Voisey's Bay Mine

A large nickel deposit was discovered in the hills along the western shore of Potato Island in September 1993 by Archean Inc.,Raymond Goldie (2005). Inco Comes to Labrador. St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada: Flanker Press. p 365. {{ISBN|1-894463-75-7}}. a prospecting firm hired by Diamond Fields Resources Directors Jean-Raymond Boulle and Robert Friedland.{{cite news |title=Inco ships first nickel concentrate from Voisey's Bay |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/inco-ships-first-nickel-concentrate-from-voisey-s-bay-1.527271 |publisher=CBC |date=16 November 2005}} This deposit is considered to be one of the most substantial mineral discoveries in Canada in years and was estimated in 2007 to contain 141 million tonnes at 1.6% nickel.{{cite web

| title = Important Facts: Project Overview- Voisey's Bay Project

| url = http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/voiseys/project_imp_facts.htm

| access-date = 9 May 2007

}}

In 1996, Inco managers purchased the mine for $4.3 billion Canadian dollars from Diamond Fields Resources.{{cite web

| url = http://www.mining.com/web/infographic-the-story-of-voiseys-bay-the-auction

| title = The story of Voisey's Bay – the auction 'the total value' of the Voiseys bay deal was 'closer to $4.3 billion'

| publisher = Mining.com

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171215054102/http://www.mining.com/web/infographic-the-story-of-voiseys-bay-the-auction/

| archive-date = 15 December 2017

| url-status = live

| date = 29 October 2015

}}

Surface mining began in Voisey's Bay in 2005 in order to access the nickel deposit.{{cite web|url=http://www.vale.com/canada/en/business/mining/nickel/vale-canada/voiseys-bay/pages/voiseys-bay-mine-expansion-project.aspx |title=Vale's Voisey's Bay nickel mine and concentrator is transitioning from open pit to underground mining |website=vale.com |date=July 2015}}{{cite news |title=Voisey's Bay underground development hits 10% completion |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/voiseys-bay-underground-iron-ore-1.5262346 |publisher=CBC |date=28 August 2019}}

The bulk carrier ship Umiak I was commissioned in May 2006 to transport ore from the mine.{{cite web|url=https://www.fednav.com/fr/worlds-strongest-umiak-i|title=The world's strongest: Umiak I|accessdate=May 15, 2021|website=fednav.com}}[http://www.vbnc.com/Newsletters/April2006.pdf Umiak I], The Gossan: A Voisey's Bay Nickel Company Publication, issue 10, April 2006

In July 2015, the ownership board of directors approved the construction of the underground phase of the Voisey's Bay Mine. The project was scheduled to take six years, and the underground operations would begin in 2020.

Since the discovery of the Voisey's Bay deposit by Jean-Raymond Boulle President of Diamond Fields Resources,{{cite book

| last = McNish

| first = J.

| title = The Big Score

| publisher = Doubleday Canada

| year = 1998

| isbn = 978-0-385-25758-9

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=oukJAQAAMAAJ

| access-date = 28 August 2018

| page = 36

}} efforts have been increased to find similar deposits in coastal Labrador.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

On 11 June 2018, Premier Dwight Ball announced Vale is moving forward with its underground mine at Voisey's Bay. Ball stated that the move will extend the mine's operating life by at least 15 years. Over the five-year construction, more than 16,000 person-years of employment will be created according to Ball.{{cite news |title=Amid nickel boom, Vale moves forward with underground mine at Voisey's Bay |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/voiseys-bay-mining-announcement-1.4700644 |publisher=CBC |date=11 June 2018}} First ore is expected no later than April 2021.

In November 2008 Newfoundland Minister of Natural Resources Kathy Dunderdale announced that construction should start in 2009 to build a $2.2B hydrometallurgical processing plant in Long Harbour on Newfoundland's south coast.{{cite web|url=https://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2009/hrle/0409n09.htm|title=Provincial Government Gives Green Light to Collective Agreement for Construction at Long Harbour|date=Apr 9, 2009|publisher=Government of Newfoundland and Labrador: Human Resources, Labour and Employment|accessdate=May 15, 2021}}{{cite news |title=Told you so: Williams wrong on Inco from start, ex-Liberal premier says |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/told-you-so-williams-wrong-on-inco-from-start-ex-liberal-premier-says-1.732800 |publisher=CBC |date=15 November 2008}}{{cite news |title=$2B hydromet plant to be built in Long Harbour |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/2b-hydromet-plant-to-be-built-in-long-harbour-1.695105 |publisher=CBC |date=12 November 2008}} Construction of the Long Harbour Nickel Processing Plant would be started in April 2009 and operations would begin in 2014.

In 2006, approximately 1,100 cubic meters of toxic mine tailings were released into a nearby brook after a breach in the pond liner.{{Cite web|url=https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/economy/voiseys-bay-environment.php|title = The Voisey's Bay Project and the Environment}} In 2007, 50 cubic meters of tailings slurry spilled into a bog. In 2016, Vale Newfoundland and Labrador pleaded guilty to allowing an undisclosed amount of toxic, untreated water to flow into a nearby cove in 2013. They were fined $30,000.{{cite web| url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/vale-guilty-for-polluting-voiseys-bay-mine-and-fined-1.3732137| title = Vale pleads guilty, fined $30K for polluted water from Voisey's Bay mine {{!}} CBC News}}

At present, workers at Voisey's Bay are flown in, via Voisey's Bay Aerodrome, from other communities in the province, and reside at a work camp while onsite. There are no current plans to build a permanent settlement at Voisey.

Workers at the site went on strike in the summer of 2006. A core issue in the dispute was pay equity with workers at Vale Inco's facilities in Greater Sudbury, Port Colborne and Thompson.[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/voisey-s-bay-workers-end-strike-after-voting-to-accept-deal-1.582333 "Voisey's Bay workers end strike after voting to accept deal"], Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 27 September 2006.

The question of where Voisey's Bay ore would be processed had previously been one of the obstacles to developing the site, with the government of Newfoundland and Labrador demanding that a facility be built in the province to provide jobs there,{{cite news |title=Voisey's Bay headed for fast track: new owner |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/voisey-s-bay-headed-for-fast-track-new-owner-1.593000 |publisher=CBC |date=24 October 2006}}{{cite news |title=No options left with Inco on Argentia: Williams |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/no-options-left-with-inco-on-argentia-williams-1.614750 |publisher=CBC |date=20 October 2006}} while Inco workers in Sudbury and Thompson were simultaneously threatening to strike if the ore was not sent to their existing facilities in order to preserve and protect their jobs.[http://www.northernontariobusiness.com/regionalReports/Sudbury/195457-02-Sudbury-voiseys.pdf "Cautious optimism"], Northern Ontario Business, July 2002. The existing workers in Sudbury and Thompson eventually accepted a compromise; the ore would be shipped to their facilities until 2011, then a new facility that was being built in Newfoundland would be ready to begin operations. The profits from Sudbury and Thompson would be reinvested in developing new mining sites in those communities.

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.vale.com/canada/EN/aboutvale/communities/voiseysbay/Pages/default.aspx}}

Category:Nickel mines in Canada

Category:Mines in Newfoundland and Labrador

Category:Mining communities in Newfoundland and Labrador

Category:Labrador

Category:Vale S.A.