The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) wants public feedback on whether the proposed Great Bear Gold Project in Red Lake should undergo a federal impact assessment.
Kinross Gold Corporation is proposing to build a mine and processing mill, 23 kilometres southeast of Red Lake in northwestern Ontario.
Federal impact assessments involve in-depth consideration and assessment of the potential environmental, health, social and economic impacts of a proposed natural resources project, as well as consultation with potentially affected Indigenous groups. The federal minister of environment has the authority to call for impact assessments for these projects.
Members of the public and Indigenous people are invited to review the description of the mine project and submit their comments. IACC said this helps the agency prepare a summary of potential issues
Comments should be submitted online by visiting the project home page on the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry (reference number 85832). Participants who wish to provide their input in a different format can contact the Agency by writing to GreatBear@iaac-aeic.gc.ca. The deadline to file comments is 11:59 p.m. on September 18. All comments will be made public and published online as part of the project file.
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Participant funding will be available to eligible participants during this comment period, and details will be announced shortly. IAAC said it will reimburse eligible participants for their participation in this first commenting period.
There will be upcoming virtual information sessions on Zoom to learn more about the project, the impact assessment process, and how to submit comments.
English Sessions
- August 31, 2023, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET
- September 6, 2023, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET
French Session
- August 31, 2023, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET
For information on how to attend a session, please visit the project homepage on the Registry. If you have any questions, please contact the Agency using the project email above.
This is the only the first commenting period for the project. If IAAC determine a federal impact assessment is warranted, the public and Indigenous groups will have more opportunities to comment as the assessment process takes shape.
