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Agnico Eagle Mines Limited plans to spend billions to develop gold mines in Ontario – a development that is expected to benefit mining services and supply companies based in Sudbury.

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That’s one of the messages Andre Leite, Ontario vice-president of Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, delivered Thursday during a Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce President’s Series luncheon.

Agnico Eagle’s business is gold production and Sudbury is Leite’s home port. His company is recognized worldwide for its cutting-edge environmental, social and governance practices.

“We are by far the largest gold producing company in Canada,” Leite said in an interview. “We play a leadership role in conversations to realize our full potential. We are the largest gold producer in Canada and the third largest in the world.

“The merger of equals, with Kirkland Lake Gold in 2022, was an important milestone. I have worked in the mining world for over two decades and with Agnico Eagle for approximately three years.

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The company is headquartered in Toronto and has operations worldwide with seven operating mines in Canada.

“We rely on the many supplies and services available in Sudbury,” Leite said. “We share with the public the opportunities we will have. We’ve been in business for 65 years and we started our story here in Northern Ontario…in Cobalt.

“Agnico Eagle’s Canadian workforce includes more than 12,000 employees and contractors. Nunavut, Quebec, Mexico, Finland and Australia… we are well positioned.

Leite said the company made two major announcements in 2024: “One of the announcements was for the preliminary exploration phase of two projects: Upper Beaver (near Kirkland Lake) and Detour Underground (located 260 km north -east of Timmins.) The last one is in progress. in addition to operating Detour for 10 years already. It produces 700,000 ounces of gold per year. We are at over six million ounces in total and the mine is expected to have a life of 30 years from today.

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“Fully approved, these two projects would require an investment of approximately $2.2 billion and employ 1,200 and 1,400 people, respectively.”

Kirkland Lake is a residential mine (meaning employees live in the same community where they work) and Detour is remote. Much of Detour’s workforce comes to or is from Sudbury, Leite said.

In addition to the Detour Lake and Macassa mines, future projects at Upper Beaver and Hammond Reef in northwestern Ontario have great potential, he said.

“We work very hard to differentiate ourselves. It’s an exciting time for gold,” said Cameron Grant, Agnico Eagle’s general communications supervisor, while introducing Leite to the chamber audience.

Leite’s message was warmly received, including a commitment to working with First Nations and integrating an Indigenous workforce. Agnico Eagle said it develops relationships based on trust and economic opportunity.

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Cintia Diaz, Ontario Communications Manager at Agnico Eagle, added that “the main advantage we have is that we are focused on the Northern Ontario region. We want to continue to develop in the region… to guarantee the sustainability of our workforce and generational sustainability. We must develop young people because they are the future to keep our region and our industry running.

“Community relations are at the forefront of our strategy. It is very important that the public knows that Agnico Eagle is here for the long term and that we are very invested in Northern Ontario.

Sudbury’s business community was present in large numbers at the luncheon. House officials were delighted with the enthusiastic response. Held at the Holiday Inn, more than 230 guests arrived early to mix and mingle, showing an appetite for such gatherings.

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Dawson Reale, events and sponsorship specialist for the chamber, said events like this are important. “They bring so many different people together, especially after a time when we couldn’t come together,” Reale said. “You meet people you don’t see on a daily basis. Information and ideas are shared.

Chamber of Commerce member Neha T. Singh said he was there because Agnico Eagle is on a huge growth curve. “They hire a lot of people and try to synergize their operations. PACE Global – my company – can help them.

“Our change management services are designed for transformation. Bottom line: better security, people alignment and cost efficiency are all good reasons.

The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible with funding from the federal government.

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