Winsome Resources (hereinafter Winsome) is pleased to announce that it has submitted the Preliminary Information Statement for its Adina Lithium Mining Project (to the Provincial Administrator of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA)) for assessment by the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Committee (COMEV), an advisory body composed of members appointed by the governments of Quebec, Canada and the Cree Nation.
A Rigorous and Collaborative Process
“This marks the beginning of a well-defined regulatory assessment process that can only be beneficial for all stakeholders, including future investors and strategic partners. It will provide additional details on our Development Project based on the technical studies completed to date, and will allow us to continue discussions and collaborations to maximize the benefits for the host communities and for Quebec as a whole.” – Chris Evans, General Manager
“We look forward to continuing our discussions with the communities of Eeyou Istchee James Bay and the various stakeholders to develop a sustainable Project that is aligned with our company values and contributes to the energy transition. More specifically, we are excited to explore how to maximize the impact of the Project on local communities, particularly in terms of creating local employment opportunities, training and skills development.” » – Geneviève Morinville, Vice President, Sustainable Development and Regulatory Affairs
Three key elements that are an integral part of the Project
The feasibility of the Adina Lithium mining project is based on the synergy of three distinct and essential components:
- The Adina extraction site (owned by Winsome);
- The Renard site (owned by Stornoway Diamonds (Canada) Inc., but where Winsome holds an exclusive option to acquire) where the ore will be processed;
- A road corridor eventually linking these two sites for the transportation of the ore.
On the Adina site, Winsome plans to extract lithium-bearing spodumene pegmatite and transport it to the Renard site, where the existing infrastructure already in place will be used to process it. This choice makes it possible to capitalize on existing facilities that have demonstrated environmental compliance through mitigation and environmental monitoring measures already in effect under the Environmental and Social Monitoring Program (ESMP) of the Renard site since 2016.
Next steps
- The submission of the Preliminary Information Statement makes it possible to share updated project details with the communities of interest in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region, in particular the Cree Nation of Mistissini, whose traditional lands overlap the Adina and Renard sites.
- This process officially launches the regulatory process for obtaining authorizations and permits for the Project as well as the proposed modifications for the Renard site.
- In the coming months, COMEV will formulate a recommendation for a directive on the nature and scope of the studies to be carried out as part of the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) specific to the Project.
Winsome welcomes the opportunity to continue this constructive and informed dialogue with local communities and stakeholders to ensure the responsible and sustainable development of the Adina Lithium Project.