Harte Gold celebrated the grand opening of its Sugar Zone gold mine in northern Ontario, the province’s first new operating gold mine in a decade, on Oct. 24. 

Sugar Zone, which has been in the works since 2009 and finished construction in August, is expected to have a life of 12 years. The mine has indicated mineral resources of 2.6 million tonnes at 8.52 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and inferred resources of 3.6 million tonnes at a grade of 6.59 g/t gold.

“We are excited to open the Sugar Zone gold mine in Northern Ontario,” Harte Gold CEO Stephen G. Roman said in a statement. “This gold mine means jobs, hope and opportunity for a region that has often been ignored and demonstrates the mining industry is alive and well in Ontario.”'

Harte said it mined around 100,000 tonnes of mineralized material at Sugar Zone in 2017.

Related: Ontario does away with traditional staking process in mining act modernization

The mine will initially begin production at 540 tonnes per day (tpd), but plans to apply to increase production to 800 tpd by the fourth quarter of 2019, with an eventual end production of 1,400 tpd. According to the preliminary economic assessment, Harte has opted to use a longitudinal longhole retreat stoping mining method for Sugar Zone.

The report also estimates an operating cost of $128.01 per tonne processed.

The company was joined by Ontario premier Doug Ford and energy, northern development and mines minister Greg Rickford for the ribbon cutting ceremony.

“Opening a new gold mine is a tremendous feat, particularly a former junior exploration company,” Rickford said. “The Sugar Zone mine will be a powerful economic engine in the region, and is a great example of growth and prosperity happening here in Northern Ontario.”