CLASSIFIEDSADVERTISINGSPECIAL ISSUESONLINE SPORTSOBITUARIESNORTHERN JOBSTENDERS

NNSL Photo/Graphic


http://www.linkcounter.com/go.php?linkid=347767

Home page text size buttonsbigger textsmall textText size Email this articleE-mail this page
Agnico Eagle focuses on education
Mining company makes long-term commitment to Nunavut

Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Monday, April 11, 2016

KANGIQLINIQ/RANKIN INLET
Lauded repeatedly at the 2016 Nunavut Mining Symposium as a great example of mining working well in Nunavut, Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. made clear its commitment to the territory and its people.

NNSL photo/graphic

Pujjuut Kusugak, Agnico Eagle's co-ordinator of communications and community affairs, said his company is investing in Nunavut for the long haul. - Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

"We're here for the long run," Pujjuut Kusugak, Agnico Eagle's co-ordinator of communications and community affairs, told conference-goers in Iqaluit April 6. "We're not going to go away for a long time."

He and community affairs co-ordinator Candace Ramcharan ran through some of the successes and challenges the company faces in Nunavut.

Currently, Agnico operates the Meadowbank mine near Baker Lake, with exploration project Amaruq five km to the northwest and advanced exploration project Meliadine near Rankin Inlet.

All going well, Agnico hopes to time the finish of production of Meadowbank, estimated to be in 2018, with the opening of Amaruq in 2019 and Meliadine in 2020.

"Agnico has always seen Nunavut as a long-term partner," said Ramcharan. "It's a strategic part of Agnico's portfolio and it's a place that we see working in for a long time to come."

The company has spent more than $3.2 billion in direct expenditures on its projects.

"This is new money that's coming into the territory," said Ramcharan. "It's not government money."

It has also spent $5 million training employees and Ramcharan noted the apprenticeship program as one of those successes. In 2014, Agnico trained eight Inuit apprentices, and that number jumped to 16 in 2015. Two of those people now have their Red Seal certificates.

As of the end of 2015, Meadowbank employed 302 Inuit workers. The mine also produces roughly $50 million per year in taxes to the federal and territorial governments.

If Amaruq and Meliadine both go into production, the investment money into the territory will only go up.

The biggest challenges, though, are high turnover rates in the labour force and a lack of ability for local businesses to supply to Agnico.

"We want to spend more money in Nunavut," said Ramcharan. "We want to engage with local businesses, but sometimes the businesses don't have the capacity to answer Agnico's needs."

Kusugak focused on the need for his company to commit to education.

"It's so important for us as a company and as a group to really encourage education," he said.

"We have to take it on ourselves as community members to keep encouraging education. It's not just for the youth we have now, but it's for everybody in general."

To that end, Agnico has a number of training programs and opportunities for people to become work-ready. It has also focused on work retention.

At Meadowbank, the Inuit turnover rate in 2014 was 46 per cent. In 2015, that number was down to 16 per cent.

"We're very happy with those results," said Kusugak.

He applauded Norman Eecherk as a great example of Nunavummiut achieving education and success.

"He just received his Red Seal in December," said Kusugak. "This is what we work for really. Those are success stories we're extremely proud of."

E-mailWe welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.