New Glasgow, Nova Scotia – St Barbara Mining signed contracts with two rural Nova Scotian companies to support the reopening of the Touquoy Gold Mine, located in Moose River. 

On April 10, 2026, Nova Scotia’s Department of Environment and Climate Change gave St Barbara approval to process stockpiled ore on the site of the Touquoy Gold Mine that had originally closed in September 2023. The ore contains approximately 38,000 ounces of gold and will take 10-14 months to process at the mine site.  The processing of the gold will also create over $150 million in economic activity within the province.

“The processing of stockpiled ore at Touquoy is a positive step forward for St Barbara in Nova Scotia,” says Andrew Strelein, Managing Director and CEO at St Barbara, “it will provide for nearly 200 new jobs within the province and add to the province’s growing GDP all while responsibly managing our shared environment.”

Alva Construction (located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia) and MacGregors Industrial (located near Thorburn, Nova Scotia) have signed contracts to provide support services to St Barbara in preparation for the reopening and during the processing period.  The contract for Alva Construction is valued at over $48 million while the contract for MacGregor’s is valued at up to $8 million.

“I am pleased to see that the contracts being signed will employ Nova Scotians, especially in rural areas, and keep them working here, close to home.” says Nova Scotia Minister of Natural Resources Kim Masland. 

The Touquoy Gold Mine is expected to begin processing late in 2026 and begin shipping gold to the Royal Canadian Mint in early 2027.

St Barbara will also soon be proposing to develop the 15-Mile Processing Hub at three former mining industrial sites.  If approved, that project will be in operation for over 11 years and provide Nova Scotia with an estimated $5 billion boost to GDP.