Wahnapitae First Nation and Mohawk Garnet Incorporated (MGI), an Ontario based mining company owned and run by members of the Mohawk Nation, signed a Memorandum of Understanding last week, stated a news release.
The agreement provides mutual commitments for the parties to work together to develop Canada’s only Aboriginal-owned garnet mine.
“This special relationship that we have with Mohawk Garnet, not only paves the way for benefits for our community members, but also serves as a model between First Nations group who want to work together,” said Chief Ted Roque in the release.
The Mohawk Garnet Inc garnet mine is located within the Wahnapitae First Nation traditional territory on the southeast side of Lake Wahnapitae, east of Sudbury. The deposit has been in the development stage for more than a year and has produced a high quality garnet abrasive which is used in global abrasives industries. The operation calls for a permanent and expanded milling facility with material handling and shipping controlled off-site.
“While we have worked with our investors and other governments to develop this garnet deposit, the most meaningful and business case approach for us has been to work with the Wahnapitae First Nation’s government in the spirit of a nation building business venture,” said Phil Monture, president of Mohawk Garnet, in the news release.
The Wahnapitae First Nation has developed its own policies and procedures to work in partnership with all resource developers in their territory, according to the release. As the community continues to grow, it hopes to work with other partners like Mohawk Garnet Inc.
“We’re very excited about signing this MOU today, as it sets out how our community can grow with the success of Mohawk Garnet’s operations,” continued Chief Roque in the news release.
The Memorandum of Understanding describes how the parties will develop a human resources plan and structure a joint environmental management system. It also sets out a means to discuss business participation as the project moves toward full scale mining, milling and production.
For more information, phone Roque at 858-0610 or Monture at 1-866-642-7638.
