Val d’Or area hosts 10 mines plus forestry, manufacturing

Quebec’s city of Val d’Or is no longer the northern supply and distribution centre it once was because of the progress in that area made by nearby Rouyn-Noranda. The city, however, continues as a viable mining community with some 10 operating mines providing employment for about 1,600 inhabitants. City information shows that Val d’Or’s population of 23,000, with suburban or “Vallee de l’Or” residents bringing that to a total of 35,000. About 45% of the workforce is involved directly or indirectly in the mining industry. Forestry, manufacturing, government and tourism enterprises rank behind mining as major employers in this area where attempts are being made to diversify by encouraging a growing manufacturing sector and where city hall officials tell you they have a good range of facilities and amenities offset only by a relatively high cost of living. While operating mines continue to nourish the city’s economy, exploration activities by non-producing companies are at a low.

The city says “the 1950s were great for mining but there was no long-term planning, and the ’60s and ’70s were great for forestry.” Exploration went from a time of very little activity, 1960-70, to a time in the 1970s of virtually no activity. When the price of gold increased in 1980 exploration began to increase and, with Quebec and federal government incentives in place, the early ’80s saw significant exploration ventures. As was the case with mineral exploration across Canada, however, activities were drastically reduced with the demise of the flow-through share funding programs.