Mining and metals, Canada Early stage consultation for a mining project

Summary

A junior mining company hired EEM to conduct early stage community and aboriginal consultation for a gold-mining project in Northern Ontario.

Approach and Solution

A gold mining project at the Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) phase sought to initiate public consultation in order to inform the community of the potential for a mining project, understand the communities concerns and build the basis for long-term collaboration in order to maximise its local benefit.

EEM designed and supported the delivery of a stakeholder engagement strategy that included:

– Stakeholder and issues mapping;
– An engagement and consultation plan tailored to the project and its stakeholders;
– Development of presentation materials and facilitation of engagement activities that included public meetings with community and aboriginal stakeholders as well as smaller consultation meetings with key stakeholder groups (First Nations, neighbouring land-owners and economic development organisations);
– The implementation of a stakeholder documentation system to document and report on stakeholders, interactions, commitments and grievances.

Results

Early stage consultation served to establish the foundation for long-term company/stakeholder relationships based on trust, respect and mutual-understanding – while ensuring the dissemination of accurate information related to the project, its timeline and the company’s commitment to protecting the environment and developing the local economy.