New Brunswick residents sound off on Sisson Mine development

A New Brunswick mine set to be built sees mixed reaction from residents in the area.

The Nackawic-Millville Rural Community covers about 800 square kilometres and has just over 4,000 residents, but mayor Tim Fox would like to see that population grow.

“We’re ready to build,” Fox said. “We’ve got several private subdivisions that have been developed and we have our own municipal subdivision that’s in the final stages of being developed. So we’re ready and so this announcement really is perfect timing for us.”

That announcement: the Sisson tungsten mine has officially been referred to Ottawa’s Major Projects Office, which means it could receive fast-tracked regulatory and financial backing, bringing the mine closer to a reality.

It’s a project that went relatively quiet over the last seven years, despite receiving provincial and federal environmental impact assessment approvals.

Millville sits just south of the mine site. Material would be trucked through the community, which would give the area a needed boost, says business owner Jessie Barrett.

“Hopefully it’ll go and it’ll bring lots of work around and help everybody out,” Barrett said.

Barrett grew up in Millville. Just two weeks ago, he re-opened the community’s original general store.

“This place here has actually been here for 138 years,” he said. “It’s been a long time. I used to sit out on the front deck and eat ice cream when I was a kid. Now I own it.”

Barrett says he’s supportive of the mine.

But there are concerns, especially for the environment.

Peter Toner, past-president of the Nashwaak Watershed Association, would like to see a new environmental impact assessment completed – since the last one is about a decade old.

“The word in the news is that this is one of the largest tungsten deposits in the world but it’s one of the lowest quality ore deposits in the world as well,” Toner said. “It’s going to generate a huge amount of waste. That waste has to be stored in a massive tailings storage facility. And that tailings storage facility, because of its scope and size, is that much more subject to a remote but potential environmental disaster.”

Residents of Stanley, the community east of the mine site, have mixed feelings.

Derek MacFarlane says you have to rely on technology to mitigate the risks.

“There’s no such thing as development without a risk, and I think it’s a good thing,” MacFalrlane said.

Another resident of Stanley, Murray Haines is worried.

“It’s going to destroy the water,” Haines said. “It’s going to destroy the streams, and it’s going to destroy our wildlife.”

Northcliff Resources granted extension

Northcliff Resources announced Friday it received a five-year extension to begin construction of the mine project.

The extension is the second granted to the company after the environmental impact assessment was approved by the province in 2015.

In 2017, the company received the federal environmental impact assessment approval.

“This extension provides Northcliff a runway to complete workstreams that will provide the necessary economic and technical information to support a construction decision,” said Andrew Ing, Northcliff’s CEO.

The company is completing a new feasibility study after receiving funding from the United States and Canada in May and August 2025.

Ing told CTV News he hopes the results of the feasibility study – including an updated project cost – will be complete in spring 2026.

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