McIlvenna Bay mine: status, trades and pay

Where the work is

The underground mine and its surface processing plant are 65 kilometres southwest of Creighton, Saskatchewan. Foran Mining said the whole site lies within the documented traditional territory of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation. Foran was the former owner. The 2025 technical report lists a 418-room camp among site facilities built or under construction. It says operations and administration staff will travel by bus to and from site on a rotation.

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Ask Eldorado Gold about job openings.

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Trades and pay

The Major Projects Office forecasts 450 to 580 construction jobs. This does not tell you how many jobs are open.

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Typical trades for an underground copper mine

• Heavy Duty Equipment Technician

• Industrial Mechanic (Millwright)

• Industrial Electrician

• Welder

• Steamfitter/Pipefitter

• Instrumentation and Control Technician

• Construction Electrician

• Heavy Equipment Operator (Excavator)

• Heavy Equipment Operator (Dozer)

These trades are typical for this kind of mine, not jobs posted at McIlvenna Bay.

Saskatchewan hourly wages

Hourly · Saskatchewan · Data from 2023 to 2024 · Dated November 19, 2025

Saskatchewan’s ticket rules for compulsory trades are on the nuclear and uranium page.

How long the mine could run

A feasibility study published in March 2025 by Foran Mining set out an 18-year mine life. Eldorado’s operating team aims to reach the plant’s designed capacity of 4,900 tonnes per day. Eldorado is now studying an expansion of the plant to about 7,000 tonnes per day.

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What has happened

• July 26, 2023:

  Foran Mining, then the owner, announced approval under Saskatchewan’s Environmental Assessment Act.[7]

• September 11, 2025:

  the federal government referred the project to the Major Projects Office.[1]

• April 14, 2026:

  Eldorado Gold took over the project when its purchase of Foran Mining closed.[4][2]

• June 7, 2026:

  the mine produced its first copper concentrate, with first zinc concentrate in July.[4]

First Nations agreements

• The Collaboration Agreement aims to create employment and business opportunities for Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation members through training. Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation signed it with McIlvenna Bay Operating Ltd. in July 2023, when that company was a Foran Mining subsidiary.[6]

• The Major Projects Office says the collaboration agreements include benefits related to training and jobs for the affected Indigenous group.[1]

Related pages

• Major projects in Canada for trades workers
• Canada Investment Summit 2026: a guide for trades
• Red Chris Mine expansion: status, trades and camp
• Nuclear and uranium work in Ontario and Saskatchewan: projects, clearance and pay
• FIFO and camp work: overtime and camp tax
• How to get hired on a major project in Canada
• How Werko checks facts
• Millwright resume
• Electrician resume