
Establishing positive and self-sustaining socio-economic conditions in the communities and regions where we operate is one of the cornerstones of our sustainability program. Our contributions to socio-economic development may come indirectly through government payments or directly through local hiring, the purchase of local goods and services, or our community investments. We also focus on opportunities that deliver shared value and meaningful community contributions after a mine has closed.
At Mount Milligan, social investments are made through collaboration with local communities, stakeholders and Indigenous groups. The Community Sustainability Committee (CSC) is responsible for making recommendations on mine operations and keeping the community informed of any advancements. Mount Milligan’s CSC meetings are documented, and minutes are publicly available here.
In 2015, the Mount Milligan Legacy Program was established to improve the quality of life for residents of nearby communities, such as Fort St. James, Nak’azdli Whut’en, Vanderhoof, Prince George, Mackenzie and the McLeod Lake Indian Band. The program strives to maximize the mine’s positive social and economic contributions to the region. The Mount Milligan Legacy Program has four key components:
- Purchase of Local Goods and Services
- Training for Local Employment
- Educational Scholarships
- Community Project Fund (CPF)
The CPF provides financial support to local organizations working to strengthen community capacity in education and training, health and wellness, environment, community and economic development, and literacy.
At Öksüt, strategic investment is directed into nine key focus areas:
- Community Health
- Educational Support
- Sustainable Income Opportunities
- Infrastructure Improvement
- Supporting Cultural and Artistic Activities
- Supporting Sports Activities Projects
- Donations
- Sponsorships
- Rural Development Projects
Ongoing projects include, but are not limited to, community wellbeing, sustainable income opportunities and infrastructure improvement. Most projects are carried out in cooperation with local governments, local NGOs and target groups. Projects are implemented with the financial and technical contributions of these stakeholders.
Mount Milligan also enters into strategic partnerships that contribute multi-year funding to local education and environmental initiatives. In 2018, Mount Milligan committed to three years of funding totalling C$45,000 to support a joint initiative between the local school district and the University of Northern British Columbia. The initiative will lead to the creation of an interactive, geospatial watershed portal and a series of co-learning activities for students, educators, and researchers, including more than 10 participating Indigenous groups. This partnership was continued in 2021 through the Centerra Gold Partners in Education Grant.
Through our strategic community investments, we seek to create capacity and self-sufficiency in the local community, which will help minimize dependency on the mining project. For example, the Alternative Feed Production Project at Öksüt produced an alternative feed that meets the needs of the region by establishing an animal feed factory that incorporates innovations. The nutritional value of the feed produced with this new technology will increase from 75% to 97% and farmers will directly benefit from the reduced feed costs.
To learn more about Mount Milligan and Oksut’s social investment and donations click here.