SASKATOON — Foran Mining says its McIlvenna Bay Mine will protect the environment while creating jobs and boosting Saskatchewan’s global role.
Erin Carswell, vice president for exploration at Foran Mining Corp., said the company is aware of the impact mining projects can have on the environment and assured that steps have been taken to protect the land, soil, air, water, and the entire ecosystem around the McIlvenna Bay Mine in northeastern Saskatchewan.
The mine, rich in critical minerals such as copper and zinc, will create jobs when production begins in the second quarter of 2026 and boost the province’s presence in the global market. The site is located southwest of Creighton near the Flin Flon Greenstone Mining Belt. The project, supported by the federal and provincial governments, has a capital investment of over $1 billion.
Carswell said the company is using advanced technology and clean energy from hydroelectric power to support its environmentally responsible mining operation. The project involves constructing and operating an underground mine and a surface processing facility to produce mineral concentrates.
“We're incredibly proud of our green credentials, and a lot of the ways that we're being forward-thinking in this regard are around the ultimate aim of carbon neutrality. In particular, bringing in interesting innovations like our heat exchange processes that we have for reducing energy use underground,” Carswell said in a news conference Wednesday, Oct. 15.
She added that their boggers and muckers, machines used to remove broken rock and ore, are battery-powered and electric, making the site greener. Carswell emphasized that Foran will ensure it has the lowest environmental footprint when operations begin in mid-2026, as part of its critical mineral strategy goals.
Energy and Resources Minister Colleen Young lauded Foran’s efforts to ensure a net-zero footprint copper mine capable of producing an economically sustainable product, positioning the province as a significant global player as demand for critical minerals increases. It also provides job opportunities for nearby First Nations communities.
“The amount of investment they've [Foran] made and the work they've done to ensure the footprint is small and it isn't impacting the environment. And the work they are doing with the First Nations group in the area to ensure the environmental impact is lessened,” Young said before touring the facility in Saskatoon.
She added that the mining project would also benefit the federal government, as it seeks to increase Canada’s defence budget by five per cent, with the copper and zinc contributing to that investment, in addition to supplying the global market, where demand for critical minerals continues to grow.
Carswell said Foran will have a processing plant above the mine to speed up the processing of minerals on site, which also contains gold and silver. She added that this is common practice in mining, separating ore minerals from rock once collected.
“It goes through big crushers and then concentrating tanks so that we produce what's called a concentrate. That will go to a smelter where they turn it into the products they need. The demand for critical minerals is only increasing as we go through the energy transition over the next few decades, particularly for copper and zinc as well,” Carswell said.
Copper is a critical mineral used globally in electrification, including electric vehicles and industries transitioning to greener energy sources. This is why demand is expected to increase in the future, making Foran’s investment beneficial not only to Saskatchewan but also to Canada.
"We are committed to investing in building this mine. From there, it will create jobs and bring prosperity to Saskatchewan's northern communities. I can't put numbers around that right now, but it is a significant project for that part of the world, and as we were talking about earlier, the first copper mine in a very long time in this province,” Carswell added.
