Tuesday marked a historic day in northern Manitoba as officials gathered to officially open the Lalor and Reed mines outside of Snow Lake.
By now, Lalor is a name synonymous with success. The Hudbay mine has gone from drill hole to mill hole in seven short years and there are many in the know who foresee its future stretching far past the commonly
predicted 25 years.
At the mine’s official opening, company officials, government representatives, invited guests and employees toasted Lalor’s progress thus far, as well as the people who have made it possible.
Great and greatness seemed to be catchphrases on this day as Hudbay CEO David Garofalo referred to them often as he addressed those in attendance.
Opaskwayak Cree Nation Elder Nathan McGillivary opened with a prayer in Cree and English, and set a tone for speakers who followed.
McGillivary spoke on how all people of the North have been presented with a tremendous opportunity in that there is a bounty of resources that will take care of present and future generations.
Rob Winton, Hudbay’s vice-president, Manitoba Business Unit, served as emcee. He offered thanks for the swift and efficient building of the Lalor project at the feet of the exploration, permitting, project management and construction teams.
“Their individual and group efforts are what impress us as we look on this site and celebrate today,” Winton said. “It’s amazing what they have done.”
Winton then acknowledged and thanked project manager Kim Proctor for her integral role in the project, located 13 kilometres west of Snow Lake.
“It’s a true accomplishment to deliver a mine of this significance in today’s environment,” Winton added, noting Lalor’s safety record as well as the fact that it was on time and budget.
Manitoba Mineral Resources Minister Dave Chomiak echoed McGillivary’s insights into the sharing of resources. Chomiak also elaborated on the progress being made between First Nations, companies and the government with respect to sharing resources.
Chomiak praised Hudbay for being one of the few companies worldwide that will open three mines this year. He said he personally felt that Lalor would be the biggest mine in the history of the province.
Snow Lake Mayor Clarence Fisher said the Lalor mine would ensure a generation of stability for Snow Lake.
“Economic development is about both profits and people,” said the mayor.
Garofalo, the Hudbay CEO, was the ceremony’s final speaker. He recalled his ride to the mine site that morning with the Mining Association of Manitoba’s Ed Huebert.
“He shared some really interesting statistics with me,” said Garofalo. “Reed and Lalor represent the 66th and 67th mine in Manitoba history and we built 28 of them. So we bring a proud legacy here.”
Garofalo then commented on the magnitude of the Lalor project and its people.
“Greatness is investing in two new mines in the last four years,” he said. “Greatness is taking a camp that will be 100 years old next year and through your industriousness…through your ingenuity, finding ways to regenerate that camp and perpetuate it for many generations to come. Greatness is taking the significant wealth we generate in Manitoba and unselfishly sharing that and our expertise with the new jurisdiction of Peru. Greatness is taking some of our best people from Manitoba and Peru and now moving them to Arizona to do it again.
“Greatness, quite frankly is in your DNA here. It was your grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ back in the late 1920s that carved one of the giants of the mining industry out of the bush here – Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting. Back then that represented one of the largest industrial developments in the world, second only to the Panama Canal. Hudbay is great again and it is in a large part due to the blocking and tackling that our team here does every day.”
Following the speeches, the official ribbon to open Lalor was cut by G. Wesley Voorheis, the chair of Hudbay’s board.
A mere two hours later, officials had the scissors out again 80 kilometres down the road at the Reed mine, which is co-owned by Hudbay and junior miner VMS Ventures.
As the snow swirled outside, close to 100 people gathered in the welcome warmth of Reed’s surface shop to toast the new mine, which is projected to last about five years.
Winton, with Hudbay’s Manitoba unit, again acted as emcee. After smudging the gathering place with sage and sweetgrass, McGillivary, the Elder, delivered wise words and a prayer.
Chomiak, the mineral resources minister, touched on the environmental aspect of the Reed project, stating how conscious Hudbay, VMS and their partners were in developing the mine.
“Just to put a modern point on it,” said Chomiak, “when they set up their satellite [dish] and aimed it to try and make it functional, they only clipped branches of trees in order to preserve the trees and preserve the environment around this site, and at the same time provide for modern convenience and modern communication. That’s an example of forward thinking and of stewardship in the fullest sense of the word.”
John Rozendaal, president of VMS, commented on what journey Reed had been for both VMS and him personally. He recalled how seven years ago, minus one day (Sept. 17, 2007), VMS announced the discovery of the mineralization that led to the Reed mine.
Speaking about the project’s environmental, safety and fiscal records, as well as its timeline, Rozendaal said Reed “exemplifies why mining is important in Canada and why we are some of the best miners in the world.”
Garofalo thanked folks for attending, stating he wouldn’t repeat what he had said at Lalor earlier that morning.
“I will say this about Reed though,” Garofalo said. “There are two things that Hudbay has historically done very well. One is to feed the industrial complex that we have here on a very capital-efficient basis. Reed may be a small mine, but it is a real gem and it is going to generate great returns for our shareholders. The other thing is, I think it is a testament to the fact that we are partners of choice for [junior miners]. We’ve had a superb relationship with VMS to bring this project forward, and that’s a pattern that we’ve followed time and again…”
With that, the shop door opened and a truck loaded with ore pulled up. Officials from Hudbay and VMS, as well as Chomiak, quickly walked out into the falling snow to cut a ribbon officially opening the Reed project.
The Lalor and Reed mines are together expected to create 373 jobs while injecting millions into the regional economy, according to a provincial government news release.
