LAURION Mineral Exploration Inc. (TSX-V: LME | OTC: LMEFF | FSE: 5YD) has provided an update on environmental, technical and regulatory work at its 100%-owned Ishkōday Gold and Polymetallic Project in the Onaman-Tashota, Beardmore-Geraldton Greenstone Belt of Northwestern Ontario. The company is advancing two complementary initiatives at the historical Sturgeon River Mine: recovery and remediation of a surface waste rock stockpile, and an Advanced Exploration Project focused on dewatering, rehabilitating and evaluating the historical mine shaft and underground workings.
LAURION has submitted an application for a Recovery of Minerals Permit to the Ministry of Energy and Mines, including a Recovery and Remediation Plan, under section 152.1 of Ontario’s Mining Act and Ontario Regulation 463/24. The Sturgeon River Mine surface waste rock stockpile is a legacy of historic mining operations and, based on historic and current technical information, contains mineralized material that LAURION seeks authorization to recover. The material exists on surface from decades-old operations, and its recovery is not expected to require new infrastructure, mining or underground development. The proposed work would involve removal and off-site processing of the material, followed by remediation of the stockpile area in accordance with provincial standards.
Separately, LAURION is advancing plans to rehabilitate the historical Sturgeon River Mine shaft to facilitate further evaluation and exploration of the historical in-situ resource potential. The historical mine workings include a vertical shaft extending approximately 642 metres below surface and 15 historical underground levels. The mine has remained flooded since operations ceased in 1942, with approximately 114,000 cubic metres of static water previously estimated within the underground workings. The proposed Advanced Exploration Project would involve removal of the existing shaft cap, rehabilitation of the shaft collar, and installation of a temporary exploration headframe and hoisting plant to allow safe access, controlled dewatering, and progressive rehabilitation of the shaft and existing underground levels. Once safe underground access is established, LAURION intends to undertake underground exploration drilling and sampling. No commercial mineral production or ore processing is currently proposed as part of the Advanced Exploration Project.
To facilitate the evaluation and exploration of the historical underground workings, LAURION is preparing a Permit to Take Water (“PTTW”) application for dewatering activities to submit to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, with a submission target for Q4 2026. Given the proposed volume of water taking, a detailed hydrogeological impact assessment will be completed. In parallel, LAURION is advancing other regulatory requirements, including preparation of an Advanced Exploration Closure Plan under Ontario’s Mining Act, with submissions targeted for early 2027. Additional environmental approvals for mine water treatment and discharge, air and noise emissions, and associated infrastructure are also being advanced.
Over the past five years, LAURION has commissioned independent environmental baseline studies to support project planning and compliance. These include terrestrial ecology, species at risk and bat studies; aquatic and benthic studies; groundwater and surface water studies; shaft water and hydrogeological studies; and a Stage 1 Archaeological Assessment. Together, these studies provide a foundation for ongoing regulatory review and permitting activities. Environmental studies and monitoring programs will continue to be refined as project planning progresses.
LAURION has continued to engage with applicable Indigenous communities regarding the Ishkōday Project, including the proposed transition to advanced exploration through dewatering and the recovery and off-site processing of the surface waste rock stockpile. Project and permitting updates are being advanced through the Indigenous Joint Steering Committee, with project-specific consultation and engagement with Animbiigoo Zaagi’igan Anishinaabek First Nation (AZA), Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation (BNA), and Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek First Nation (BZA). As part of the Closure Plan process, LAURION will provide public notice and hold public meetings in accordance with Ministry of Energy and Mines direction and Ontario Regulation 35/24.
“Five years of rigorous, independent environmental baseline work is not a small undertaking, and I am proud of the diligence our team and consultants have brought to this work,” said Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin, President and CEO of LAURION. “This stockpile represents decades-old mining waste sitting on surface today. Recovering potentially economic residual mineralization within the stockpile, and doing so responsibly, is exactly the kind of value-additive, environmentally sound project our shareholders should expect from LAURION.” She added that the proposed dewatering and rehabilitation of the historical Sturgeon River shaft is an equally important initiative. “Historical records indicate the presence of gold-bearing structures on multiple underground levels that were not fully explored prior to the cessation of mining activities in 1942,” she said. “Subject to regulatory approvals, the proposed dewatering program is expected to provide safe underground access for geological mapping, sampling and evaluation, allowing our technical team to better understand the mineralized system.”
Linda Byron, Director at Blue Heron Environmental, commented, “Blue Heron has been pleased to support LAURION with the environmental baseline studies and permitting work required to advance the Ishkōday Project. We appreciate the hard work and commitment demonstrated by the LAURION team throughout this process and are excited to see the Company take this important next step in moving the project forward.” The technical contents of the update were reviewed and approved by Dr. Trevor Boyd, Ph.D., P.Geo., a consultant to LAURION and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.
LAURION is a mid-stage Canadian mineral exploration company focused on advancing the 100%-owned Ishkōday Gold and Base Metal Project, which covers approximately 57 km² within the prolific Beardmore–Geraldton and Onaman–Tashota Greenstone Belts and hosts a single 6.0 km by 2.5 km mineralised corridor. Historical and modern exploration programs have completed over 98,000 metres of drilling, confirming a large and evolving gold-rich base metal mineral system. For more information, visit the company’s website at http://www.LAURION.ca.
