In anticipation of Mount Polley Mine reopening in 2022, Williams Lake First Nation and Mount Polley Mining Corporation have signed a revised Participation Agreement.
In a news release, Chief Willie Sellars said “Concluding this agreement is extremely important for WLFN. From our perspective, this agreement is first and foremost about stewardship. It ensures that we have a seat at the table, that there is a process for meaningful engagement, and that we can work collaboratively with Mount Polley to address any issues that arise out of the operation of the mine. We’ve had an agreement with Mount Polley Mining Corporation since 2011, but it required some retooling and we’re happy that we were able to get it done.”
Operations were suspended at Mount Polley in May of 2019 and the mine has been in care and maintenance since that time.
Early in 2022, Mount Polley announced plans for a potential restart.
There are as many as 100 people currently working at the mine working toward the recommencement of operations.