Nova Scotia Miner Returns Home as St. Barbara Revives Touquoy Gold Operations
Cory Chisholm, a Nova Scotia resident who spent four years working in Nunavut due to local job scarcity, has returned home to work at the revived Touquoy gold mine. St. Barbara Ltd. is resuming processing of stockpiled ore following provincial efforts to develop critical minerals, an operation expected to last two years and contribute significantly to the local economy.
For Cory Chisholm, a 33-year-old from Nova Scotia, the return to his home province marks the end of a period defined by professional uncertainty and geographic displacement. After opportunities in the local mining sector became scarce, Chisholm spent four years working at remote underground gold mines in Nunavut. Now, he has been hired as the health and safety superintendent for the revived operations at the Touquoy gold mine in Mooser River, N.S., where he began his career in 2017.
The revival of the site follows a turbulent period for St. Barbara Ltd. In 2023, the company ceased processing work at the Touquoy site due to struggles with environmental approvals and expansion plans. This shutdown resulted in approximately 300 employees being laid off, leaving only around 40 staff members on site for management purposes. The loss of these jobs forced many skilled workers, like Chisholm, to seek employment elsewhere.
However, the landscape changed following the 2024 provincial election, when Premier Tim Houston released a plan aimed at reviving mining opportunities and growing the economy through the development of critical minerals. In April, St. Barbara received industrial approval from the government to process remaining stockpile and complete reclamation work at the Touquoy site.
The company plans to resume processing gold in November. It is important to note that no new mining or extraction work will occur; instead, the operation will focus solely on processing existing stockpiled ore. There are currently three million tonnes of ore at the site, which was dug up prior to the 2023 shutdown.
Dustin O’Leary, manager of business development for St. Barbara’s Atlantic operations, estimates there is $200 million worth of gold remaining to be processed. The gold will eventually be sold to the Canadian Mint. The current processing work is expected to take around two years and employ between 150 and 200 people, including contractors. The operation is projected to contribute $150 million to the province’s overall GDP, signaling a significant economic boost for the region alongside the return of skilled talent.