PR-20-000112 Ardiden

On August 10, 2020 the ministry issued, an exploration permit near Pickle Lake to undertake early exploration activities. The location of the activities are in Little Ochig Lake Area, District of Thunder Bay, Northwest Region.

This permit will allow Ardiden Limited to carry out the following early exploration activities:

• mechanized Drilling (greater than 150 kilograms)
• mechanized Stripping (greater than 100 square metres in a 200 metres radius)
• pitting and Trenching of Bedrock (greater than 3 cubic metres in a 200 metre radius)
• line cutting (greater than 1.5 metres in width)

The potential disturbance from the activities are described as:

Line Cutting (greater than 1.5 metre 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.

Mechanized Surface Stripping: uses heavy equipment to remove vegetation and soil (overburden) from bedrock. The potential environmental disturbance includes (but are not limited to): use of heavy equipment such as bulldozers, backhoes, excavators or forest harvest equipment, to remove soil from the bedrock, washing the bedrock by pumping water from nearby lakes, rivers or streams, and creation of access trails.

Pitting and Trenching: are conducted to gain a greater visual understanding of the rock. The potential environmental disturbance includes (but are not limited to): the use of heavy equipment to remove surface soil and expose rock and excavating or blasting of rock, leaving shallow holes or trenches that vary in depth and length.

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.

Provincial standards for early exploration are required to be followed by proponents to minimize the impacts to public health, safety and the environment from early exploration activities described above. You can find the standards in the Activities Information Sheets or on the Ministry website under Mining Act Policies, Standards and Directives.

This notice is provided to receive comments that can be considered in the decision-making process prior to the issuance of an exploration permit.

An Exploration Permit does not relieve the proponent from compliance with any other requirements that are set out under the Mining Act or any other Act. All activities included in the Exploration Permit proposal must be carried out in compliance with Ontario Regulation 308/12 and the Provincial Standards for Early Exploration. The Exploration Permit duration will be up to 3 years with the possibility of one renewal for up to three years.

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.

Proponent(s):

Ardiden Limited
199 Bay Street
Toronto, ON M5L 1B9

Location details:

The location of the activities are in the Little Ochig Lake Area.

Site location description:

The mining activities are located approximately 27 kilometres south west of Pickle Lake, Ontario, in Little Ochig Lake Area, District of Thunder Bay, North West Region.

Claim numbers instructions: “To view individual claims on a map please use the Mining Lands Administration System. Click on “I want to…” and select “Find a claim” to search by claim numbers or “Find a township” to search by township.”

Claim numbers: 107775, 110169, 122181, 122182, 122183, 122898, 122899, 124715, 124716, 124717, 133631, 136219, 136220, 136221, 141049, 142242, 178845, 178846, 181427, 186270, 187592, 188198, 198429, 198430, 199793, 200883, 236848, 236849, 253606, 253607, 254414, 265109, 266397, 281542, 282778, 289590, 290904, 290905, 292065, 292066, 301653, 310309, 310310, 310311, 310962, 319583, 340456, 341762, 341763

To see the site location on a map, refer to the instrument proposal under ERO# 019-1747

Comments received:

• Through the registry: 2
• By email: 0
• By mail: 0

Include this statement if there were any comments received:

The comments that were approved for publishing are available in the Bulletin supporting materials section.

Effects of consultation:

Comments received were considered in the decision.

Third parties are not able to apply for leave to appeal in respect of proposals which are posted while Ontario Regulation 115/20 is in effect.

On April 1, 2020, the Ontario Government made a temporary regulation to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak which exempts all proposals from the requirement to post notices on the ERO. Leave to appeal may only be sought in respect of instruments that are required to be posted to the ERO.

Appeal information:

Appeals are not allowed

This instrument type cannot be appealed.