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 580 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 October 2023, the Nation had a total of 472 registered members, including 87 residing on Black Sturgeon Reserve lands approximately 30 kilometres east of Lynn Lake1.
[1 https://fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/fnp/Main/Search/FNMain.aspx?BAND_NUMBER=328]
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 eleven open house public meetings: four in Lynn Lake MB, three in Southend SK, one in Kinoosao SK, one in O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation, one in Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, one in Winnipeg MB. At these open houses, Alamos Gold delivered formal presentations, discussed Project planning and regulatory timelines, summarized environmental baseline study topics and surveys, reviewed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) methods and findings, made subject matter experts available to answer questions, and distributed questionnaires to solicit feedback and input.
The Lynn Lake Gold Project has a Benefit Agreement in place with Marcel Colomb First Nation and have worked closely together since 2015. 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.
We have been engaging with thirteen Indigenous Nations since 2017 including:
- Marcel Colomb First Nation
- Mathias Colomb Cree Nation
- Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation
- O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation
- Manitoba Métis Federation
- Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation
- Barren Lands First Nation
- Sayisi Dene First Nation
- Métis Nation – Saskatchewan Northern Region 1
- Métis Nation – Saskatchewan Eastern Region 1
- Hatchet Lake First Nation
- Northlands Denesuline First Nation
- Chemawawin Cree Nation
The Lynn Lake Gold Project is committed to open and transparent engagement with Indigenous Nations throughout the life of the Project.
Environmental Advisory Committee:
One means of engagement is the Environmental Advisory Committee which offers a joint platform for information sharing between Alamos Gold and the interested Nations who were engaged throughout the EIS. The general objective of the Committee is to provide a forum for input and feedback from Indigenous Nations on cultural heritage, Indigenous Knowledge, environmental follow-up programs, mitigation plans, and other relevant project information.
The first meeting of the EAC was held on October 23, 2023 and will recur on at least a quarterly basis throughout the life of the Lynn Lake Gold 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 Committee 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 partner with Workplace Education Manitoba (WEM) to facilitate an Essential Skills Assessment and Training Program in Lynn Lake. In consultation with Alamos Gold and program participants, a virtual training curriculum was developed that included instruction in text, math, computers, and communication. Alamos Gold 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 and to expand it throughout the community.
DigitALL: We partner with Tech Manitoba (TechMB) and the Northern Manitoba Sector Council 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. This continuous digital literacy training initiative is also providing computers to community members participating in the training.
Mining Matters: Alamos Gold committed $110,000 over six years (2020-2026) 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. In 2022 and 2023 Mining Matters delivered in-person multi-day training at the West Lynn Heights School. Both events included community nights to spark the interest in mining and to build mineral literacy.
Youth development: We partnered with Marcel Colomb First Nation (MCFN) 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.
Alamos Gold also collaborates with the West Lynn Heights School by judging science projects at the school science fair, and organizing Career Fair events where students can learn about future career opportunities in the mining sector.
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. Each event is teaching employees about the cultures and traditions of Indigenous Peoples living near the Lynn Lake Gold Project, and the importance of advancing reconciliation.
Land-based learning: Alamos Gold continues to partner with MCFN and the greater Lynn Lake community. In August 2022, Alamos provided support to Waterways who created a pilot program with MCFN to teach canoeing and water safety, while connecting participants to traditional practices. In late 2022, Alamos also supported Spirit North to conduct cross-country ski training in partnership with West Lynn Heights School, similarly connecting traditional practices to their outdoor activities. Alamos Gold advocates for land-based learning as part of its multi-stream approach to training and capacity building.
Awards and Ceremonies
Reconciliation Award: In March 2022, Alamos Gold was the recipient of the inaugural Reconciliation Award from the Manitoba Prospectors & Developers Association in recognition of the strong collaboration and engagement between the Lynn Lake Gold Project and Marcel Colomb First Nation.
Ceremonial signing of Benefit Agreement: In June 2023, Alamos Gold and Marcel Colomb First Nation celebrated the signing of a Benefit Agreement for the Lynn Lake Gold Project, recognizing the positive collaboration and partnership that will continue for years to come.
Tent Village Memorials: Alamos Gold was invited to participate in ceremonies to honour the MCFN members that first helped to establish the Nation. During the ceremonies, Alamos Gold was gifted a blanket and a dreamcatcher, symbolizing our partnership with the Nation. We are continuing to foster our positive relationship with MCFN, and events like the Tent Village Memorials promote a better understanding of truth and reconciliation while helping us learn from Indigenous experiences and knowledge.