Aroland First Nation Chief Sonny Gagnon objects to gold mine

The Chief of Aroland First Nation rejects plans for an open pit gold mine near Geraldton, Ontario because of the damage he says it will cause to an Aboriginal fishery.

"This is one of the worst project proposals I've ever seen," Chief Sonny Gagnon said in a news release issued on Friday.

Gagnon said Premier Gold's Hardrock Mine project will destroy Begooch Zaagiagan, "a 16 acre lake that supports important fishers and fish spawning ground."

No one from the company was available to comment to CBC on Friday.

'Low level' environmental assessment

According to documents submitted to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency in April, "the Project has been developed in order to select watercourse realignments with the aim of minimizing the overall environmental effects to flow regimes, water transfer between subwatersheds, fish and fish habitat and to maximize project efficiencies."

Gagnon is calling for a full, individual environmental assessment of the project with federal involvement.

"Right now only a low level of assessment and scrutiny is planned," he said, adding Aroland has not been properly consulted.

Houses, highway, police station to be moved

"It is shocking to me how much damage Premier Gold intends to cause and what it seems to want to get away with by avoiding scrutiny from environmental laws and environmental consultation," Gagnon said.

Premier Gold hopes to begin construction of the mine in 2016. If approved, the company intends to purchase and remove nearly 50 private homes, a police station and a gas station to make way for the mine. 

Four kilometres of the Trans-Canada highway would also need to be re-aligned.