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 Northwestern Ontario. The company is advancing two complementary initiatives: recovery and remediation of the historical Sturgeon River Mine surface waste rock stockpile, and a proposed Advanced Exploration Project involving dewatering and rehabilitation of the historical mine shaft and underground workings.
For the surface stockpile, 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 stockpile, a legacy of historic mining, contains mineralized material that LAURION seeks to recover through removal and off-site processing, followed by remediation. The company notes that recovery is not expected to require new infrastructure, mining, or underground development.
Separately, LAURION is preparing a Permit to Take Water (PTTW) application for dewatering the flooded Sturgeon River Mine shaft, with a submission target of Q4 2026. The shaft extends approximately 642 metres below surface and contains an estimated 114,000 cubic metres of static water. The proposed Advanced Exploration Project would involve removing the shaft cap, rehabilitating the collar, installing a temporary headframe and hoisting plant, and controlled dewatering to allow safe underground access for exploration drilling and sampling. No commercial mineral production or ore processing is currently proposed.
These initiatives matter because they represent a significant step toward unlocking the potential of a historical site while addressing legacy environmental hazards. The recovery of the stockpile could provide non-dilutive value by processing residual mineralization, while dewatering the shaft may enable LAURION to evaluate gold-bearing structures that were not fully explored before mining ceased in 1942. Successful permitting would also demonstrate a model for responsible redevelopment of historical mine sites.
Over the past five years, LAURION has completed a comprehensive environmental baseline program, including terrestrial ecology, species at risk and bat studies, aquatic and benthic studies, groundwater and surface water monitoring, shaft water and hydrogeological studies, and a Stage 1 Archaeological Assessment. These studies will inform project design, environmental protection measures, and regulatory approvals. The company is also advancing an Advanced Exploration Closure Plan and additional environmental approvals for mine water treatment and discharge, air and noise emissions, with submissions targeted for early 2027.
LAURION has engaged with Indigenous communities through an Indigenous Joint Steering Committee and project-specific consultation with Animbiigoo Zaagi’igan Anishinaabek First Nation, Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation, and Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek First Nation. Public consultation will also be part of the Closure Plan process.
Management commentary emphasized the thoroughness of the work. “Five years of rigorous, independent environmental baseline work is not a small undertaking,” said Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin, President and CEO. “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.” She added that dewatering the shaft is expected to provide safe underground access for geological mapping and evaluation, and facilitate rehabilitation of a long-standing legacy mine hazard.
Linda Byron, Director at Blue Heron Environmental, which supported the baseline studies, said, “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.”
For further information, visit www.LAURION.ca.
