FAQs

The Cariboo Gold Project is located within central British Columbia’s Cariboo Regional District, near the District of Wells, as well as the historic mining town of Barkerville, east of Quesnel.  

The project has two main locations: the mine site in Wells, BC, and the QR Mill site, southeast of Quesnel, where ore concentrate will be processed.

The Mine Site Complex in Wells will include the underground gold mine, the Services Building including the concentrator, paste backfill plant, and other related infrastructure, Water Management and Treatment Infrastructure, the Electrical Substation, Office, Mine Dry, a Warehouse, and a Shop. These new above-ground facilities will be built on the footprint of previous mining operations. Waste rock that cannot be returned underground will be transported underground to the Waste Rock Storage Facility at the nearby Bonanza Ledge Mine site.

The QR Mill site, where concentrate will be processed and refined, is located approximately 111 km from the Mine Site Complex. It will also serve as our Tailings Storage Facility, where filtered tailings will be stored and reclaimed as we work.

The mine location was chosen after careful study and is designed to minimize environmental and visual impacts, reduce construction time, and to limit disturbance of new land. Feedback from our consultation process was incorporated into the design to mitigate impacts such as noise, visual quality, and dust emissions.  

The Mine Site Complex is located at the centre of gravity of our four main deposits, and where the Historic Cariboo Gold Quartz Mine was situated. This central location allows us to reduce average ore transportation distance, optimize energy efficiency, and limit new surface disturbance.

Mining has been a part of the area for 160 years. Locating the Mine Site Complex and entrance to the underground mine in Wells, on a site used previously for mining, is part of our commitment to minimize new disturbances. The reclamation work we will do on-site supports our commitment to leave the land better than we found it.

Decisions on the location of the Services Building and other surface infrastructure were made after extensive examination of alternatives. The site selected allows the shortest construction period, the lowest environmental impacts, and the fewest impacts on new land.

The community has asked us to minimize our footprint, and we listened, that is why we propose many of the mining processes being conducted are contained in a single, sound-insulated building or located underground.

Yes.

We are consulting with the community on design, colours and other visual elements of the Services Building. While some people are advocating for a green or brown that will blend into the landscape, others have advocated for community artists to paint murals in line with Wells’ vibrant artistic esthetic.  

Please contact feedback@osiskodev.com to learn about opportunities for input.

The Services Building is designed as an entirely enclosed, sound-insulated building that will contain a portion of the mine operation and will allow us to reduce our environmental impacts and impacts on the community.

The building is proposed to house equipment such as a concentrator, ore sorter, paste backfill plant, fuel station, maintenance bays, and offices.

The ore sorter uses x-ray technology to scan, identify, and keep ore-bearing rock with high concentrations of gold for transportation. This reduces the volume of material needing to be transported.

The concentrator takes the ore-bearing material identified by the sorter, and further processes them to increase the concentration of gold relative to other rock and minerals. This also reduces the volume of material needing to be transported. Learn more.

By pre-concentrating ore before transporting it to the QR Mill, we are able to significantly decrease truck traffic, lower carbon emissions, minimize noise and dust in the community, and the amount of tailings produced during final processing and refining.

As part of our reclamation and closure plan, we will return the site to a natural state, and ensure the land is left in a safe and stable condition. There is also an emphasis on Progressive Reclamation during Cariboo Gold Project operations. This means that some reclamation and rehabilitation will also occur while we work.

While we reclaim the land, the region will have experienced the economic benefits from employment and training and the spin-off effects such as purchasing from local suppliers, building local supply chains, and investing in local housing.

In order to receive an Environmental Assessment Certificate and all the Permits needed from the BC Government, we must show that we have a plan for the land after we cease mining.

Reclamation is the process of returning the land to a natural state. This includes things like landscaping and revegetation (planting native trees, grasses, and plants) that will foster wildlife.

We will also carry out Progressive Reclamation at the Cariboo Gold Project. That means we will reclaim and rehabilitate lands as we work.

Our reclamation plans are built with experts such as reclamation specialists, biologists, hydrologists, and engineers, and in consultation with our Indigenous partners.

Mining in British Columbia is well-regulated through the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low-Carbon Innovation, and other relevant Ministries. The Cariboo Gold Project will seek to meet and exceed standards set by the government, as well as our own high standards. Additionally, we will honour the agreements we’ve made with local Indigenous nations.

The Cariboo Gold Project is currently proceeding through a rigorous and detailed review process under the BC Environmental Assessment Act, 2018.

We take compliance seriously in every aspect of our work.

Our Environmental team conducts regular testing to ensure water and air quality meets or exceeds standards for clean air, clean water, and safe habitats. This information is reported regularly to relevant governing bodies and our Indigenous partners.

On October 10^th, the project was granted an Environmental Assessment Certificate after a rigorous review process that started in 2019. Together with our partners and stakeholders, we will continue to comply with the Environmental Assessment Act and exceed key standards to demonstrate benefit to the community, informed by experts in government, technical experts outside government, and Indigenous leaders with traditional knowledge.

By locating the Mine Site Complex on the western edge of town and building a new access road, trucks will be limited to only 25 trips through town per day during the first phase. Phase 2 will require trucks to enter the Mine Site Complex without going through town. Waste rock will be hauled underground to the Bonanza Ledge Mine site to the Waste Rock Storage Facility to avoid using local infrastructure.

We are also taking proactive steps to keep traffic off the highway. For example, by housing staff on site we can expect minimal commuter traffic to and from the site. Employees from local communities such as Quesnel, who will not be housed on site, will take a company shuttle to and from Wells.

By sorting and concentrating ore at the mine site, we are able to minimize haul truck traffic to the QR Mill. The Cariboo Gold Project is expected to add a maximum of 25 haul trucks per day, and experts estimate that traffic on Highway 26 will continue to operate at relatively similar conditions during the day-to-day operations of the project.

Our home is in Wells too, and we know that when businesses in Wells succeed, it’s good for the community, good for our workers, and good for recruitment.

Our existing operations purchase goods from hundreds of local suppliers throughout the region, including numerous suppliers in the towns of Wells and Quesnel, and this will continue with the Cariboo Gold Project.

In addition to purchasing goods and services from local suppliers for mining operations, we also work with and support many local businesses. For example, we hold an annual Community Christmas event, and we’ve purchased gift cards as community holiday gifts from local businesses including the Frog on the Bog, the Sunrise Café/Sunset Theatre, BNC Mercantile, and the Jack-o-Clubs General Store and Pub.

We support the local the tourism sector by supporting Barkerville Historic Town & Park, sponsoring the Friends of Barkerville – Cariboo Goldfields Society in their restoration of the Cariboo Wagon Road, a historic gold-rush road running from Lillooet to Barkerville Historic Town & Park, and purchasing goods and services from tourism-oriented businesses in their low-season.

Osisko Development is also a member of the Quesnel & District Chamber of Commerce, and we plan to continue working with local businesses, including those in the tourism sector, as work on the Cariboo Gold Project proceeds.

We look forward to welcoming the public when the mine is operational.

Please contact feedback@osiskodev.com and request to be added to our monthly Newsletter mailing list to stay up to date on our activities.

We are planning to build a camp residence for staff as part of the Cariboo Gold Project, which will be located near the Mine Site Complex. We’ve also purchased homes and properties in Wells to develop for employees who wish to relocate. This approach means less commuters on the road, fewer pressures on the Wells housing market, and growing the community in a sustainable way.

Our goal is for 75% of the Cariboo Gold Project workforce to reside in the Cariboo and Fraser-Fort George Regional Districts.  

Our Sustainable Workforce Initiative will provide training for local people. The Initiative is focused on providing equal training and career opportunities for Indigenous people, women, and other underrepresented groups in the mining industry.

We know that the Cariboo and Fraser-Fort George Regions are great places to live, and we expect that creating good jobs will attract people and their families to these areas, who in turn will help build the communities, support local businesses, and invest in the future of these areas.

Engagement for the Cariboo Gold Project began in 2016. Since then, there have been numerous of meetings with community members, businesses, Indigenous nations, municipal, provincial, and federal government representatives, chambers of commerce, and people from across British Columbia and Canada. We listen carefully to input made in every engagement opportunity.

Over the years the Cariboo Gold Project plan has evolved in response to community input, for example:

• Underground – By utilizing an underground mining operation to extract our gold we are minimizing above-ground activities, noise, and surface footprint. The choice to operate an underground mine was based on a mix of community input, including input from local Indigenous nations, and operational and environmental considerations.
• Site and Buildings – We evaluated a number of locations for the Mine Site and its buildings. Our Mine Site will minimize construction time, it will keep trucks off local roads, and it will be on previously disturbed land, meaning we will reclaim land that was impacted by historical mining projects, while creating minimal impacts on untouched land.
• Our initial plan was to locate our facilities in a 50m high building. However, in response to community input, we redesigned the building to be 33% shorter and redesigned our proposed landscaping to plant additional trees to further minimize visual impacts.
• Tailings and Tailings Storage – We initially explored a traditional Tailings Storage Facility with a tailings dam. However, our technical teams created a plan to produce dry filtered tailings which eliminates the need for a tailings dam and allow us to progressively reclaim lands around the QR Mill during operations.
• Tourism – Our initial plans for a worker camp would have been similar to work camps seen throughout Canada.  

Osisko Development recognizes that tourism has been and remains a key industry in the region and we are committed to continuing to make key investments to strengthen the local tourism industry and revitalize the District of Wells. This includes:

• Improving local infrastructure;
• Purchasing goods and services from tourism-oriented businesses in their low-season;
• Sponsoring the Friends of Barkerville – Cariboo Goldfields Society in their restoration of the Cariboo Wagon Road; and
• Investing in the Wells Community Foundation Board.

The protection of wildlife is important to us, our Indigenous partners, the local community, and the general public. As part of the Province of BC’s Environmental Assessment and Permitting processes, we must demonstrate that we will protect local wildlife by protecting important habitats and movement corridors, and ensuring we limit interactions with the animals themselves. We intentionally chose sites that have been previously disturbed to ensure our impacts on undisturbed habitats are minimal.

Since taking ownership of the existing BGM mine sites, Osisko Development has invested in new Water Treatment Plants to ensure the water at the QR Mill, Bonanza Ledge Mine and the Mine Site meet provincial and federal standards. These plants will be used as part of the Cariboo Gold Project as well.

The Water Treatment Plants ensure the water leaving the mine meets standards for the protection of aquatic life.

We will also use filtered tailings as part of our milling process going forward. While this is a more expensive process to undertake, it eliminates the need for tailings dams and creates opportunities for progressive reclamation at the existing tailing storage facility.

We are committed to clean air for our community and minimizing our impact on the climate. To achieve this, we will continuously monitor air quality throughout the life of the Project.

The Cariboo Gold Project includes bringing clean hydroelectric power to the Mine Site Complex, which reduces reliance on diesel generators.  

We are continuing to evaluate technologies which includes doing an electrification feasibility study to assess the degree to which we can electrify our equipment and vehicle fleet. This would mean the Cariboo Gold Project would produce fewer greenhouse gas and exhaust emissions and lower our impact on the climate and air quality.

Our commitment to electric vehicles is just one way we are using innovative technology to lower our impact on the environment around us and build a modern and sustainable mine.

Throughout the active mining phase, we have committed to ensuring noise levels will be limited to an average of below 40 dBA. Additionally, the construction phase will be considerate to the town of Wells with no loud activities occurring at night.

Once construction is complete, operations will move primarily underground and into the noise insulated Services Building. The sound in the community will come primarily from trucks (some electric, some traditional engines) moving concentrate. We will have to honour conditions from the Environmental Assessment Certificate related to limiting noise intensity.

We continue to evaluate technologies for our goal of using electric vehicles to move waste rock and contaminated soil at the Bonanza Ledge Mine site and for hauling ore concentrate from the Mine Site Complex to the QR Mill site for processing.

Geology is an exciting field that is always full of new discoveries. Exploration of old mine sites is a regular occurrence and most new mines in the last 20 years have been located within old or historic mining districts, or near already operating mines.

People have been mining gold in and around the Barkerville and Wells area for 160 years, and so it makes sense that as technologies and our understanding of underground deposits and geology improves, scientists are finding new deposits near an area as historically rich as this one. As part of our exploration program, our teams drill holes up to 1000m deep and extract 5cm wide cores to learn what is underground and model the geology. Finding gold after 160 years of mining is a combination of good science, good exploration, and a bit of luck.

The economics of mining is based on two factors: the cost of mining a deposit in a way that is safe, responsible, and in compliance with best practices, and the value of the resource that’s being mined. Gold is a valuable commodity that is used in everything from electronics, to aerospace, to medicine, and demand is increasing.

Our goal is for 75% of our workforce to reside in the Cariboo and Fraser-Fort George Regional Districts. We expect to meet this through a combination of local training and hiring and attracting people to move to the region.

Our Sustainable Workforce Initiative will provide training to a diverse group of local people, allowing them and their families to benefit from the good-paying, sustainable jobs the project will create. It has a particular focus on providing opportunities to Indigenous people, women, and other underrepresented groups in the mining industry.