Rubicon Minerals and Wabauskang First Nation have reached settlement and exploration accommodation agreements over the company’s advanced Phoenix Gold mine project near Red Lake.
The First Nation will drop its lawsuit against Rubicon over its mine closure plan and has agreed to support the company’s ongoing exploration work on Wabauskang traditional territory.
Rubicon will provide “certain benefits” to the community based on exploration spending by the company. Employment opportunities will be identified for band members and the company pledges to follow “best environmental practices” as well as incorporate Wabauskang’s cultural values and traditional knowledge of the area into its environmental program.
Culturally sensitive sites will be protected and the two parties have agreed to work towards a long-term benefits agreement, which will include contracting opportunities for local businesses.
"The agreement with Rubicon provides the foundation for a long-term, mutually respectful relationship that recognizes and respects our treaty rights and provides protection for our lands,” said Wabauskang Chief Martine Petiquan in a statement.
Rubicon president-CEO Michael Lalonde called the agreements a “huge step towards a respectful and mutually beneficial long-term partnership with the Wabauskang First Nation.”
