TRANSCRIPTION 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:07.280
Kitco Mining on-site coverage of Explore 2026 is presented by Radisson Mining.
00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:14.960
Welcome back to Kitco Mining's ongoing coverage from Explore 2026 in Montreal.
00:00:15.119 --> 00:00:21.039
Joining us now is Andréane Boisvert, VP Environment and Community Relations at Goldfields.
00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:21.839
Welcome, Andréane.
00:00:22.160 --> 00:00:22.399
Thank you.
00:00:22.559 --> 00:00:23.679
Thank you for having me.
00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:27.839
So Goldfields is a global gold producer.
00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:34.479
You have operations in Latin America, Africa, Australia as well.
00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:39.679
And one project right here in Canada, and it's the Canadian project that's uh that's made news this week.
00:00:39.759 --> 00:00:43.759
So tell us about uh this is the uh windfall project in Quebec.
00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:44.479
Exactly.
00:00:44.640 --> 00:00:57.119
So this week at uh Goldfields we're celebrating the uh obtaining the environmental authorization to move the project forward uh from the government of Quebec, and this milestone really represents a lot for us.
00:00:57.200 --> 00:01:01.439
It allows us to move uh the project towards construction and eventually operations.
00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:02.479
Great.
00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:05.359
So that so what was this uh what was the journey like?
00:01:05.519 --> 00:01:17.840
This is a multi-year process, obviously, especially in in jurisdictions like Canada, where things are you get all the benefits of regulatory clarity, of uh of stability, you know, political, economic.
00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:21.680
You also get some of the some of the lag times involved in this.
00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:27.280
So how what what went into this this process of getting to this to this milestone on the project?
00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:28.319
Um you're right.
00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:31.200
It is it is a long journey to make it to this point.
00:01:31.359 --> 00:01:36.400
We submitted our environmental impact assessment study for windfall in March of 2023.
00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:40.079
So it was a three and a half year journey to make it to this point.
00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:44.640
Um in Quebec, the regulatory framework is uh is very stable.
00:01:44.799 --> 00:01:53.040
It is a top-tier mining jurisdiction, but it also means that uh there is a lot of oversight and questions that are asked of us.
00:01:53.200 --> 00:02:05.280
And so uh we have been going through that process, which is basically a question and answer period where the government issues questions, we submit our answers back, and then they ask follow-up questions.
00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:17.039
And then at the end of that journey, there's also public hearings that are organized with the project within the host communities so that they can provide their own feedback, which leads to additional questions and then answers again from our end.
00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:23.840
And so it's uh all those efforts that were put forward that allowed us to make it to this point this year in October.
00:02:24.240 --> 00:02:24.400
Right.
00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:33.120
So I saw that you had the um you had the approval or the the finalization of the process with the local community was earlier in the summer, or was it in the spring or summer?
00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:35.599
It was um it was in the spring, late spring.
00:02:35.759 --> 00:02:36.000
Right.
00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:52.319
Um so in June we signed the Yukamau agreement with the Cree First Nation of Waswanape, the Cree Nation government, and the Grand Council of the Cree's, which is an IBA type of agreement uh with the First Nation uh groups that are associated with the Windfall project.
00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:59.840
And that was obviously a very important milestone for us at Goldfields to achieve this the signature of this historic agreement.
00:02:59.919 --> 00:03:11.520
Um, but it also uh gives the community the sense that all of the concerns that were brought forward have been dealt with diligently and it also provides support on the community side to the windfall project.
00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:12.319
Right.
00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:17.520
So then what does the windfall project uh represent for the company going forward?
00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:22.879
Obviously, this is a very, this is a this is a uh a very large uh potential mine here.
00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:28.240
So what's the uh what what are you what is it representing within the company's broader portfolio?
00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:39.360
Well, Windfall is obviously the project within Goldfields, and so we have eight operating mines, as you mentioned, um, in other jurisdictions, but the first one in Canada.
00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:48.960
Um and so it is Goldfields' way of getting uh into the Canadian space and allowing us to develop further in this jurisdiction.
00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:52.800
And so it's very exciting for us to be able to make it to the step.
00:03:52.960 --> 00:04:00.800
It comes two years after the acquisition of the Cisco Mining and therefore the full um ownership of the Windfall project.
00:04:01.039 --> 00:04:11.599
And so this is a project that will likely produce around 300,000 ounces a year, and it will help um bring a little bit more depth into the goldfields global portfolio.
00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:12.639
All right.
00:04:12.800 --> 00:04:17.040
And you'll you'll also be issuing your Q3 operating update actually tomorrow.
00:04:17.199 --> 00:04:20.639
So it's a a busy week, uh, a busy week for goldfields.
00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:28.800
So what I guess you can't tell us uh specific numbers and things that are coming out tomorrow, but can you give us a sense of what uh what we'd be hearing overall?
00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:32.079
What's the what's the how was Q3 for Goldfields?
00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:48.000
Um it's a continuation of our H1 results that came out in August, which demonstrates that uh you know we are producing on target and and maintaining the momentum that was uh that was uh sort of uh stabilized uh in the first uh half of the year.
00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:57.519
And so our operation numbers will be published and we'll be able to provide more feedback as to how close we are to our end-of-year targets.
00:04:57.920 --> 00:04:58.240
Okay.
00:04:58.560 --> 00:05:05.040
And so what are what are some of those end-of-year targets and what are what should we be watching for from goldfields in the new year?
00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:13.120
Well, for windfall specifically, we are now going to be able to move to the next uh stage, which is uh remobilizing the site.
00:05:13.279 --> 00:05:19.839
Um, in August, we uh stopped our underground operations because we uh our bulk sample permit uh elapsed.
00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:28.079
And now with the authorization uh moving forward, we'll be able to remobilize and reopen our underground activities, including exploration.
00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:40.319
But it will also allow us to bring the construction crews on site to begin some of the preparatory work, the civil works that are required, and the installation of the worker camp that is needed to begin construction.
00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:52.800
So for us at Windfall, it means until the end of the year a lot of sort of ramping up of the civil uh works and construction activities leading to an FID possibly by February of next year.
00:05:52.879 --> 00:06:07.120
So working on the execution and the schedule and the capital estimates so that we can provide the oversight uh and guidance to our board of uh directors that will uh allow us to move forward with a full-blown construction by the uh beginning of next year.
00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:07.759
Great.
00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:12.800
Well, it sounds like uh exciting times uh for goldfields, but also specifically here in Canada.
00:06:13.120 --> 00:06:13.600
Absolutely.
00:06:13.759 --> 00:06:15.199
Yeah, very excited.
00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:15.759
Great.
00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:17.120
Well, thank you so much for joining us.
00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:18.560
Thank you for having me.
00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:22.000
There's plenty more to come from Explore 2026 here in Montreal.
00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:24.160
I'm Ernest Hoffman for Kitco Mining.
00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:26.560
Make sure you're subscribed to receive all of our updates.
00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:33.680
Kitco Mining on site coverage of Explore 2026 is presented by Radisson Mining.