The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor Trout Lake is not the only fast-depleting Hudbay mine nearing the end of its lifespan. Just outside Snow Lake, the Chisel North mine is expected to end its 11-year run sometime this fall. 'The ore body itself should be pretty much exhausted by the end of September of this year,' said Brad Lantz, vice-president of Hudbay's Manitoba business unit, adding that it may last 'a little longer.' But since Chisel North will be the entrance point for the new Lalor mine, Lantz said there is 'no real specific closure' for Chisel North. A three-kilometre underground ramp from Chisel North to Lalor has been built. The same pumping, air and water system used in Chisel North will be employed at Lalor. 'Individuals could work the Chisel North mine and Lalor at the same time,' noted Lantz. Mainly zinc Covering nearly 4,200 hectares, the Chisel North property consists primarily of zinc, though there are secondary amounts of copper, gold and silver. Discovered in 1987, Chisel North began production in 2001. In 2009, it temporarily closed due to paltry metal prices, but has been in full production again since 2010. Lantz said Hudbay now has between 110 and 120 employees in Snow Lake, including mining and concentrator workers. There are also dozens of contractors _ Lantz said roughly 70 of them _ working on Lalor. Dumas Contracting has been tasked with sinking Lalor's main production shaft, while Redpath is sinking the exhaust shaft. Redpath is also conducting lateral development underground. Lantz said first production at Lalor remains on track for mid-summer of this year. Back outside Flin Flon, Trout Lake will effectively close on June 30 after three decades in operation. To lessen the impact on its workforce, Hudbay has offered a $25,000 retirement incentive to the most experienced hourly rated employees across the company. Salvage operations and final production clean-up at Trout Lake _ a process expected to last six weeks _ will begin August 1.
