Thriving Baie Verte gold mine gives back to kids
Despite low prices on the world market, a gold mine on the Baie Verte Peninsula is thriving and decided to use its good fortune to help kids in the area learn a life skill.
Manager Allan Cramm said business has been good because production is up at Anaconda Mining's Pine Cove deposit, and the slumping Canadian dollar has been an added bonus.
Success story
Cramm said with employees in many communities on the peninsula, it's important to give back to as many people in the area as possible and create "regional flair."
"The one regional facility in Baie Verte is the swimming pool," Cramm told CBC's Central Morning Show.
"So we decided to look at providing free swimming lessons this past summer and it was an unbelievably successful story."
The average enrolment at the pool was about 40 students but after promotion of their plan, Cramm said participation grew to 150.
"So it blew that budget out," said Cramm.
Despite having nearly four times the people take the company up on the offer, the company provided everyone with lessons.
Cramm said safety is promoted daily in the industry, so teaching kids a skill like swimming seemed like a perfect fit.
Future prospects
Cramm said technology and experience has improved operations, and the company is always looking at future expansion.
He added that right now they're working with five years of resources but are quite pleased with recent exploration. The company, he said, is looking at expanding into another gold deposit nearby called the Stog'er Tight project.
"As the saying goes, the best place to look for a mine is near an existing mine, so we've been really working on that."
Exploration, said Cramm, is key to the life of the mine.