Construction will take place over the next 18 months, with the first gold pour anticipated at the end of 2015.
The ground breaking ceremony was hosted by True Gold and included a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the fresh-water reservoir/barrage construction.
Guests in attendance included the Burkina Faso Ministries of Mines, Water, Environment, and Housing, the Canadian Ambassador to Burkina Faso, the Governor of the Northern Region, the Mayor of Namissiguima, and the Naaba Keba, hereditary King of the Yatenga region, along with other local religious leaders and traditional chiefs, community members, and True Gold employees.
Approximately 1,500 people attended the ceremony in support of the project.
In his speech, True Gold President & CEO Dwayne Melrose stated, "Through dedicated teamwork, hard work, and collaboration with governments and stakeholders, we have achieved a tremendous accomplishment: five deposits have been discovered, which will be mined one after another over the next nine years, providing approximately 400 jobs over the life of the mine." Mr. Melrose emphasized True Gold’s commitment to working with regional and national governments, local communities and other stakeholders in the project area.
Since the beginning of the year, the Company has: completed construction of the barrage; ordered the mining fleet; nearly completed detailed engineering work; and, begun early construction activities, including site access road upgrades and plant site earthworks.
All of the building blocks are now in place to commence construction of the Karma Mine.
