The concept of mining the residual gold left by underground mines is not new within
Timmins as it has been done at the Dome Mine and Pamour Mine. Given that the
Hollinger Mine was the most prolific mine in Timmins, it was a natural target.
PGM began to host a series of open houses and presented different options including
keeping the property fenced (current condition), partial remediation to allow some land
use, and an open pit mine. Mining would not only “remediate” the hazards within the
fence line but also benefit the workforce and the community.
Given the proximity to the community, public engagement became critical to ensure
information remained open and transparent. The Hollinger Community Advisory
Committee was created and consisted of a diverse group of local stakeholders and
worked with PGM to develop strategies that would meet the mutual needs of the
community and the company. PGM set up an information centre which was staffed by a
full time community liaison coordinator to allow anyone from the community the
opportunity to ask questions in person. An online forum was also created through the
PGM website to properly address community feedback in a timely manner. A real-time
noise and dust monitoring system with data managed by a third party was also
implemented to ensure transparency and which can be viewed through the PGM
website.