Only mine in Flin Flon wraps up operations after 18 years

Hudbay Minerals says mining activities at the company's 777 mine in Flin Flon, Man., have concluded after 18 years of steady production.

The Toronto-based mining company says closure of the mine has begun, and employees and equipment are transitioning to operations in Snow Lake, Man.

The mine commenced production in 2004 and was the flagship mine of Hudbay's Manitoba operations for many years.

The 777 deposit was a large and rich ore body, and Hudbay says after extensive drilling in and around the mine in recent years, no new deposits were identified.

The Hudbay mine is the only one in the northern Manitoba city, which sits on the border with Saskatchewan.

A 2018 internal memo told employees the minewould "most likely" close in 2021, but that date was later pushed back when the company officially announced the closure in 2020.

Hudbay says the hydrometallurgical zinc facility in that location will also be closed after more than 25 years of operations.

The 777 mine and the zinc plant are expected to be decommissioned by September2022, the company said.