanks, on behalf of Wyloo, to our Kambalda teams across Cassini and Northern Operations for their commitment over the past few months.

Luca said the teams’ commitment to safety, while achieving strong production results, has been second-to-none.

“We deeply appreciate your dedication to achieving our production targets safely and admire your positive attitudes, strong work ethic, loyalty and teamwork as we delivered our final tonnes and prepared for a pause in operations,” he said.

“Your unwavering commitment to safety, professionalism and resilience during this period has been significant, and your exceptional efforts have not gone unnoticed.

“This hard work lays the foundation for our future success when we re-open our Cassini and Northern Operations mines in the future.”

Steve said it had been a remarkable few months since announcing our intention to place our Kambalda operations into care and maintenance.

“Our team has consistently exceeded budgeted ore production while maintaining excellent safety performance throughout the transition, all in a reduced cost environment,” he said.

“I hope you all take a moment to pause and reflect on what you have been able to achieve and are proud of your efforts.”

Steve said it was wonderful to reflect on the many fond memories at the recent celebratory gatherings with the teams.

“Our Kambalda operations have a long and rich history, from achieving the first ore mined at Cassini in March 2022 and the historic connection of our Northern Operations’ Otter-Juan and Long-Victor mines in February 2023,” Steve said.

“We now enter a new phase as we plan for our restart. We believe in a bright future for Kambalda and look forward to reaching many more milestones after we re-open in the future.

“It’s been a pleasure having all of you as part of our Wyloo family, and know that you will remain a part of our family, always.”

Keeping our underground teams safe is our first priority at our Kambalda operations. We have a number of measures in place, such as stench gas, emergency escapeways, self-preservation techniques and refuge chambers to ensure that, in the unlikely event of an emergency, our people will be prepared to respond.

Refuge chambers protect people during an underground emergency or event where the atmosphere becomes irrespirable, such as an underground fire, explosion, outburst of toxic gases or ground collapse, among others.

Our Vice President Safety and Sustainability Braden Dunsmore explains the vital role the chambers play in ensuring our Wyloo family and contractors stay safe.

“We are always focused on preventing emergency events in the first place, however, where an event occurs that causes reduced access to breathable air, rescue chambers provide an isolated, safe place to take refuge underground while waiting for the fresh air supply to be reinstated or a rescue to occur,” Braden said.

“When in use, they offer breathable air, water, thermally regulated conditions, communication channels, other supplies, and even card games.”

Refuge chambers are designed with safety at the forefront.

“They include a secondary emergency exit, in the event the main access door becomes blocked, as well as a window to enable visual communication between the inside and outside. The window also helps to lessen the feeling of being enclosed in a small space,” he said.

“Chambers can be fully sealed off from the surrounding environment and also provide pressure equalisation to maintain their internal pressure.

“While we always position refuge chambers in locations off underground roadways and away from potential hazards, chambers are required to be robustly designed to withstand movement around the mine to ensure they remain close to active working areas.

“They also come in a mix of sizes to accommodate for more than that of the operating crew. Our Cassini mine has eight refuge chambers while Northern Operations has 16, each with a capacity of four, six or 12 people.”

Under the Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022, it is a legislative requirement to provide an adequate number of refuge chambers in a mine in case of an emergency, and a means of escape to an exit or refuge safely in conditions of reduced visibility or irrespirable or unsafe atmospheres.

Each chamber must have three levels of operation, with varying degrees of independence. These include:

• Stand-by – where there is no emergency, a chamber operates under stand-by conditions with charged power packs and communication systems enabled.
• Externally supported – where there is an emergency but no disruption to normal electrical, pneumatic and potable water services, a chamber operates under externally supported conditions.
• Stand-alone – where there is an emergency and a chamber becomes disconnected from normal external services, a chamber can function with total independence, or stand-alone, to ensure the survival of people.

“These types of incidents are not common, and we certainly hope we never need to use a refuge chamber in an emergency, but we always want to be prepared to keep our people safe in any scenario,” he said.

Pictured: Amy Lefebvre (middle) with the Wyloo team.

The University of Western Ontario Environmental Science student Amy Lefebvre’s dedication to her studies has paid off, earning her the Women in Mining Canada Indigenous Student Trailblazer Award, with Wyloo one of the proud sponsors.

The Indigenous Student Trailblazer Award is one of five annual awards presented by Women in Mining Canada that recognizes the achievements, leadership and ‘trailblazing spirit’ of women in the Canadian mining industry.

Currently completing her bachelor’s thesis in geology as part of her fourth year of studies, Amy has always been curious about the world and the environment having grown up in Timmins, a small city surrounded by lakes and forests in the heart of the mineral-rich area of Northern Ontario.

Amy’s passion for geology has seen her embrace a variety of opportunities through her studies, including internships, research, mentorship roles and a leadership position at the University’s earth science association, with her achievements making Amy a well-deserving winner of the prestigious award.

Métis, French and Italian by background, Amy said it was special to receive such an acknowledgement so early in her career.

“Winning the Indigenous Student Trailblazer Award validates my accomplishments and contributions to the mining industry so far,” she said.

“I’m proud of my achievement and I hope it will encourage other Métis citizens to embrace their heritage and pursue their passions as well.

“It’s an accomplishment that reflects positively on me, my family, and my community, and I am so proud that everyone who has supported my journey is reflected in this award.”

Amy said the award had provided motivation to pursue more opportunities in the mining industry and continue making meaningful contributions to the field into the future.

“The award enables me to continue my passion for discovering more about the earth, how humans influence it, the possible long-term consequences of our activities and the sustainable practices we can implement to hopefully prevent the worst of these consequences from occurring,” she said.

“As a passionate academic, I’m looking forward to continuing my education in geology through research and new initiatives before entering the workforce, which will give me time to learn more about the mining industry and the many career opportunities on offer through geology.”

Amy believes the award helps promote participation of women in mining, and other fields that have been male-dominated in the past.

“I feel empowered to be in a position where I am able to excel in this field and be recognized for my accomplishments,” she said.

“Uplifting women through awards like this is a good step in the right direction to promote the face of positive female role models in the industry. Continuing to do so over a long period of time will hopefully aggregate more attention from young women looking to enter the field and give them the confidence to do so.

“Moreover, continuing to work towards equality in the workforce and addressing the barriers that women in mining face is very important to keep women in this field once they have entered their careers.

“I am confident the future is bright for me and my colleagues with organizations like Wyloo and Women in Mining Canada as vocal supporters of diversity and equity.”

Wyloo CEO, Canada Kristan Straub said it was a pleasure to sponsor Amy’s travel and attendance at the awards ceremony held at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference in Toronto on March 5, 2024.

“We congratulate Amy on her exceptional achievements in her studies and career so far, which we are very proud to support,” Kristan said.

“Amy is a well-deserving candidate of the Indigenous Student Trailblazer Award. We look forward to watching Amy’s career flourish as she paves the way for future generations.”

Amy said Wyloo’s sponsorship enabled her to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the awards ceremony.

“Without Wyloo’s sponsorship, I wouldn’t have been able to attend the award ceremony due to the financial burden of travel. It was a privilege to meet the Women in Mining Canada team, Wyloo and the supporters that came to the award ceremony,” she said.

“Thank you for your support.”

Given its name from Kupfernickel, after the German ‘Old Nick’, nickel is a natural element that makes up about 0.007% of the earth’s crust and is one of the most useful elements in the world.

Take a look at these interesting facts that support the widespread popularity and practicality of the silvery metal, which plays an important role in our everyday lives:

Nickel-containing ores are currently mined in more than 25 countries worldwide including Canada, Australia, Russia and Indonesia and have some interesting physical and chemical properties. Nickel is adaptable, resilient and recyclable, making it a diverse metal used in hundreds of thousands of products across various industries.

Applications of nickel

The most common application is used in alloying (a process that combines nickel with other substances to create a new metal with superior properties).

When combined with iron and other metals, nickel is used to make strong magnets. When combined with sulphur, it produces nickel sulphide (our Kambalda operations produce some of the highest-grade nickel sulphide in the world, while our Eagle’s Nest Project is one of the best, undeveloped high-grade nickel sulphide deposits).

The largest end use of nickel is to make stainless steel – take a quick look around your home and you will find stainless steel used in appliances, cutlery and other shiny surfaces. Other applications for nickel are to make coins, guitar strings and even armour.

Nickel has long been used in batteries, most commonly in nickel cadmium batteries (think, Energizer brand) and nickel metal hydride batteries (the rechargeable ones).

More and more, however, nickel is being used in the production of batteries designed for electric vehicles. With ongoing innovations in nickel-based battery technology, energy storage systems are experiencing notable enhancements, providing greater energy density and storage capabilities at a lower cost.

Today, nickel takes centre stage as the world continues to push for energy efficiency and to meet decarbonisation commitments. With nickel improving the performance and range of EVs, sustainable, high-grade nickel plays a critical role in the scaling up of clean energy and a more sustainable future.

As we work and live in the region, we acknowledge that the Esker Site is on the territory of the Anishnawbe people of Marten Falls First Nation and neighbours Webequie First Nation, both signatories to Treaty 9. As we work here, we seek to gain and apply knowledge of the rich history of the land – we are all treaty people with a responsibility to honour the Anishnawbe customs and teachings.

That is why connecting and spending time in communities is extremely important to us. While it is a great opportunity to present company updates on our activities, it is more important that we listen and receive feedback from community members.

Our last trip to Marten Falls was in the summer of 2023, so it was wonderful to be back in the new year. Many thanks to the community members who participated in the open house and meeting sessions and a special shout-out to the staff at Henry Coaster Memorial School for setting us up with accommodation and preparing our food.

It is always an honour to spend quality time in your community! For those who were unable to attend any of the meetings, we would be happy to provide copies of our presentation.

As we progress with our Eagle’s Nest Project this year, we would love the opportunity to visit your community. These visits can be set up as one- or two-days where our team will meet with community members to answer any questions you may have.

We want to hear from you

Our Eagle’s Nest Project is setting a new benchmark for sustainable mining in Canada as we focus on three key areas:

• People
• Planet
• Project.

If you would like to set up a community visit to learn more, please reach out to our Community Relations Coordinator, Clyde Moonias.

Pictured: Vice President, Indigenous Enterprises Glenn Nolan speaking at the inaugural business development opportunities workshop in Toronto.

Wyloo is unwavering in our commitment to responsible practices that includes active engagement with First Nation communities and the establishment of enduring partnerships that will lead us into the future.

Our approach also incorporates First Nation communities as integral co-leaders in business ventures. Our aim is to foster opportunities for Indigenous-owned and led businesses to meaningfully participate in the economic benefits stemming from the Eagle’s Nest Project – from pre-construction activities through to operations and beyond – in addition to opportunities arising as development progresses in the region.

We also endeavour to assist with access to capital and providing practical business support, including capacity building.

The Indigenous Enterprises Business Development Opportunities Workshop held in November 2023
was a first in a series of workshops to help facilitate these initiatives.

The workshop brought together members of First Nation communities, industry leaders and
partners, government representatives and the Wyloo team from Thunder Bay and Toronto.

Businesses and enterprises from across Canada were able to share their first-hand experiences and success stories, highlighting the importance of collaboration in every step of the process.

We received great feedback from our participants and are grateful to all who attended.

The series will continue with workshops being planned later this year in the Spring and Fall. For more
information, please contact Glenn Nolan or Ryan Tuomi.

Take a look at our video as our Canadian team members share their insight about our first workshop: