Today’s theme is Northern gold mining. As a buffer against uncertainty, gold has been increasing in value even before the pandemic. There are many gold deposits in the Canadian North, but what do these large-scale economic trends mean for communities and workers on the ground, or the nearby environment? Nunavut remains a gold standard in COVID-19 containment, and today I talked to someone who runs one of the biggest private sector employers in the province, to understand how they adapted to the economic uncertainty brought on by the pandemic.

Ammar Al-Joundi has been the President of Agnico Eagle since 2015, having served previously as the Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer. Before working at Agnico, he has over 20 years of experience in finance and business strategy, and has extensive experience in mining, capital markets and banking. Today we talked about the logistics of mining in Nunavut compared to other parts of Canada, and how COVID-19 has impacted operations and community consultation. We also talk about the future of gold mining, and the lost opportunity that happens when we don’t invest in the North.