The Agnico Eagle Macassa Mine Rescue Team from the Kirkland Lake District has emerged victorious in the 2024 Ontario Mine Rescue provincial competition.
This marks the first time the mine has claimed the top spot since 1986. The announcement was made at the awards ceremony following a series of intense competitions among eight teams from across the province.
Mine rescue competitions are designed to test the emergency response skills of mine rescue volunteers. This year’s events included both live-action scenarios and a theory test, with a particularly challenging simulation involving a Motor Vehicle Collision (MVC) that required the use of hydraulic rescue tools and first-aid treatment.
Teams had to safely extricate two casualties from the vehicles before navigating a simulated mine to address a fire. The most difficult part of the underground scenario involved locating and extinguishing a hidden fire in dark, smoky conditions. Observation skills were crucial in this phase.
“We’re happy to announce that all teams completed the problem safely and successfully,” said Shawn Rideout, Chief Mine Rescue Officer, during the awards ceremony. “There is only one winner, but in a sense, all volunteers have won something – they all persevered through the problem, learned from it, and are better first responders because of it. At the end of the day, that’s the goal of mine rescue competitions.”
Winning team members
The winning Agnico Eagle Macassa Mine team included:
- Captain Nicholas Perrier
- Vice Captain Hubert Gour
- Jackson Lafrance
- Jean-Francois Racine
- Denis Dion
- Carlie Dewar
- Colin Price
- Briefing Officer April Belecque
- Coaches Jonathan Boutin and Cliff McGill
- Mine Rescue Officers Nick Schwehr and Shawn Shail
Other winners
Other notable awards included:
- Runner Up: Lake Shore Gold Timmins West Bell Creek Mines
- Individual Technician Competition:
- 1st: Dan Rioux, Glencore Sudbury INO Fraser and Nickel Rim South Mines
- 2nd: Kyle Oullette, Alamos Island Gold Mine
- 3rd: Nick Fram, Vale Sudbury West Mines
- Team Special Equipment Award: Canadian Gypsum Corporation Hagersville Mine
- Team First Aid Award: Lake Shore Gold Timmins
- Team Firefighting Award: Lake Shore Gold Timmins
- Briefing Officer Award: Tyler Williams, Lake Shore Gold Timmins
- Team Theory Exam Award: Glencore Sudbury INO
Since 1950, mine rescue competitions have provided a standardized evaluation of mine rescue volunteers across Ontario. These events highlight the dedication of miners who continually train to enhance their skills for the safety of their colleagues and communities.
Ontario Mine Rescue (OMR), a division of Workplace Safety North (WSN), operates under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. For over eight decades, OMR has been a leader in mining emergency preparation and response, providing training and maintaining high standards throughout the province.