SHERBROOKE: The leading voice in the conservation and protection of Nova Scotia’s longest river has launched a new Web site to inform citizens about the threat of gold mining to the watershed.
The St. Mary’s River Association (SMRA) says the purpose of the site is to engage and educate citizens about the proposed Cochrane Hill gold mine project.
Atlantic Gold, a subsidiary of Australia’s St. Barbara Mining, is proposing to dig a large open pit gold mine less than a kilometre from the St. Mary’s River. According to the SMRA, the development footprint would also swallow up the headwaters of McKeen Brook, a critical spawning habitat for endangered wild Atlantic salmon.
“Atlantic Gold is running a campaign to influence the public and downplay the environmental risks of the proposed Cochrane Hill mine,” said Scott Beaver, president of the SMRA. “We’re meeting this challenge with a user-friendly way for people to access information and engage with decision makers.”
Beaver, who is also an organizer of the No Open Pit Excavation (NOPE) campaign, indicated SMRA designed the site to address all aspects of the proposed Cochrane Hill Gold Mine.
Since August 2019, the NOPE campaign has been active gathering information and educating community members about risks associated with the proposed Cochrane Hill gold mine project.
The SMRA envisions a number of goals for the site, which came on-line March 25, including; educating the community on topical information related to the operation of a gold mine in their local community, and to engage community members in a dialogue that is helpful in making informed choices and having meaningful conversation.
They also hope it will act as a tool to foster productive relationships between the District of St. Mary’s Council, the local community, First Nations, Atlantic Mining NS Corp. and its representatives, as well as provincial and federal regulators.
The St. Mary’s River runs through the proposed Cochrane Hill Gold mine and as currently designed, poses a significant risk to the integrity of the river and the surrounding communities, according to SMRA.
Additionally, SMRA is wishing the site will empower community members to actively engage with Atlantic Mining NS Corp. providing suggestions for alternatives to those aspects of the project that have the least impact on the environment and greatest imact on the social well-being of the community.
Finally, the group hopes this will allow them to build trust between themselves and the community with the benefit being the protection of the environment now and into the future.
The new Web site can be viewed at: https://www.thegoldmineconversation.com/.