Communities

A historic mining community, the town of Lynn Lake was founded in 1950 when Sherritt Gordon Mines Ltd. discovered one of the world’s largest nickel deposits. Soon after gold was also discovered and for many years gold mining was the major industry in town, up until 2001 with the closing of the Keystone Gold Mine on the edge of town.

The Town of Lynn Lake has a current population of approximately 500 residents, and business is largely tied to the service industry including a restaurant, tourist accommodations, outfitters, trucking companies, a grocery and dry goods store, a garage, a gas station/salvage business, and a property management agency. Recently Lynn Lake has gained recognition as a premier sport fishing destination for northern pike, walleye and trout.

The area is also home to members of Marcel Colomb First Nation, a First Nations Band of Rocky Cree people affiliated with the Swampy Cree tribal council located in the area of Lynn Lake. As of June 2021, the Nation had a total of 435 registered members, including 80 residing on Black Sturgeon Reserve lands approximately 30 kilometres east of Lynn Lake¹.

^{[1 https://data.nativemi.org/tribal-directory/Details/marcel-colomb-first-nation-1634209]}

Working with Indigenous Nations and Local Communities

The Lynn Lake Gold Project is working collaboratively with the town of Lynn Lake and local First Nation leadership to improve employment opportunities and to inform First Nation/community members on the proposed activities of the Lynn Lake Gold Project.  We also support and participate in community development efforts aimed toward strengthening social cohesion through various investments, donations and sponsorships.

Our engagement activities have included meetings, telephone interviews, presentations, and public meetings where we have invited local and interested stakeholders to solicit feedback on the Lynn Lake Gold Project. To-date we have held six open house public meetings: four in Lynn Lake, one in Nelson House, and one in Winnipeg.

The Lynn Lake Gold Project has an Exploration Agreement in place with Marcel Colomb First Nation and have worked closely together for over six years. As part of our engagement we have collected feedback and responded to potential issues and concerns. Through the environmental assessment process, we have been considering and incorporating knowledge and insight from Indigenous Nations, stakeholders, the public, and regulators. We have discussed the project’s potential disturbance and alteration of the land and water, and any effects on vegetation and wildlife, with an emphasis on how traditional practices and Indigenous rights may be affected. As concerns are voiced, we discuss mitigation strategies in order to limit negative impacts.

The Lynn Lake Gold Project is committed to open and transparent engagement with Indigenous Nations through the remainder of the Technical Review Phase of the Project and, should Alamos Gold receive regulatory approval, throughout the life of the Project.

Community Investments

Alamos Gold strives to be a respected and welcomed member of our host communities, and we believe local investments are an important way that we can demonstrate this commitment. At Lynn Lake we engage closely with local leaders to ensure we support and invest in areas where the need is greatest.

Dreamcatchers of Lynn Lake: The Lynn Lake Gold Project financially supports and participates in the town’s “Dreamcatchers Committee of Lynn Lake” initiative that provides opportunities to youth and young adults, and promotes initiatives that benefit the community overall. Our donations have supported many local initiatives including Share It On Sherritt, the Christmas Cheer Program, Junior Rangers, the Berge Lake Camp, the Lynn Lake Winter Carnival, the Great Northern Pike Fishing Derby, and it supported the purchase of a skate sharpening machine for the Lynn Lake Arena.

Training and employment: We partnered with Workplace Education Manitoba (WEM) to facilitate an Essential Skills Assessment and Training Program for local members of the Lynn Lake Gold Project team. In consultation with Alamos and program participants, a virtual training curriculum was developed that included instruction in text, math, computers and communication. Employees participated for two hours a week over five months, and the instructors saw significant improvement in essential skills including reading, numeracy, communication, working with others, and time management. Feedback from participants was extremely positive and we anticipate continuing to offer this program to future employees.

DigitALL: We partnered with Tech Manitoba and the NMSC to deliver digital literacy classes in Lynn Lake through the DigitALL initiative. The program targets Indigenous youth, low-income earners and seniors to improve their skills and confidence with computers and the internet through hands-on training courses, creating opportunities for further education, employment and overall participation in the online world. Two courses have been completed to-date, and refurbished laptops were donated to students by Tech Manitoba and Alamos Gold at the end of the course.

Mining Matters: Alamos committed $30,000 to support Mining Matters, a charitable organization dedicated to educating youth to develop knowledge and awareness of Earth sciences, the mineral industry, and their roles in society. Coordinators from Mining Matters worked with the West Lynn Heights School to create resource kits that provide fun ways for students to learn about geology, engineering, mining and sustainability. Containing activities, materials, consumable supplies and instructions, the kits enabled teachers and students to take a hands-on approach to learning about science and mining.

Youth development: We partnered with Marcel Colomb First Nation to launch a Youth Development Program with funding from Alamos Gold, MCFN and the Manitoba Mineral Development Fund. The Program facilitates traditional knowledge and skills training among local Indigenous youth, leading to possible careers in the mining sector. The Program is land-based with hands-on training, under the supervision of Elders and subject experts as part of a holistic approach involving traditional practices and ceremonies.

Prior to COVID-19 restrictions, we also collaborated with the Lynn Lake High School by judging science projects at the school science fair, and organizing a Career Fair event where students could learn about future career opportunities at the mine.

Cultural and Mental Health Day: In 2019 we partnered with Marcel Colomb First Nation to provide ongoing cultural sensitivity training to Lynn Lake Gold Project employees, as part of our objectives to build trust-based, healthy relationships and improve cultural understanding among our workforce. The training is led and organized by Marcel Colomb First Nation, facilitated by Elders who visit the Project site and teach participants about Indigenous traditional practices. Our goal is to host Cultural and Mental Health Days twice a year, and we had our first Cultural and Mental Health Day in May 2022 following the lifting of COVID-related restrictions. We learned about the history of beading and were able to craft our own art.