Osisko | Community | Resettlement

Resettlement

On the road to a new Malartic!

On July 9, 2008, two houses were successfully moved from the southern end of Malartic to their new location at the north end of town. The undertaking marked the beginning of the relocation program into the new Malartic neighbourhood. Osisko would like to thank the Malartic and Abitibi-Timiskaming citizens for their cooperation, which contributed enormously to the success of this first day!

The achievement was the result of careful planning and the collaboration of both families and Malartic authorities. Hundreds of individual and group meetings between Osisko representatives and Malartic residents have taken place since 2006 in preparation for this day. The meetings provided a venue for residents to discuss the process and to choose the plot of land where they would like to move their house.

Why start the relocation before Osisko has obtained the necessary permits to begin mining?

Osisko is very confident that the Canadian Malartic project will be economically viable and an example of sustainable development. With this outlook in mind, Osisko took a calculated risk for the following reasons:

It is beneficial for everyone involved that the process starts now. This way, once Osisko obtains the required permits, it can accelerate development and start mining without delay. The citizens from the old neighbourhood will not have to live with the inconvenience of a mine construction site near their houses. Their quality of life will be much better, having already moved to their new homes.
In moving forward immediately, Osisko can maximize any local and regional economic benefits related to its mining activities. By avoiding a situation in which everything must be done at once, Osisko will reduce the need to resort to outside labour.