John Herron, New Brunswick’s Natural Resources minister, says a new exploration agreement with a large mining company is a clear sign the sector is revitalizing in the province.
Avenir Minerals, a subsidy of Canadian firm Agnico Eagle Mines, has been selected by the province to work on a deal that would allow the company to explore the former Lake George antimony mine site to see if the mine can be revitalized. The deal is expected to be worked out over the next few months.
Before closing in 1996 after more than 100 years of intermittent operations, the Lake George site was one of the largest antimony mines in North America. It contains an estimated 800,000 tonnes of antimony-bearing ore, according to historical technical reports.
“We’re not just attracting interesting from the mining sector,” says Herron. “We’re attracting interest from the super major [mining companies] that New Brunswick really is the go-to jurisdiction in the country in developing critical minerals.”
Antimony is classified as a critical mineral by Canada, the United States and European Union. It is used in the production of flame retardants, batteries and other types of advanced technology.
