IAMGOLD updates Sudbury audience on ‘massive’ Côté Gold mine project

A new gold mining project in northern Ontario is about ready to start production.

Renaud Adams calls Côté Gold “a mega enterprise that is actually just starting.”

Adams, the president and CEO of IAMGOLD spoke at a Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce luncheon Tuesday, where Adams provided an update on the mining project near Gogama.

He expects production to begin in March.

“From there, we’re going to ramp up to the commercial productions. They’re still defined as 30 consecutive days of reaching about 60 percent of the capacity,” Adams said.

“As we exit the year, our objective is to be at 90 per cent plus, so when we enter into 2025, it’s just fine-tuning to hit the full capacity of the infrastructure.”

During his speech to more than 200 people at the luncheon, Adams said the company has started using autonomous trucks for hauling.

Once fully operational, the mine will employ more than 600 people.

Renaud Adams, the president and CEO of IAMGOLD spoke at a Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce luncheon Tuesday, where he provided an update on the mining project near Gogama. (Angela Gemmill/CTV News)

“First and foremost [Côté Gold] creates jobs,” said Geoffrey Hatton, chair of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce.

“That’s great for our community, it’s great for everyone. Then of course it creates a lot of demand for the mining supply companies that are quite vast throughout Sudbury.”

Côté Gold GM Bryan Wilson mentioned a new deposit found nearby that has growth potential, called the Gosselin Zone. The discovery bumps Côté Gold’s expected mine life from 18 to at least 30 years.

“We’ve got teams of people working on the next phase for the mill expansion,” Wilson said.

“We’ve got about 600 square kilometres of land base in that area so it’s really quite unique. It gives us a lot of the ability to expand.”

“This is a massive organization, a massive mine in the District of Sudbury,” Adams said.

• Download our app to get local alerts on your device
• Get the latest local updates right to your inbox

“Yes, it’s going to be good for us, for our shareholders, for our stakeholders — but what it means for the region for the next 20 years plus, will also have a significant contribution in the region.”

Once fully operational Côté Gold will be the third-largest gold mine in Canada, but the discovery of the new deposit site nearby could change that status – making it the largest in Canada.