Sudbury company reports progress in plan to reopen Crean Hill mine
Magna Mining, based in Sudbury, recently marked two major milestones in its efforts to reopen the former Crean Hill mine.
Magna acquired Crean Hill in 2022, a property once owned by Inco (now Vale), with a plan to resume production.
The mine operated under Inco for roughly 80 years, producing around 20 million tonnes of ore before closing in 2002.
In March, Magna signed a deal with Vale to process ore from Crean once it has reopened.
“We are extremely pleased to be able to announce the signing of the … agreement with Vale,” Magna CEO Jason Jessup said in a news release.
“This agreement is the culmination of several months of work with Vale and we are quite pleased with the outcome.”
Jessup said Magna is “on track to have all the permits in place to develop the ramp from surface, which will allow for underground test mining and set up for a future commercial production decision.”
And in late April, Magna announced another milestone: it received permits to begin draining water from the mine so the company can conduct advanced exploration.
The permit to take water for Crean Hill was approved by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks.
Magna can now proceed with such tasks as taking a surface bulk sample and developing a ramp from surface to perform test mining.
“The tonnage of the mineralized rock from the surface and underground test mining is estimated at 400,000 tonnes,” Magna said in a news release.
The ore “will be crushed on surface, sampled and shipped (Vale’s) mill for processing.”
“Magna now has all the approvals and permits necessary to conduct both our surface and underground advanced exploration programs,” Magna CEO Jason Jessup said in the release.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“We acquired the Crean Hill project in November 2022 and have advanced it to this point in only 17 months. This is a remarkable accomplishment and a testament to our team and the jurisdiction in which we are building our company.”
Advanced underground exploration should begin in the second half of 2024, Jessup added.
Recent drilling uncovered high-grade copper, nickel and precious metal mineralization, the company said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Conservatives, NDP should be 'celebrating' EV deals: industry minister
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne says federal opposition parties should be 'celebrating' the recently announced electric vehicle deals, despite their criticisms the Liberals refuse to make public the terms and conditions laid out in the contracts.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Banking mogul suing government after intelligence leaks leave him shut out of Canadian economy
Chinese Canadian banking mogul Shenglin Xian has launched a $300 million lawsuit against the federal government. It’s a means to find the source of intelligence leaks which Xian says has cost him his livelihood.
His SUV was stolen on Montreal's South Shore. Then he got a $156 parking ticket
A couple is frustrated after their SUV was stolen from Montreal's South Shore in March and they received a parking ticket for the same vehicle last week.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Evacuation orders lifted in Fort McMurray Saturday as rain dampens wildfire activity
Residents of Fort of McMurray who were displaced over wildfire concerns were told to return home Saturday.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs abuse allegations: A timeline of key events
In the six months since singer Cassie filed a lawsuit against Sean Combs, a wave of similar cases and public allegations against one of the most influential music moguls of the past three decades have occurred.