Mining Innovation Center of the MRC des Sources gets gov’t kick-off
The Government of Canada announced on Tuesday that it has awarded a $2.5 million grant to kick off the activities of the Mining Innovation Center of the MRC des Sources (CIMMS). This grant from Canada Economic Development is in addition to funds from the Government of Quebec, which invested $87,000 to carry out the feasibility studies, the business plan and the project, and directly supported the company Magone in the realization of its activities in Asbestos. In fact, Magone supported the establishment of the CIMMS with the award of $540,000 and the City of Asbestos also contributed financially by dedicating $390,000, notably for the upgrading and expansion of the building housing the CIMMS. The total investment in this project is in the order of more than $4 million.
The announcement was made in Asbestos in the presence of Comptonstanstead Marie-claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and the Francophonie and, and Richmond MNA. Karine Vallières.
Initiated by the Cégep de Sherbrooke in collaboration with the Commission scolaire des Sommets, the City of Asbestos and its Socio-economic Development Corporation, the MRC des Sources, the Des Sources and Community Development Corporation, and the Université de Sherbrooke, the CIMMS was legally constituted in November 2016.
At a press conference, Asbestos Mayor and Prefect of the MRC des Sources, Hugues Grimard said that the project represents an undeniable advantage: "CIMMS is a real lever for socio-economic development for the region. It is part of all the initiatives put in place to promote the economic diversification of the MRC," he said.
François Gouin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mining Innovation Center, insisted on the innovative aspect of the CIMMS: "The Center is a unique initiative in Quebec. Its innovative character lies in the fact that it allows, through hydrometallurgy, the scaling up of chemical processes designed in the laboratory, an originality that is both technological and environmental."at the press conference, Gouin also highlighted the contribution of the company Magone, which was the first customer to invest in the project to allow the first mini-piloting experiments for the processing of tailings.
For more than three years, the Cégep de Sherbrooke has been involved in the deployment of the CIMMS. Committed to supporting the diversification process taken by the MRC des Sources, the college is fulfilling one of the objectives of its mission: to promote the social and economic development of its region. The Cégep de Sherbrooke is already involved in Asbestos thanks to the general training it offers with the support of the Commission scolaire des Sommets, which provides, services and facilities.
The CIMMS represents a formidable platform of experimentation and possibilities for the CEGEP. Among other things, it will enable the training of a specialized labor force in the field of hydrometallurgy and chemical processes. For students, it will be leading-edge training and research laboratory, particularly for those enrolled in regular and physical science and continuing education programs and with credited the program in Operations and Control of chemical processes. The Center will also offer a development platform for teaching staff and its activities may be associated with collaborative research, notably with the Université de Sherbrooke, a leading CIMMS partner.
Marie-france Bélanger, CEO of the Cégep de Sherbrooke, thanked the partners who believed in the project: "This project is totally original and daring, to the point that it meets the criteria of existing government organization programs. The partners have therefore had to show a lot of creativity, determination and patience to be able to pull it off. The federal and provincial governments, as well as the Municipality of Asbestos, the MRC des Sources and the Des Sources Community Development Corporation have agreed to follow us off the beaten path in this adventure with their financial support.”