St Barbara to restart Touquoy amid federal review hurdle

AI desk brief

St Barbara is set to restart ore processing at its Touquoy gold mine in Nova Scotia on Nov. 3 after securing provincial approval, with commissioning and ramp-up expected through November and December. The restart reopens a path to renewed Canadian gold production, while the company’s longer-dated 15-Mile Processing Hub plan now faces a new federal assessment requirement that could affect costs and timing.

The miner says federal officials expect the process to conclude before construction is scheduled to begin in mid-2028, but it is still engaging regulators over the next three weeks and is preparing contingency plans to resume open-pit mining if the hub is delayed. St Barbara also outlined an initial underground resource at Old Austen Down-Plunge of 500,000 oz at 3.4 g/t, which could support future regional mine life expansion.