Canada’s mining and minerals industry is important to communities across the country. Developing Canada’s natural resources in more sustainable and responsible ways drives our economy, reduces our environmental impacts and creates jobs. This will be more important than ever as we reopen the economy and plan our recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, President of Treasury Board of Canada and Member of Parliament for Quebec, on behalf of the Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, today announced an investment of over $2.1 million for Corem, a Quebec-based innovative expertise centre in mining processing. The Quebec Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources is also contributing an additional $100,000 to this project.

The funding will support the development of an innovative gold extraction process for the recovery and recycling of cyanide in the gold extraction process, which is more environmentally sustainable and reduces the impact of gold mining on the aquatic ecosystem. Corem will work to accelerate the deployment of the process at commercial scale by constructing a pilot-scale processing plant.

Corem’s promising recycling technology is expected to reduce the volume of contaminated water stored in tailings ponds, thereby contributing to the sustainability and competitiveness of the mining industry.

Funding is provided through Natural Resources Canada’s Clean Growth Program, which invests in clean technology research and development projects in Canada’s energy, mining and forest sectors. The program is a $155-million investment fund that helps emerging clean technologies further reduce their impacts on air, land and water while enhancing competitiveness and creating jobs.

The Clean Growth Program also provides federal laboratory support for innovators under the Science and Technology Assistance for Cleantech initiative, which is intended to help bring Canadian clean technologies to market by providing federal research expertise, facilities and equipment.

The Government of Canada will continue to support innovative projects in the mining sector that create a clean, sustainable and competitive natural resources sector that reduces pollution and fights against climate change.

Quotes

“The Government of Canada continues to invest in projects that position Canada’s mining industry as a leader on the global stage. Through innovative ideas and dedicated partners such as Corem, which has been a presence in the Quebec region for more than 20 years, we are helping to reduce impacts on the environment, create jobs and ensure good mining practices in Quebec for years to come.”

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
President of Treasury Board of Canada and Member of Parliament for Quebec

“It is important for me that the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources supports Corem’s research and technological innovation. More specifically, this project permits the use of clean technologies to improve the recycling of contaminated water, which is more and more important for the mining industry. I am therefore very happy to see projects such as this one come to life; it demonstrates Quebec’s leading-edge expertise in research and development.”

Jonatan Julien
Quebec Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Minister Responsible for the Côte-Nord region

“This financial support demonstrates the importance and interest in the development of clean technologies for the mining industry and the Government of Canada. It allows Corem to pursue its mission of developing innovative solutions for the benefit of a sustainable mining industry and of working closely with our members, our customers and our partners.”

Francis Fournier
President and Chief Executive Officer, Corem