Government of Canada awards contract for construction management and care and maintenance services for the Faro Mine Remediation Project

WHITEHORSE, YT, Feb. 15, 2022 /CNW/ - Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada & Public Services and Procurement Canada

The health and safety of Canadians, the protection of our environment and advancing Indigenous reconciliation are priorities for the Government of Canada.

Following an open and competitive process, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), on behalf of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, has awarded a contract to Parsons Inc. for construction management and care and maintenance services at the Faro Mine Complex. This contract will make a significant contribution to restoring and protecting the environment on and adjacent to the mine site, while bringing socio-economic benefits to northern and First Nations communities. These benefits include opportunities for employment, training and skills development, as well as for businesses to supply other goods and services to the project. 

The Faro Mine Remediation Project is one of the largest and most complex abandoned mine clean-up projects underway in Canada. The main construction manager will be responsible for managing construction work and care and maintenance services at the Faro Mine Complex, including contaminated water treatment; road maintenance; and management of infrastructure, waste, fuel and supplies.

PSPC also awarded CH2M Hill Canada Ltd. a $5.8‑million contract on July 27, 2021, for the design of the Faro Mine Permanent Water Treatment Plant. Additional procurement processes are underway, or planned, for services that include remediation design planning, environmental monitoring, geotechnical and regulatory support.

Together, these contracts will help to create and sustain long-term northern jobs while improving the environment for local communities.

Quotes

"Our government is taking action to protect the environment, advance reconciliation and strengthen the economy in Canada's North. Through this contract award, we are taking another significant step towards the full remediation of the Faro Mine Complex in Yukon, and providing opportunities for socio-economic development and capacity building for local First Nations."

The Honourable Filomena Tassi
Minister of Public Services and Procurement

"This contract award represents a significant milestone in the Faro Mine Remediation Project, and supports Canada's long-term commitment to improving the human, environmental and socio-economic health and well-being of communities in the North and the Arctic. Our government is committed to meaningful engagement, participation and partnership with affected Indigenous communities in all aspects of this project, from site remediation plans, to managing the project in such a way as to maximize socio-economic opportunities and benefits to local Indigenous communities." 

The Honourable Daniel Vandal
Minister of Northern Affairs

"The Faro Mine was constructed on the Ross River Dena Council's traditional territory and many of our community members and families were displaced by the mine. The legacy of harm is both physical and emotional. The decision of Canada and Yukon to advance this project and Canada's sincere efforts to support a remediation process that includes our community is a major step towards improving both the land and our peoples' experience around the Faro Mine. The main construction manager award is a critical step in starting this important work."

Chief Caesar
Ross River Dena Council First Nation

"The Faro Mine Remediation Project is one of the most costly and complex projects of its kind in the country. This project is about restoring the environment, while maximizing local socio-economic benefits and protecting human health and safety, particularly for communities adjacent to Faro and Ross River. I am pleased to see the ongoing commitment of the federal government, and its dedicated partnership with the Kaska and Selkirk First Nations, Yukon government, and other partners." 

Brendan Hanley
Member of Parliament for Yukon

Quick facts 

• The contract is structured to accommodate the phased approach of the remediation plan: this initial contract award of $108.2 million is for services until March 31, 2024, and includes options to extend through the duration of active remediation, which is expected to be completed by 2038.
• Once the largest open-pit lead-zinc mine in the world, Faro Mine was a major economic driver for Yukon and Canada from its opening in 1969 to its abandonment in 1998.
• Nearly 30 years of processing materials at the mine has left behind 70 million tonnes of tailings and 320 million tonnes of waste rocks.
• The mine spans 25 square kilometres, an area roughly the size of the city of Victoria, British Columbia.
• The Government of Canada funds the project and is leading care and maintenance, urgent works, site monitoring, consultation, remediation plan design, the regulatory process and construction work for active remediation.
• First Nations, the Town of Faro, and other stakeholders are consulted on an ongoing basis to ensure the project incorporates their input. First Nations include the Kaska Dena First Nations and Selkirk First Nation.
• As part of Canada's commitment to reconciliation, the main construction management contract includes commitments by the contractor to ensure employment and training opportunities for Kaska Dena citizens and subcontracting to Kaska Dena-owned businesses.
• Remediation of the mine is expected to take 15 years to complete, followed by testing, monitoring and care and maintenance into the long-term.

Associated links
Faro Mine Remediation Project: Yukon
Parsons Corporation

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SOURCE Public Services and Procurement Canada

Olivier Pilon, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Filomena Tassi, 613-323-6621, [email protected]; Media Relations, Public Services and Procurement Canada, 819-420-5501, [email protected]; Kyle Allen, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Daniel Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, 819-953-1153; Media Relations, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, 819-953-1160, [email protected]