Welcome back to your weekly mining news recap, where we catch you up on some of the news you may have missed. This week’s headlines include the early completion of the Bruce Power Unit 3 nuclear upgrade, Quebec’s battery industry strategy under scrutiny, and Epiroc and Ericsson advancing LTE and 5G mining.

Eldorado Gold produced its first copper concentrate at the McIlvenna Bay project in Saskatchewan, which it acquired earlier this year with its purchase of Foran Mining. Eldorado is ramping up operations to reach its nameplate capacity of 4,900 tonnes of copper per day and is targeting commercial production in the third quarter of this year. The company is also advancing nearby exploration targets to grow the project’s long-term copper, zinc, gold and silver potential.

A B.C. Supreme Court decision has overturned the Substantial Start Determination for Seabridge Gold’s KSM copper-gold project, requiring the province to restart consultations with the Tsetsaut Skii km Lax Ha Nation, CBC News reported. While the project received the determination in 2024 and was later designated a provincial priority project in April, the court decision effectively halts that momentum. The judge found that the Nation was not adequately consulted and ordered that it be given 90 days to provide submissions before a new decision is made.

McEwen has released a prefeasibility study for its Grey Fox gold project at the Fox Complex near Timmins, Ontario, outlining a 15-year mine life. The project is expected to produce an average of about 87,000 ounces of gold annually from 2028 to 2041, with initial capital costs of US$181 million. Development at Grey Fox will require amendments to existing Fox Complex permits, with construction targeted for spring 2027 and commercial production anticipated in 2029.

Ontario has finished refurbishing Bruce Power’s Unit 3 nuclear reactor seven months ahead of schedule. The upgraded unit, part of the Bruce Power Life-Extension Program, will deliver over 800 megawatts of clean electricity for more than 35 years—enough to power more than 800,000 homes. The province anticipates electricity demand could grow as much as 90 per cent by 2050.

Quebec’s auditor general identified a lack of planning in the province’s battery sector investments, noting missing elements such as clear objectives, timelines and targets, as well as insufficient analysis to identify and assess risks, CBC News reported. A review of 29 files related to 11 companies, covering about $2.2 billion in authorized financial support, found that several companies later entered creditor protection, suspended or abandoned projects, or faced significant financial difficulties. The full fiscal impact remains uncertain since some projects are still ongoing or under review.

Epiroc and Ericsson have expanded their collaboration, first established in 2018, to advance LTE and 5G connectivity solutions for the mining industry. Under the global agreement, Epiroc will make Ericsson’s cellular technology available through its customer centres worldwide. The partnership is designed to support mining companies with both surface and underground operations as they expand automation and digitalization efforts.

Glencore PLC announced that it will restart pollution-reduction work at its Horne copper smelter in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, after the provincial government extended the deadline to meet stricter arsenic-emissions limits to the end of 2029, The Globe and Mail reported. The company said, however, that the facility’s long-term future still depends on federal support of reportedly around $150 million to help to pay for new pollution control systems. The smelter, a key Canadian copper-processing asset, has faced economic pressures, environmental scrutiny and legal challenges, while governments continue discussing funding options and emissions targets.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the bipartisan DOMINANCE Act (Developing Overseas Mineral Investments and New Allied Networks for Critical Energies), a bill aimed at strengthening U.S. energy security and critical mineral supply chains while reducing reliance on China, Mining.com reported. The legislation encourages cooperation with allied countries, supports investment in mining and processing, and supports efforts to expand capacity for critical mineral production.

The Haileybury School of Mines is revitalizing its mining engineering technology program and facilities to better prepare students for today’s modern mining industry, I, Ashley Fish-Robertson, reported for CIM Magazine. The renewed program will incorporate the use of new technologies, upgraded labs and emphasize fieldwork and paid co-op placements. The program will welcome its first cohort in September.

Rio Tinto has piloted an autonomous electric blasthole drill at its Iron Ore Company of Canada mine in Labrador City, Newfoundland and Labrador, marking the first deployment of the technology in a subarctic environment, Kristen Frisa reported for CIM Magazine. Developed through a partnership with Komatsu, which helped integrate Rio Tinto’s Autonomous Drill Systems into an electric drill platform, the drill system entered into operation in September 2025 following testing and validation. Rio Tinto has said the pilot has delivered productivity gains of more than 20 per cent compared with manual drilling while improving safety through remote-controlled operations.

That’s all for this week. If you’ve got feedback, you can always reach us at editor@cim.org. If you’ve got something to add, why not join the conversation on our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram pages?