Evolution’s Journey to Red Lake’s Future Success

Red Lake remains a cornerstone asset for Evolution Mining – it’s journey to being restored into a premier Canadian gold mine continues with safe and sustainable operation the focus both on the surface, in the community and deep underground.
The Red Lake operation, an underground gold mine in north western Ontario is situated in one of the highest grade Archean gold camps in Canada. Acquired by Australian ASX Evolution Mining in April 2020, an operational transformation plan is underway to restore Red Lake to a premier Canadian gold mine.

 

EVOLUTION’S VISION

Evolution Mining has a vision—to make the Red Lake Operation (RLO) a world-class asset with a life of mine spanning an estimated ~18 years. The potential for positive and sustainable economic and community legacies abounds.
Before Evolution acquired RLO, the sites were slated to close within 12 months. With an older, less efficient way of mining that relied on chasing the vein and turning over higher yields of gold per tonne, the higher-grade deposits were all but depleted.

 

VALUES LED VISION

Red Lake plays an important role in Evolution, which operates amongst the lowest cost gold producers globally and has a clearly stated further enhanced sustainability approach. At Evolution, values guide workplace behaviours every day:
• Safety: Think before we act, every job, every day.
• Accountability: If it is my responsibility, I own it – good        or bad.
• Excellence: We take pride in our work, deliver our best       and strive to improve.
• Respect: We trust each other, act honestly and consider
  other’s opinion.

General Manager Kirsty Liddicoat says the focus on safety never waivers. “We want people to come to work and return home the same, but a little tired from a good day’s
work. We want to help support our community and First Nations Partners,” said Liddicoat.

 

How?

“A key aspect of Evolution’s safety principles approach is how our people think before we act, every
job, every day.”

 

EVOLUTION BRINGS NEW WAY OF MINING TO THE AREA

 

LOCAL UPDATE

During May 2022, Red Lake was impacted by regional flooding that closed access roads to the site, but the operation was able to continue the momentum of the transformation. Strategy for the operation remains focused on safely delivering the plan.
Evolution has brought a new way of mining to the area. With a fresh outlook, new technologies and inspired practices, they revitalized the operation by focusing on less gold per tonne but maximizing ore processed. 3,000 safe ore tonnes every day is what General Manager Kirsty Liddicoat is her team’s guiding mantra, and it encompasses the path forward to realize that vision which puts people first.

 

PEOPLE

Evolution promotes and encourages their people to take up opportunities for development that supports individual’s professional needs along with meeting business requirements in either current or identified future roles.
Employing locally based people remains a goal of the team where skilled people are available – just one way sustainability is integrated into everything done at Evolution.
Evolution supports Red Lake’s recreation centre and regularly supporting employees’ work-life integration by providing a stimulating and inclusive environment to foster development, through avariety of internal and external resources.
Development of their team is focused to enhance role performance and professional growth of their people so that they continue to build their organizational capability. Development is not compliance related training; it is aimed at expanding their people’s knowledge, skills, experience and/or qualifications to enable each person to better perform now or in the future.
Liddicoat says the commitment of her team is the key
to their success.
“Evolution has built a culture where our team members ‘Act Like an Owner’ and we really care about doing the right thing by each other and our community not because we have to but because we all want to,” she says.

 

Red Lake Facts:

• High-grade asset situated on one of North America’s highest-grade gold camps with outstanding exploration potential
• Tier one mining jurisdiction
• Mineral Resources of 11.7Moz and Ore Reserves of 2.9Moz
• 18 year life of mine plan
• Strategic acquisition by Evolution from Battle North Gold: New 600ktpa mill facility expandable to 900ktpa
  with minimal capital
• Land package of +280km2
• Transformation plan to produce an aspirational 350kozpa, accelerated by the operational synergies
  of the Battle North Gold acquisition
• Significant exploration upside – exploration expenditure of US$50M over three years with a planned annual drilling rate of 100,000m
• Long term regional potential to grow the current resource base

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: Northern Ontario / Operational Updates / Gold / All Articles