Hecla enters First Nation co-operation agreement in Quebec

Hecla Mining Company, owner of the Casa Berardi gold mine in western Quebec, has finalized a co-operation agreement with the Council of the Abitibiwinni First Nation (CAFN).

The co-operation agreement provides participation in the Casa Berardi mine through training programs, employment and advancement opportunities, business opportunities, environmental protection measures and other practices, the company said.

"We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with the Council of the Abitibiwinni First Nation because of our mutual desire to protect the environment and our respect for Aboriginal people and their traditional way of life,” Hecla Mining president and CEO Phillips S. Baker Jr. stated in a press release.

The Casa Berardi mine, situated 95 km north of La Sarre, Que., has produced approximately 1.9 million gold oz. since 1988. Last year, the mine produced 134,409 oz. of gold.

The mine currently employs over 650 workers in the province.

This story first appeared on www.MINING.com.