TIMMINS – Timmins city council has approved selling off 30 parcels of public land for more than $872,000 to Goldcorp Porcupine Gold Mines to allow the company to be in a better position to move forward with the Century Project expansion.
The sale was approved Tuesday night with a purchasing bylaw that was first approved by a motion of council after an in-camera meeting held a month ago, on Tuesday. April 17, 2018.
The closed meeting was held to discuss the pending sale or purchase of lands by the city. Only the mayor and four council members were present: Joe Campbell, Mike Doody, Veronica Farrell and Walter Wawrzaszek. Following that one-hour meeting, council went into a public session to pass the resolution to authorize the sale of the land parcels. The media, which was not present that day, had not been told of the public meeting.
The parcels of land are mostly zoned rural and rural hazard land located in Deloro, Shaw and Whitney Township. One parcel of land consists of 160 acres. Most of the parcel sizes are in the range of 20 to 40 acres. The smallest parcel of land was 2.3 acres. Altogether, the sale takes in more than 1,100 acres.
As the bylaw was presented to council this week, acting mayor Joe Campbell explained why the land was being sold.
“This resolution is about pieces of property that Goldcorp wishes to acquire as they move forward towards the Century Project, which will extend the life of the mine 13 to 15 years I am told,” said Campbell.
He added that he was told things were looking positive for the project, which would rejuvenate the Dome mine with a new open pit mine and a new milling complex.
“It is in pre-feasibility. I have heard it is soon to move to feasibility,” Campbell told council.
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