Care and Concern for People

As an employer of approximately 2,500 people and a corporate neighbour in regions around the world, Agnico-Eagle strives to build stakeholder relationships based on trust, open dialogue, mutual respect and understanding. We are committed to enriching the lives of our employees and their families and to benefiting the communities in which we operate.

Safety First
The health, safety and well-being of our employees and contractors are of primary concern at Agnico-Eagle. Our proactive safety programs are designed to prepare people for any situation they may encounter in the course of operations. In 2007, supervisor safety training was a priority. This past year, we also achieved a safety record of 35 consecutive months without a single lost-time injury underground at LaRonde. This translates into more than one million injury-free hours worked by our underground employees. We are also proud of our mine rescue team who, for the third consecutive year, won the prestigious Quebec Mine Rescue competition.

Paul Penna award
In 2007, we introduced the Paul Penna Award Program to recognize employees who make extraordinary contributions to their local communities. This program is named after the company’s late founder and designed to keep his legacy alive and cultivate the values he brought to the organization. Each year, there will be one global award winner and winners from each of five geographic regions. Awards will include a major financial contribution to the community initiative embraced by the recipient.

Pinos Altos Camp
Our Pinos Altos project in Mexico is quickly establishing itself as an employer of choice in the region, in part because of its high-quality facilities and benefits. Rather than setting up trailers during exploration and construction, we chose to build distinctly Mexican cottages, which are permanent structures made by local contractors using local wood and materials. The cottages will accommodate up to 300 people. Once the Pinos Altos operation is up and running, we expect that virtually all of the 200 people employed at the mine will be Mexican, with approximately 50% from neighbouring communities. We are working to establish strong community relations and are pleased to be the first foreign mining company to have received certification as a socially responsible company from the Centro Mexicano para la Filantropia.

Community Outreach
We aim to maintain broad-based, ongoing community support for our activities and devote time and resources to nurturing dialogue and building relationships with local citizens. At Goldex, where we are poised to open a new mine located right in the town of Val d’Or, we held an open house and conducted site tours for the community in 2007. Shortly after our arrival at Meadowbank, we held a barbecue and event that attracted more than 500 local people. We also publish newsletters in both Val d’Or and Baker Lake to keep the communities informed of the activities at the sites.

Louise Grondin, Vice-President, Environment