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De Beers Victor Mine has completed a successful 2018 reclamation program, with more than 430,000 seedlings planted this year.

Over 105,000 plants were grown on-site in a greenhouse and hydroponic seed starter “Crop Box” facility  from seeds picked in the local area by Attawapiskat First Nation youth in 2017

The remaining 32 9,000 plants were brought in from off-site commercial local nurseries in Timmins and elsewhere using the local seeds that were harvested

The team also collected 6.6 kilograms of local seeds over the past two months – that’s about 5.6 million seeds collected around the Victor Mine area by Reclamation technicians, Workforce North  contractors and the Attawapiskat Labour Group. Species collected included Green and River Alder, Paper Birch, Fireweed, Yarrow and more.

The 2018 program cost approximately $8.4 million, with the bulk of the expenditure for the progressive earthworks program completed by Timmins-based Northec crew. The program was designed to reshape the land to a natural contour, moving hundreds of tonnes of soil, muskeg and other material.

Throughout the coming winter, the earthworks team will continue to reshape areas around the mine for the 2019 reclamation-replanting program.

Since progressive reclamation began at Victor Mine in 2014, close to 600,000 trees and plants have gone into the ground.