Alan Aubut - Mineral exploration permit

On September 18, 2020 the ministry issued an exploration permit near Thunder Bay to conduct early exploration activities.

This permit will allow the company to conduct the following early exploration activities:

• mechanized drilling (where the drill weight is greater than 150 kilograms)
• line cutting (greater than 1.5 metres in width)

The potential disturbance from the activities are described as:

Line Cutting (greater than 1.5 metres in width): is done to prepare an area of mineral potential for further geological or geophysical activities. The potential environmental disturbance includes (but are not limited to): cutting trees and vegetation greater than 1.5 metre corridor with an axe, machete or chainsaw, clearing underbrush, and driving wood pickets into the ground.

Drilling: provides rock samples from below the surface. Testing the samples determines the properties of the soil and rocks, including mineral and metal content. Potential environmental disturbances include (but are not limited to): clearing surface terrain for “drill pads” (small areas cleared for drill rigs and/or helicopters), installing casings (hollow steel pipes called the collar), and pumping water from a sump, nearby lakes, rivers or streams.

The exploration permit was issued once all Indigenous communities and the public had the opportunity to provide comment or raise their concerns. The issued exploration permit is valid for a period of three years from the date of issue