Ya’ thi Néné, Athabasca First Nations and municipalities, and Fortune Bay Corp. chart a good way forward for mineral exploration in the Athabasca Basin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 29, 2022 – Saskatoon, SK – Today, Ya’ thi Néné Lands and Resources (YNLR) and Fortune Bay Corp. (Fortune Bay) have announced an Exploration Agreement that formalizes the exploration and development company’s relationship with YNLR and the seven Athabasca Basin First Nations and municipalities, and establishes mutual benefits for the company and the Basin communities. The Agreement covers exploration activities on the Traditional Territories of Hatchet Lake Denesułiné First Nation, Black Lake Denesułiné First Nation, Fond du Lac Denesułiné First Nation, and the municipalities of Stony Rapids, Uranium City, Wollaston Lake, and Camsell Portage (Nuhenéné).
This Agreement establishes a progressive basis for Fortune Bay, YNLR and the Basin communities to work together to ensure exploration activities are conducted in a sustainable manner with meaningful participation from the communities that includes economic opportunities and benefits to support community development initiatives. Through this cooperative approach Fortune Bay is able to obtain consent for its exploration activities in the Nuhenéné.
“We welcome the partnership with Fortune Bay that we are establishing through this Agreement and the mutual benefits that we will each realize. Our goal at YNLR, as protectors of the land and promoters of the people of Nuhenéné, is to ensure our communities meaningfully participate and benefit from projects happening on our lands. That is our intent and the commitment being made today with a partner that acknowledges and respects our rights,” said Christopher Toutsaint, YNLR Board of Director for Fond du Lac Denesułiné First Nation.
The Agreement provides a framework for information-sharing, permitting processes, and environmental protection and monitoring. YNLR will have oversight of the Agreement’s implementation and monitoring, so that the work moves forward with respect for First Nations’ Inherent and Treaty Rights, protection for the traditional lands, and advances reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
Dale Verran, CEO for Fortune Bay, commented “Fortune Bay is committed to responsible stewardship of the environment, building meaningful relationships with communities and ensuring benefits from our activities. We are pleased to have reached this Agreement with the Basin Communities, which formalizes those commitments and provides continued consent and support for our activities. Through this Agreement, we look forward to building upon the relationships we have established with the communities and local businesses, as we advance our gold and uranium projects in the Uranium City area.”
“The communities welcome the commitment from Fortune Bay and what it means for our communities. It’s imperative that we have meaningful participation and realize benefits from projects happening on our own lands — for the future of our people. We also recognize the work YNLR is undertaking to formalize these agreements with companies who want to do work in the Basin so there is accountability and assurance for our communities,” said Daniel Powder, Mayor of Stony Rapids and Representative for the Athabasca Permanent Resident Organization.
Media Contact:
Ya’ thi Néné Lands and Resources
Melody Lynch
C: 306.250.7235
E: melody@symmetry-pr.com
Fortune Bay Corp.
Dale Verran, Chief Executive Officer
C: 902-334-1919
E: info@fortunebaycorp.com
About Ya’ thi Néné
Ya' thi Néné is a non-profit organization owned by the seven Athabasca Basin communities of Hatchet Lake Denesułiné First Nation, Black Lake Denesułiné First Nation, Fond du Lac Denesułiné First Nation and the municipalities of Stony Rapids, Uranium City, Wollaston Lake, and Camsell Portage. Ya’ thi Néné works on behalf of the Athabasca Basin communities to protect the best interests of the people and the land.
About Fortune Bay
Fortune Bay Corp. (TSXV:FOR, FWB: 5QN, OTCQX: FTBYF) is an exploration and development company with 100% ownership in two advanced gold exploration projects in Canada, Saskatchewan (Goldfields Project) and Mexico, Chiapas (Ixhuatán Project), both with exploration and development potential. The Company is also advancing the 100% owned Strike and Murmac uranium exploration projects, located near the Goldfields Project, which have high-grade potential typical of the Athabasca Basin. The Company has a goal of building a mid-tier exploration and development Company through the advancement of its existing projects and the strategic acquisition of new projects to create a pipeline of growth opportunities. The Company’s corporate strategy is driven by a Board and Management team with a proven track record of discovery, project development and value creation.
