What is the Gaspé Copper redevelopment project?
Osisko Metals plans to redevelop the Gaspé Copper mine. Located on the outskirts of the municipality of Murdochville, it operated for 44 years between 1955 and 1999. The project is designed to meet the growing demand for copper in a context of increasing global development of clean energy technologies. The mine could start production around 2031, subject to the necessary approvals.
Addendum:
The Gaspé Copper mine is located on the Gespe’gewa’gi, the ancestral territory of the Mi’gmaw. Osisko Metals is engaged in a dialogue on the development of the project with the Mi’kmaq First Nation of Gespeg and the Mi’gmawei Mawio’mi Secretariat to establish the terms of a respectful cohabitation on this territory.
Listening to communities
Our team is committed to listening to and actively involving the Murdochville population, as well as First Nations and other Gaspé communities, in the hope of developing a project with a positive and sustainable impact. This commitment translates into open and receptive communication. Osisko Metals ensures this collaboration through several means:
Town Hall Meetings
Town Hall meetings have been held in Murdochville every year since 2022. The entire population is invited. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss the project’s progress and specific activities. Members of the Osisko Metals team are on hand to answer your questions and take note of your comments and concerns. To stay informed of upcoming events, sign up for our newsletter!
Town Hall Meeting 2024
Nearly 130 people, mostly from Murdochville but also from surrounding municipalities, took part in this meeting. The event provided an opportunity to present several important topics, including the Gaspé Mines project and the Osisko Metals team, an overview of activities carried out in 2024 and those planned for 2025, as well as the composition and work of the technical and advisory committee on dewatering, established in December 2023.
Highlights from the discussion period and thematic exchanges around the posters (French only):
Town Hall Meeting 2023
On October 5, 2023, Robert Wares, CEO of Osisko Metals, presented the 2nd annual Town Hall meeting in Murdochville. With more than a hundred people in attendance, the meeting provided an opportunity to review the project’s progress and revisit the commitments made following the first Town Hall meeting in the fall of 2022, including the new access road alignment. It was also an opportunity to clarify the project timetable up to 2030 and to respond to concerns, particularly regarding pit dewatering. The presentation was followed by a series of participatory workshops in which those present were able to express their views on the various project issues.
To view the full presentation (in French), click HERE
Town Hall Meeting 2022
On September 19, 2022, 125 people attended the first-ever Town Hall meeting organized by Osisko Metals at the Murdochville Community Centre. The purpose of the Town Hall meeting was to inform the public about the project to evaluate the potential reopening of the former Gaspé Copper project. The purpose of the meeting was to open a dialogue with the public on the concerns and interests to be considered in the development of the project.
Newsletters
Newsletters
Osisko Metals has set up a newsletter specifically dedicated to the community. It is sent to all Murdochville residents. Our team wants to keep the population informed about the project and its progress. Osisko Metals plans to publish one newsletter per season starting in spring 2024.
Community Initiatives Support Program
Osisko Metals is committed to contributing to the economic and community vitality of the region. Our Community Contribution and Sponsorship Program provides financial support to regional initiatives that pursue these goals.
2024 – Donation and participation in the annual meeting of the Murdochville District U3 Lions Clubs of Murdochville (May)
2024 – Donation and participation in Gaspé RibFest (July)
2024 – Donation and participation in the launch of regional author Jocelyn Grenier’s novel (July)
2024 – Donation and participation for the SEG-SGA ULaval-INRS Student Chapter (July)
2024 – Donation and participation in the Battle of the Prospectors in Murdochville (August)
2024 – Donation to Ligue d’improvisation de Gaspé (NPO), 2024-2025 season (August)
2024 – Donation to the Fondation santé de la Haute-Gaspésie (September)
2024 – Donation to the Cyclones du Bas-St-Laurent women’s field hockey team (December)
2024 – Donation to Centre d’action bénévole Les Hauts Bois inc. de Murdochville (December)
2024 – Donation to the White lips event (December)
If you are a local organization and would like Osisko Metals to financially support one of your activities or projects, send us your request! Each request will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Relevance and alignment of objectives: The request must be in line with the company’s values. It must be aligned with the company’s corporate social responsibility objectives or field of activity.
- Community impact and sustainability: The event or project must have a positive and lasting impact on the local community.
- Within budget: The request must be in line with the company’s sponsorship budget, and the company would like to be able to contribute to more than one well-targeted project.
- Visibility and networking opportunities: The event or project supported must be able to provide media or community visibility for the company. As the company seeks to reach out to the community, any networking or partnership development opportunities offered by the event or project will be considered.
Copper pit dewatering technical and advisory committee
In order to access exploration targets at depth, Osisko Metals must dewater the Copper pit. The purpose of this work is to pump the water contained in the pit back into the natural environment. To ensure that concerns related to this work are taken into account, Métaux Osisko has set up a technical advisory committee made up of community stakeholders interested in the proposed work.
This committee is made up of representatives of the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi Secretariat, the Société de gestion des rivières de Gaspé, the Conseil de l’eau du Nord de la Gaspésie, and the Conseil Régional de l’environnement de la Gaspésie, as well as a Murdochville resident.
Follow the experts’ reports here:
Report, June 2026
Report, March 2026
Report, December 2025
Report, November 2025
Report, September 2025
Report, May 2025
Report, February 2025
Report, November 2024
Report, September 2024
Report, July 2024
Report, May 2024
Report, April 2024
Report, March 2024
Report, December 2023
If you’d like to share your knowledge or concerns with us, call us at 581-928-2450, e-mail us at murdochville@osiskometals.com or click HERE.
PROJECT SCHEDULE
2026
- Completed private placement with strategic investors
- Updated MRE (Q1)
- Minimum 50,000-metre drill program
2027-2028
- Updated MRE (H1)
- PEA
- Start dewatering the historical pit
- Feasibility study
- Environmental and social impact assessment (’28)
2029-2031
- Public hearings
- Permit issuance
- Final investment decision
- Project financing and construction
2032
- Potential start of production