Troilus joined the United Nations (UN) Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, in August 2022. We were one of the first junior mining companies to join a global community of over 16,000 companies helping achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our membership in the initiative is a commitment to continue to conduct our business responsibly and align our activities with The Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the UN in 2015 as a call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity by 2030. In our day-to-day activities, Troilus seeks to incorporate a commitment to the principles of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, recognizing that even small actions can have a positive impact in the communities in which we operate.
Troilus pays its employees competitive wages and benefits and prioritizes hiring and procurement of goods and services from the local community. The economic value of wages and payments to suppliers helps to invigorate the local economy in a remote region of northern Quebec.
Troilus sponsored the annual United Way Golf Tournament in Chibougamau, which raised +$80,000 in 2022 to support local programming for members of the community in need.
Troilus is helping to end hunger in our neighbouring communities located in Quebec, Canada, and aiding in food security by donating to local food banks. In 2022, Troilus entered a partnership with the local food bank to transfer excess food from site to members of the community and purchased containers to portion out meals for delivery to those in need.
Health and safety are a top priority at Troilus. We ensure that all our employees have the tools required to perform their duties safely to maintain a safe work environment. Troilus also supports improved health and well-being; we ensure our employees can maintain a physically active lifestyle and promote physical activity in our community by sponsoring local sporting activities and events in Chibougamau and Mistisinni.
We have renewed our annual sponsorship of the Cree Youth Recreation programming in addition to supporting several sports clubs and events in its neighbouring communities, including the Chibougamau boxing club, Chibougamau Club MX, the Chibougamau Curling Club, and the Big Rock Fishing Derby.
Troilus has a full-time nurse on site in order to provide first aid and assistance to other exploration companies and impacted families in the immediate area. Additionally, to ensure employees benefit from different physical activities on site, Troilus has set up skating rinks, biking and hiking trails and a fitness room.
We are committed to supporting young professionals by providing hands-on opportunities and unique career-building experiences that provide the tools necessary to excel in the mining industry.
A three-year multi-disciplinary research program was launched with Western University’s Department of Earth Sciences and Université de Laval in 2022, providing MSc and PhD students to develop exploration strategies. We provide summer internship opportunities for students in various fields and host apprentices on site as a training hub for the diamond drilling training program to gain hands-on experiences for careers in the mining industry.
We value diversity and believe a diversified team is essential to developing our project responsibly. All employees and contractors are treated fairly and are provided with equal opportunities at all levels of the organization. In 2022, ~38% of employees and 40% of the senior management team at Troilus were female.
We ensure best water management practices are in place to sustain water quality and minimize the impact on water sources. We are committed to collaborating with neighbouring and First Nations communities using their knowledge to mitigate environmental impacts.
We have eliminated the use of plastic water bottles on site and have undertaken voluntary water testing and sanitation disposal for the impacted families living on site.
Troilus is committed to developing a carbon-neutral mining operation. We have engaged Tugliq Énergie Co. to develop a roadmap towards our goal and to identify areas where we can improve energy efficiency and rely more on alternative energy sources that are renewable/sustainable instead of using fossil fuels. Troilus already benefits from a fully operational 50MVA electricity substation from the previous mining operation resulting in 71% of the energy used on-site coming from renewable energy. As an ECOLOGO certified company, we are committed to evaluating our emissions and finding opportunities to reduce them on a yearly basis.
Our objective is to contribute to the social and economic development of our communities to create improvements beyond the life cycle of the mine. Troilus believes that local procurement contributes to a vibrant and regional economy which is one of the main ways to help attract new investment and create more job opportunities for qualified job seekers leading to stronger communities. In 2022, local suppliers made up 64% of Troilus’ total procurement spending and C$3.51M of wages were paid in Quebec.
As part of our Pre-Development Agreement with the Cree Nation of Mistissini, the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istche) and the Cree Nation, there is a framework supporting business and employment opportunities for the Cree.
Troilus understands the importance of investing in sustainable infrastructure as it currently benefits from inherited infrastructure from the former mine site. Access to infrastructure and innovation are crucial drivers of economic growth and development.
Troilus has remained committed to fostering innovation by providing research projects to the NRC in addition to collaborating academically with Western University.
A donation to the University of Toronto’s Department of Earth Sciences was made for the Experiential Learning Fund, which will allow for undergraduate students to participate in core field courses and gain firsthand experience with mapping and geophysical instruments.
Troilus has also invested in infrastructure on site. We installed an LTE network to provide increased access to internet at site with the potential to be extended to the immediate area.
At Troilus, we work closely with our stakeholders to promote social, economic, and political inclusion. We strive to maintain a productive and supportive work environment based on mutual respect, fairness and integrity and ensure equal opportunities based on merit are provided to employees.
We do not tolerate any discriminatory conduct in the workplace. We ensure our policies and procedures are communicated internally to maintain our corporate culture of accountability and transparency.
We support the development of our communities by investing in initiatives that promote both social and economic growth and will create long-term value beyond the life of the mine. We have ensured that responsible closure has been maintained since the mine closed. The former Troilus mine (1996-2010) had a tailings facility which has been rehabilitated and is now a favoured resting place for migratory birds. Additionally, Troilus sponsors Chibougamau’s annual Kiwanis event, a seedling and sapling giveaway to residents to help naturalize the local community.
Troilus has established open, transparent, and honest communications with its stakeholders and has actively engaged with impacted families, the Cree Nation and the local governments of Chibougamau and Chapais in order to assess social acceptability of the project, identify potential impacts and build long-lasting relationships with the communities. A cultural site is currently under construction at the Troilus mine site in partnership with impacted families in order to preserve cultural heritage and enhance community well-being.
We understand the importance of having efficiency in managing environmental impacts at our site. Troilus has implemented a program to limit the amount of waste produced and disposed of at the landfill. The waste reduction program focuses on recycling, reducing, and reusing. Most recently, employees initiated a composting project on site to reduce waste and grow vegetables.
In 2022, Troilus engaged Tugliq Énergie to help create a road map to achieve our goal of a carbon-neutral mining operation. Troilus already benefits from a 50MVA electricity substation on-site, resulting in 71% of our energy used being renewable. By conducting an audit of historical and current GHG emissions we have identified opportunities to reduce our GHG emissions from current and future activities.
Conserving our marine environment is essential to the responsible development of the Troilus Project. A key component in the project’s advancement is the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in which we’ve had to monitor the environment in all four seasons of the year, including routine monitoring of water quality on site. Water from the tailings pond is also treated and reintegrated into the local environment.
Troilus hosted a water management workshop which included technical consultants and impacted families to ensure the knowledge and opinions of the land users are incorporated into our design and planning.
Troilus also follows a post-closure monitoring program that evaluates water quality in the project area to ensure the absence of risk for the environment and land users.
The ECOLOGO certification establishes several guidelines for exploration activities that occur 20 metres or less from waterways and wetlands, such as limiting pumping in surface streams to maintain water levels in streams, ensuring the removal of total suspended solids in wastewater before it flows into wetland or waterways, maintaining a protective buffer between wetlands/waterways and machinery, and ensuring surface water intakes do not impact fish and their habitat.
Since 2019 Troilus has been evaluating fish habitat and distribution to reduce the project’s future impacts and for consideration in planning the project’s infrastructure.
We incorporate environmental considerations and biodiversity conservation into all aspects of our activities to prevent, manage and mitigate the impact of our operations and surrounding habitats. In the completion of our Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Troilus has also monitored the environment in all four seasons, which included: soil quality, flora and fauna inventories, and land use.
As an ECOLOGO Certified company, Troilus is committed to protecting life on land. We conduct pre-operation inspections for exploration activities to ensure absence of endangered species such as large-growth trees and other locally important species, operational inspections that ensure exploration work does not threaten the environment and post-operation inspections that confirm that the site is left in a rehabilitated state.
Troilus has established policies that guide us to act in an ethically responsible manner, such as its Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, as well as its Anti-Corruption/ Anti-Bribery policies.
Troilus has publicly disclosed its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and collaborates with organizations and stakeholders to ensure it is aligned with and meets the requirements of the sustainable development goals. Regular in-person meetings are held with representatives from the Indigenous communities, including impacted families.
Troilus was the first exploration company to be awarded the ECOLOGO third-party certification in Quebec and most recently completed the required physical audit.