Agnico reports contractor fatality near Hope Bay mine

It has been an unusually bad year for mining fatalities at Canadian mining operations. Counting the latest fatality, at least four people have lost their lives on the job in 2021 – most of them contractors.

In August, a worker employed by contractor Barminco died in an incident at Barrick Gold’s (TSX: ABX; NYSE: GOLD) Hemlo mine in northern Ontario.

In June, a contractor died after a fall at Hudbay Minerals’ (TSX: HBM; NYSE: HBM) Lalor underground gold-copper-zinc mine in Snow Lake, Manitoba.

And a contract driller died in a mud rush incident in early February at New Gold’s (TSX: NDG) New Afton mine near Kamloops, in British Columbia.

In July 2020, a worker died at Pretium Resources’ (TSX: PVG; NYSE: PVG) Brucejack mine near Stewart in northwestern BC during maintenance at a support facility at surface.

Hope Bay is a recent acquisition for Agnico Eagle. The gold miner made a friendly offer for the asset’s owner, TMAC Resources, in January, after the federal government blocked a takeover of the junior by China’s Shandong Gold Mining.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)