Update Announcement
This proposal notice was updated on August 30, 2024 to advise the public that this file is still under active review. The original proposal date and comment period have not been altered.
This consultation was open from:
March 8, 2023
to April 7, 2023
Decision summary
Permit to Take Water No. P-300-1210729039 has been issued to Evolution Mining Gold Operations Ltd., amending Permit to Take Water No. 1244-BURTKK for mining dewatering purposes. Water will be taken from underground mine workings located at the Red Lake Mining Operations, located in the Town of Red Lake, District of Kenora, Ontario.
Location details
Site address
15 Eric Radford Way
Balmertown,
ON
Canada
Site location map
The location pin reflects the approximate area where environmental activity is taking place.
View this location on a map opens link in a new windowProponent(s)
Evolution Mining Gold Operations Ltd.
15 Eric Radford Street West
Suite 2000
Balmertown,
ON
P0V 1C0
Canada
Decision details
Permit to Take Water No. P-300-1210729039 has been issued to Evolution Mining Gold Operations Ltd., amending Permit to Take Water No. 1244-BURTKK for mining dewatering purposes. Water will be taken from underground mine workings located at the Red Lake Mining Operations, located in the Town of Red Lake, District of Kenora, Ontario.
The purpose of the amendment was to support the expansion of the Red Lake Operation program with simultaneous water taking from:
- the Campbell Young Dickenson Decline
- the historical H.G. Young Mine workings
- the potential future H.G. Young mine workings
Details of the water taking are as follows:
Source name: CYD Decline/ HG Young
- purpose: mining, dewatering
- maximum rate per minute (litres): 1,736
- maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
- maximum volume per day (litres): 2,500,000
- maximum number of days of taking per year: 366
- period of taking: January 1 to December 31 for 10 years
Permits to Take Water include conditions that require the permit holder to:
- collect and record the daily amount of water taken
- comply with the terms and conditions in the permit
- immediately report complaints or interference to the ministry
- report water takings each year to the ministry
Issued Permits to Take Water can be viewed and downloaded at Access Ontario, by searching the approval number, P-300-1210729039, in the search field located at the top of the map, see "I want to...Search by Approval Number", here: Access Environment
Access Environment displays the following information:
- business name
- facility address and location on an interactive map
- type of approval or registration from the ministry (view a PDF copy)
- date of issue
- status of the approval (approved, amended, revoked and/or replaced)
- status of the registration (registered, suspended, removed)
Effects of consultation
The ministry considered all comments received during public consultation and consultation with Indigenous communities during the technical review of this application.
Comments received raised concerns that the existing sewage works could not adequately treat and/or store the additional water volume.
All water taken under this Permit will be treated and discharged in accordance with an approved Environmental Compliance Approval. The maximum water taking volume was decreased from 7,500,000 litres per day originally proposed to 2,500,000 litres per day, with further restrictions applied to individual components of the underground works. The conditions of the Permit also require monitoring of surface and groundwater levels as well as monthly water balance analysis and reporting for all sewage works receiving discharge to ensure water volumes remain within the treatment and storage capacity. The ministry is satisfied that the Environmental Compliance Approval can properly manage the water taken and discharged under the amended Permit.
Comments also raised concerns over potential for downstream contamination resulting from the discharge of water, and cumulative impacts from water takings and discharges within the larger watershed.
Sampling and analysis were completed to assess the potential for downstream contamination, including sulphate resulting from the addition of new water takings authorized by this amended Permit. The assessment concludes that the additional water taking would not result in an increase to sulphate concentrations at the point of discharge. All water taken under the amended Permit will be treated in accordance with approved Environmental Compliance Approvals (ECAs) for industrial sewage works prior to release to the environment. The ministry is satisfied that the additional volume of water approved in the permit amendment will not result in downstream contamination.
Supporting materials
View materials in person
Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.
Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.
135 St. Clair Avenue West
Floor 1
Toronto,
ON
M4V 1P5
Canada
How to Appeal
This instrument decision can be appealed. You have 15 days from September 22, 2025 to begin the appeal process.
Carefully review the information below to learn more about the appeal process.
How to appealClick to Expand Accordion
Start the process to appeal
If you’re an Ontario resident, you can start the process to appeal this instrument decision.
First, you’ll need to seek leave (i.e. get permission) from the relevant appellate body to appeal the decision.
If the appellate body grants leave, the appeal itself will follow.
Seek leave to appeal
To seek leave to appeal, you need to do these three things:
- prepare your application
- provide notice to the minister
- mail your application to three parties
1. Prepare your application
You’ll need to prepare an application. You may wish to include the following things in your application:
- A document that includes:
- your name, phone number, fax number (if any), and/or email address
- the ERO number and ministry reference number (located on this page)
- a statement about whether you are a resident in Ontario
- your interest in the decision, and any facts you want taken into account in deciding whether you have an interest in the decision
- the parts of the instrument that you’re challenging
- whether the decision could result in significant harm to the environment
- the reason(s) why you believe that no reasonable person – having regard to the relevant law and to any government policies developed to guide decisions of that kind – could have made the decision
- the grounds (facts) you’ll be using to appeal
- the outcome you’d like to see
- A copy of the instrument (approval, permit, order) that you you are seeking leave to appeal. You’ll find this in the decision notice on the Environmental Registry
- Copies of all supporting documents, facts and evidence that you’ll be using to appeal
What is considered
The appeal body will consider the following two questions in deciding whether to grant you leave to appeal:
- is there is good reason to believe that no reasonable person, with respect to the relevant law and to any government policies developed to guide decisions of that kind, could have made the decision?
- could the decision you wish to appeal result in significant harm to the environment?
2. Provide your notice
You’ll need to provide notice to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks that you’re seeking leave to appeal.
In your notice, please include a brief description of the:
- decision that you wish to appeal
- grounds for granting leave to appeal
You can provide notice by email at minister.mecp@ontario.ca or by mail at:
College Park 5th Floor, 777 Bay St.
Toronto, ON
M7A 2J3
3. Mail your application
You’ll need to mail your application that you prepared in step #1 to each of these three parties:
- appellate body
- issuing authority (the ministry official who issued the instrument)
- proponent (the company or individual to whom the instrument was issued)
Evolution Mining Gold Operations Ltd.
15 Eric Radford Street West
Suite 2000
Balmertown,
ON
P0V 1C0
Canada
Registrar, Ontario Land Tribunal
655 Bay Street, Suite 1500
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 1E5
(416) 212-6349
(866) 448-2248
OLT.Registrar@ontario.ca
Include the following:
This is not legal advice. Please refer to the Environmental Bill of Rights for exact legal requirements. Consult a lawyer if you need help with the appeal process.
Connect with us
Contact
Client Services and Permissions Branch
135 St Clair Ave West
1st Floor
Toronto,
ON
M4V 1P5
Canada
Original proposal
Proposal details
This proposal is for an amendment to Permit to Take Water No. 1244-BURTKK for Evolution Mining Gold Operations Ltd. Water will be taken from one well for dewatering purposes at the Red Lake Mining Operations, located in the Town of Red Lake, District of Kenora, Ontario.
The purpose of the amendment is to approve the expansion of the Red Lake Operation program with simultaneous water taking from:
- the Campbell Young Dickenson Decline
- the historical H.G. Young Mine workings
- the potential future H.G. Young mine workings
Details of the water taking are as follows:
Source name: CYD Decline/ HG Young
- purpose: mining, dewatering
- maximum rate per minute (litres): 5,220
- maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
- maximum volume per day (litres): 7,500,000
- maximum number of days of taking per year: 365
- period of taking: January 1 to December 31 for 10 years
There are 3 categories of a Permit to Take Water:
- Category 1: water takings are anticipated to have a lower risk of causing an unacceptable environmental impact/interference
- Category 2: water takings are anticipated to having a higher potential of causing unacceptable environmental impact or interference
- Category 3: water takings are anticipated to have the highest potential of causing unacceptable environmental impactor interference
The proposed water taking qualifies as a Category 3 permit.
Supporting materials
View materials in person
Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.
Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.
135 St. Clair Avenue West
Floor 1
Toronto,
ON
M4V 1P5
Canada
Comment
Commenting is now closed.
This consultation was open from March 8, 2023
to April 7, 2023
Connect with us
Contact
Client Services and Permissions Branch
135 St Clair Ave West
1st Floor
Toronto,
ON
M4V 1P5
Canada
Comments received
Through the registry
0By email
4By mail
0