Cote Gold takes big step forward, bus terminal opens in Timmins

Iamgold's Cote Gold mine near Timmins is establishing a presence within the city. The company has opened a bus terminal in what used to be a place to buy flooring.

The terminal is where Cote Gold employees will clear security checkpoints and access transportation that will take them to and from the open pit mine, situated on Highway 144, near Gogama.

“We’ve got a mine life of 18 years so we’re in your backyard and we’re going to be here a long time," said Bryan Wilson, vice-president and GM of Cote Gold.

“We’re going to have a lot of people in and out of this area, so there’s going to be lots of business that offshoots from here ... We’ve also got a temporary warehouse here.”

Wilson said there's a mill under construction at the mine site and the plan is to have fully autonomous trucks hauling the ore -- a first for Ontario.

“So we need young people to be interested in mining right now," said Wilson.

"I’m hoping that the autonomous drilling, the autonomous trucking ... triggers some interest in young people to stay in school and you know come and work for us.”

The Cote Gold bus terminal is located on Riverside Drive in what used to be a place to buy flooring. (Lydia Chubak/CTV News)

Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau said she recently had a tour of the operations.

"The control room, the kind of command centre where, you know, they’re overseeing the autonomous fleet and you know communicating with the machinery across the site, it's impressive," said Boileau.

"There are gaming chairs in this room. It's nothing like what you would think a career in mining could be."

Wilson added that Cote Gold will pour gold in the first quarter of next year and there will be 540 employees and 250 contractors working there.