Detour Gold Concludes Impact and Benefit Agreement with Métis Nation of Ontario
Detour Gold Corporation (TSX: DGC) (“Detour Gold” or the “Company”) and the Métis Nation of Ontario (“MNO”), as represented by its President Gary Lipinski and the MNO’s Regional Consultation Committee for the James Bay-Abitibi/Temiscamingue areas are pleased to announce that they have finalized an Impact and Benefit Agreement (“IBA”) with respect to the development and operation of the Company’s Detour Lake gold mining project in northeastern Ontario. A formal signing ceremony will be held in the near future.
The IBA includes provisions on how the Métis community will benefit from the development of the Detour Lake project and throughout the life of the mine, including employment and business opportunities, training and education initiatives and financial participation in the project. The IBA also establishes a Métis scholarship and bursary program at College Boreal and Northern College. Further details about the scholarships criteria will be released in partnership with the colleges in their student handbooks. The IBA reflects Detour Gold’s commitment to protecting the environment and wildlife, and supporting the community’s social and cultural practices in a spirit of continued cooperation.
Gerald Panneton, President and CEO of Detour Gold, stated, “We are very pleased with our working relationship with the MNO and to have this agreement in place. It is exciting that they have partnered with us to create the Métis scholarships and bursaries at the colleges that will provide educational financial support to Métis youth for the next two decades.”
MNO’s President, Gary Lipinski, commented, “This IBA is the first-of-its-kind between a mining company and a Métis community. It represents a significant step forward in relations between the mining industry and Ontario Métis. We applaud Detour Gold’s leadership in working collaboratively with the Métis community on environmental issues and ensuring it will benefit from the Detour Lake project.”
Marcel Lafrance, Chair of the MNO Regional Consultation Committee for the James Bay-Abitibi/Temiscamingue areas, highlighted, “This IBA could not have been achieved without the support and engagement of the Métis community as well as cooperation amongst the Community Councils in the region. We look forward to continuing to work with Detour Gold for the benefit of our citizens and the future success of our youth.”
About Detour Gold
Detour Gold is a Canadian gold exploration and development company whose primary focus is to advance the development of its Detour Lake gold project, located in northeastern Ontario, towards production. Detour Gold’s shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol DGC.
About the MNO
The MNO represents Métis citizens and communities throughout Ontario. For more information about the MNO visit www.metisnation.org.
For further information please contact:
Gerald Panneton, President and CEO
Tel: (416) 304.0800
Laurie Gaborit, Director Investor Relations
Tel: (416) 304.0581
Detour Gold Corporation, Royal Bank Plaza, South Tower, 200 Bay Street, Suite 2200, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2J1
Gary Lipinski, MNO President
Tel: (613) 798.1488
Mike Fedyk, MNO Communications
Tel: (613) 798.1488
Métis Nation of Ontario, 500 Old St. Patrick, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 9G4
