After two years of design and construction, Lake Shore Gold’s Bell Creek Mine has launched its new paste backfill plant, which will allow the Timmins-based project to provide enhanced ground stability and increase mineral resource recovery as the operation expands into deeper underground.
The paste backfill plant and associated underground infrastructure, completed on October 24, 2024, introduces a backfill process that enhances mining efficiency and safety.
How Paste Backfill Works
Paste backfill technology involves mixing tailings — a byproduct of ore extraction — with sand and cement to create a backfill material that is pumped underground. This method increases ground stability and shortens stoping cycles, allowing for more efficient mining.
“Paste backfill increases the demand for tailings, which helps with environmental sustainability by recycling materials that would otherwise remain on the surface,” Byron Rigg, Project Coordinator said.
“On the safety side, it significantly improves the stability of the mine and reduces geotechnical hazards.”
As paste backfill technologies are implemented, Lake Shore Gold has also found itself needing new technical expertise to manage and maintain the system.
“The depth and distance required to service various areas of the mine has increased overall complexity,” Rigg said, adding that partnerships with third-party suppliers were necessary to ensure a reliable raw material supply.
Eric Lachapelle, Director of Operations for Lake Shore Gold, emphasized the long-term impact of the project.
“It is very exciting to see this project that has been two years in the making come to fruition,” he said. “The introduction of paste backfill to Bell Creek will improve efficiencies and ensure the long-term viability of the mine.”
Hiring Push for Skilled Workers at Lake Shore Gold
With the new paste backfill plant in operation, Lake Shore Gold is now looking to expand its workforce. The company is hiring for a full range of positions – engineering and mine technicians, heavy equipment mechanics, millwrights, electricians, development miners, and long-hole drillers.
For the paste backfill operation specifically, the company is seeking experienced construction miners.
In a push to attract talent, Lake Shore Gold has introduced flexible vacation entitlements for experienced workers, aiming to ease concerns about losing accumulated time off when switching employers.
Lachapelle added: “We’re hoping this might attract some people who are hesitant to leave their current employer due to vacation that they have accumulated over the years.”
The company also offers competitive wages and bonus, a pension plan with an eight per cent company contribution, health and dental benefits, paid maternity and parental leave as well as many other incentives.
In 2025, the company introduced a new Health Care Spending Account for all employees.
“At Lake Shore Gold, we understand that physical and mental health are important, and accessing physicians in the North can be a challenge,” Angela Tremblay, Director of Human Resources at Lake Shore Gold, said.
“In response, we have recently implemented Telemedicine Virtual Primary Care and we now offer our employees access to a team of general practitioners who can assess and treat a wide range of health issues via virtual care,” Tremblay said.
The Future of Mining in Timmins
The new paste backfill plant is expected to support the long-term sustainability of Bell Creek Mine and contribute to local economic growth.
“Additional job opportunities within and outside of the organization, as well as collaboration with multiple stakeholders and third parties, will support the safe and effective delivery of this new process,” stated Bill Shand, Lake Shore Gold’s Country Manager.
“The paste backfill operation aligns with Lake Shore Gold’s broader vision of increasing efficiency and profitability while ensuring sustainability in Timmins.”
Lake Shore Gold will be holding a career fair on Thursday April 10, 2025, from 1pm to 8pm at Cedar Meadows in Timmins. If you would like to apply but cannot attend the job fair, you can email your resume to [email protected]
For more information about Lake Shore Gold’s operations, and its parent company Pan American Silver, you can visit their official website by clicking here.
For more information about employment opportunities in Timmins, submit a job application here.