Year-round access

Noront Resources Ltd. has found a preferred route that will allow year-round access to one of the world’s largest unrefined nickel, copper and platinum deposits.

The mining company set up camp in the lower James Bay area near Webequie First Nation where they established the Eagle’s Nest project in 2007. Since the company started exploration in the area, Noront hasn’t found a preferred route to unload all of the materials when they begin mining.

Paul Semple, chief operating officer with Noront, said that’s about to change.

He said they have looked at 12 different scenarios that included using roads, trains and hovercrafts, but have since narrowed down the choices. While an environmental review still needs to be completed, he said having a route that will allow them year round access will be incredibly beneficial.

“When we looked at our studies we found a preferred East to West route which comes in from Pickle Lake and comes onto an all season road up to Webequie,” Semple said.

“We follow an existing winter road corridor so we minimize our environmental disturbance. It’s pretty important to have these roads otherwise you would have a fleet of trucks running two months out of the year and then they would sit idle for the next 10.”

He said the Ministry of Natural Resources were the first to establish the roads and added that the route that they chose wouldn’t intersect with any provincial parks.

He said the road will still need to be construction and would be started sometime in 2013 with the goal is to bring the Eagle’s Nest underground mine operation up and running by 2016.