Members of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation had their voices heard during an SSR Mining open house in La Ronge. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

resource development

PBCN members demand redress before SSR Mining Porky Project moves forward

Nov 18, 2025 | 2:21 PM

Representatives of SSR Mining were in La Ronge on Monday to gather feedback about the Porky Project.

The project is currently in an advanced exploration phase and is located about six kilometers away from the Seabee gold mine and mill. At the moment, SSR is developing a 50,000-tonne bulk mine sample to assess the feasibility of moving forward with the creation of a new mine.

If it proves viable, the Porky Project could yield around 1,200 tonnes of ore per day with a mine lifespan of about five years.

“This will just be the first round of introducing the project and getting the first initial feedback, and we will be back,” said Project Manager Arsalan Talebzadeh, noting there is no information yet about potential job numbers or economic impact.

“At this point, we haven’t quantified that directly. It’s just very early phases. We are just getting the engineering to the level where we can start figuring out what’s required and what level of efforts are required. All of that is to come.”

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The mining method will be the same as Seabee and Santoy, which is underground mining with rock backfill, including consolidated rock with cement for specific areas such as sill pillars.

Along with the Santoy Mine, the Porky Project is considered the best option to extend Seabee operations. An environmental assessment of the project will be ongoing until 2027 and mine development could occur as soon as 2028.

The open house for the project on Monday lured a large crowd of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) members from Pelican Narrows. Mayor Ovide Michel raised concerns on behalf of them, which touched on asserting their Treaty rights, the historical exclusion of PBCN by Seabee and their predecessors, the need for partnership and redress, as well as immediate demands.

“We demand immediate transparency regarding all financial benefits, agreements, and contracts provided by SSR Mining to any Indigenous or community groups regarding the Manawan Lake/Porky Lake area claims,” Michel told the representatives.

“We demand that the Crown immediately freeze the issuance or renewal of any further mineral tenure, environmental permits, or advanced exploration approvals for the Porky Lake area until the historical duty to consult breach toward the PBCN has been fully accommodated.”

Bernarda Elizalde, the Director of Sustainability for SSR Mining, said she was surprised by the large group of PBCN members who attended the meeting.

“We are going to visit them. It was a surprise for us that they were here because we were going to have this meeting first and then at their territory,” she explained.

“We need to discuss their issues with them at the time we were planning to do so.”

SSR Mining will be hosting an open house about the Porky Project in Stanley Mission on Tuesday and Southend on Wednesday. An open house will be held in Pelican Narrows in January 2026.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com