Hudbay expected 777 to resume operations in the near future after a mishap on Monday left the mine temporarily out of commission.
Scott Brubacher, director of corporate communications for the company, said the ore conveyance became lodged in the mine’s main production shaft.
“It occurred at a time that did not affect the employees on shift from coming to surface,” Brubacher told The Reminder on Wednesday. “Our primary concern is safety and we are working, in conjunction with the [government] mines inspector, to return the shaft to full function.”
Brubacher said Hudbay employees were working with the company’s health and safety teams, as well as the Mines Branch of the provincial government, to complete repairs.
Brubacher said Hudbay was assessing progress on a daily basis. Based on the information he had Wednesday, he anticipated repairs to conclude in a few days.
Identifying the cause of the mishap is part of the process, Brubacher said.
Tom Davie, president of USW Local 7106, the largest union at Hudbay, said the incident resulted in the Mines Branch issuing a stop-work order.
“So nobody is allowed to go underground until they get it fixed,”
Davie said.
As of late Wednesday when he spoke to The Reminder, Davie said employees impacted by the move were being paid their full wage.
“They’re at home waiting for a phone call to come back to work,” said Davie.
Brubacher said Hudbay was exploring potential options to redeploy employees who could not go underground during the repairs.
In the meantime, the Flin Flon concentrator continued to treat ore from the 777 North and Reed mines, while the zinc plant drew on “a large quantity of stockpiled concentrate,” Brubacher added.
Though overshadowed in recent years by the Lalor mine near Snow Lake, 777 remains a key asset for Hudbay.
