Sudbury's Stobie Mine getting new life above ground

What's old is new.

Vale Base Metals announced Wednesday it will start operations at an open-pit mine at the site of the old Stobie Mine in Greater Sudbury.

The $205 million project will be a partnership between Vale, Thiess Mining, United Steel Workers and local First Nations. It's expected to produce 300,000 tonnes of ore, primarily nickel and copper, by the end of 2024.

The previous Stobie Mine operated underground from 1914 to 2017, though it also began as an open pit mine in 1890. One of the most productive mines in the history of the Sudbury basin, it ultimately produced approximately 375 million tonnes of nickel and copper ore. Though much of its infrastructure has been removed, some is still in place.

At a news conference Wednesday, Gord Gilpin, director of Ontario operations for Vale, said the open pit mine had been planned for years now, to extract remaining mineral deposits in the area.

"It's almost like the bookend of the operation," he said.

Production at the new open-pit mine will start soon and last four years, he said.

Thiess, an Australian-based mining company, has signed a deal with Vale to lead mining operations at the site.

"This is the first inroads for Thiess in Sudbury," said Darrell White, Thiess Mining's group executive for the Americas. "Sudbury is a strong mining district and it's part of our strategic growth."

Thiess is also equipped to decommission the mine at the end of its life, White said.

Thiess will work closely with three other partners on the project: United Steelworkers and two local Indigenous businesses, Z'Gamok Construction LP (ZCLP) and Aki-eh Dibinwewziwin Limited Partnership (ADLP).

Z'Gamok is operated by the Sagamok First Nation. ADLP is operated in partnership by Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, Wahnapitae First Nation, and Technica Mining.

Thiess and Vale consulted with their First Nations partners "on what we needed to do to be successful in the Sudbury region," White said.

Partnership includes local First Nations

Nelson Toulouse, a Sagamok First Nation councillor, said relations between First Nations communities and the mining industry have improved in recent years, and this project is an equal partnership.

"Industry now has to sit with us," he said. "It's an opportunity for us to educate the culture, and also our perspectives on the environment."

Vale described the partnership as "a high-trust, collaborative model between all partners, in its Wednesday release."

Additionally, the First Nations-owned construction companies will be directly benefited by the project, he said, and communities will benefit from employment opportunities and increased commerce in the area from miners.

He said he hopes the partnership will lead to more mutually beneficial opportunities on future projects.

Nick Larochelle, president of United Steelworkers Local 6500, said the mine will create 60 to 80 jobs for steelworkers, who will be involved in production and maintenance. Local 2020 is also partnered in the project.