Foran Mining is working on a proposed copper mine at McIlvenna Bay in northern Saskatchewan. (Courtesy Foran Mining/Facebook)

By Doug Lett

meeting on proposed copper mine

Meeting on proposed copper mine in north

Nov 22, 2022 | 8:00 AM

A meeting is slated for Tuesday on a proposed multi-million dollar copper mine in northern Saskatchewan.

The McIlvenna Bay project is a plan by Foran Mining to build a copper and zinc mine at its property around 65 kilometres west of Flin Flon. The proposed mine would also produce smaller amounts of gold and silver.

Tuesday’s meeting is in Pelican Narrows for members of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation – the mine is on their traditional territory.

“The scheduled meetings are part of a commitment to engage with PBCN on our proposed Project at McIlvenna Bay,” said Dave Bernier of Foran in a statement to northeastNOW. “The meetings will be focused around providing a project summary, reviewing any potential impacts and provide proposed strategies for mitigation,” he added. “It also provides an opportunity for community members to ask questions and provide feedback.”

A feasibility study in February by Foran Mining found the deposit is rich enough to support mining for 18 years, producing around 65 million pounds of copper annually.

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That’s important because with the world trying to move away from fossil fuels, demand for copper is expected to jump significantly. For example in July S&P Global released a study showing worldwide demand for copper is expected to nearly double by 2035.

The report warns if new copper supplies are not found, the energy transition to net zero could fail because everything from electric vehicles to wind turbines needs large amounts of copper.

Earlier this year Foran Mining opened its Saskatchewan head office in Saskatoon. The company hopes the McIlvenna project will be the first carbon-neutral copper mine in the world. The company’s website says it plans to use nearby hydroelectric dams for power, while also using electric vehicles at the site. The company is proposing an underground mine.

The company believes the construction phase alone could provide hundreds of jobs.

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doug.lett@pattisonmedia.com