CLOSURE: Brunswick mine closes on a high note

NEW BRUNSWICK – After 49 years of operation, Xstrata Zinc's Brunswick mine closed on April 30, 2013. Located 30 km southwest of the city of Bathurst, it was one of the world's largest underground zinc-lead mines, providing 700 direct jobs.

The mine closes on a high note having once again won a John T. Ryan safety award. This year the recognition is for the Quebec and East Region. Last year, the award recognized its top safety performance among all metal mines in Canada. (The story of how this was accomplished is told in the April 2013 issue of Canadian Mining Journal.) The Brunswick mine has also won the regional trophy eight other times between 1994 and 2010.

Brunswick's massive sulphide orebody was discovered in 1953 and production began in 1964. The mine has operated continuously since that time, surviving economic ups and downs and four major changes in ownership to produce approximately 150 million tonnes of ore at grades of 8.46% Zn, 3.33% Pb, 0.37% Cu, and 99 g/t Ag.

The closure comes after a year of celebration of the history of the mine including the publication of a commemorative book. Please visit XstrataZinc.com.