Community Engagement

Avalon is the proud recipient of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada ("PDAC"), 2010 Environmental & Social Responsibility Award in recognition of the Company's community engagement efforts during the exploration of  its Nechalacho rare earth elements deposit, Thor Lake, NWT. Avalon's overall corporate activities include:

• Being the first the first junior exploration company to formally adopt PDAC's e3 Plus principles and guidelines as policy.
• Formed a Community, Environment, Health and Safety Advisory Committee (CEHS) to provide input and advice to executive management on issues and actions related to community, environment, health and safety. The committee includes representation from a senior environmental expert, a mining industry environmental export and an Aboriginal representative.  
• Full disclosure and transparency by publishing all INAC Land Use inspection reports on its website (link here to view)
• Avalon's executives are actively engaged in PDAC's Aboriginal Affairs Committee, CSR Committee, e3 Plus subcommittee and the Health and Safety Committee.

Community Engagement

Avalon continuously conducts community consultations with community leadership in the Dene communities of Lutselk'e, Fort Resolution, Hay River and Yellowknife, ever since initiating renewed work on the project in 2005. This has the objective of laying the groundwork for future partnership arrangements with these communities and reducing risk of permitting delays. Continuing consultation meetings are expected to lead to a Memorandum of Understanding in which the principles for a participation arrangement and an Impacts & Benefits Agreement with the First Nations as well as the basic principles under which the parties will work together to advance the project in a co-operative, timely, and environmentally & socially responsible manner.

In September 2009, the Chiefs and Elders of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation lead the Nechalacho naming ceremony which included a traditional Feed-the-Fire ceremony and land blessing. Chiefs Ed Sangris and Ted Tsetta spoke proudly of lending Avalon the name for the duration of the mine. Click to view news coverage from CBC and APTN.

"Avalon did it the right way, they approached the Chief and Council directly and consulted us properly, they involved us with the project throughout their process, and that is the proper way of consultation."
- Chief Ted Tsetta

Avalon continues to employ aboriginal people on its current work program and has already arranged two training programs to help maximize potential future employment opportunities for First Nations people.

As a company, Avalon has also formally adopted and implemented the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada e3 Plus program guidelines for environmental best practice in the field. Field operations are inspected on a regular basis by federal departments of Indian and Northern Affairs land use inspectors for compliance with land use regulations and in general, the Company's record of compliance has been excellent. All land use inspection reports have been filed on Avalon's website below. In addition, representatives from First Nations communities are periodically brought to the site for inspection of the program activities.

Presentations

Project Update to the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce, June 28, 2010