West Red Lake Gold resumes Madsen mine operations after fatal incident

[Ben Graham]

West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. (TSXV: WRLG) has resumed operations at its Madsen Mine in Red Lake, Ontario, following a brief pause triggered by a fatal incident.

Operations were suspended on June 16 after an underground employee was fatally injured. The mill resumed operations approximately 40 hours later, with mining restarting 12 hours after that. Ramp-up to full capacity is ongoing, dependent on workforce availability and compliance with safety protocols.

Shares rose 3.8% in Toronto following the news, giving the company a C$278 million ($203 million) market capitalization.

EarthLabs Expeditions: First gold pour at revitalized Madsen mine

The mill has been averaging 650 tonnes per day with 95% gold recovery and has been tested at higher levels several times without issue, West Red Lake reported.

Between June 12 and 15, the average milled grade rose to 6.5 g/t from about 3 g/t earlier in the month.

Since ramp-up began on May 11, operations have sourced ore primarily from the South Austin and McVeigh zones, with additional production planned from Austin stopes later this year.

Ramp-up has involved processing stockpiled sill material initially yielding ~3 g/t gold, with fresh stope material now boosting head grades to around 6.5 g/t during June 12–15.

West Red Lake has sold 5,250 ounces of gold year-to-date at an average price of $3,330/oz, with another gold pour expected on June 25.

Underground drilling remains active, with 38,393 m completed in 2025 so far, including 19,904 m during the second quarter. Efforts have focused on high-grade targets within the South Austin zone.

The Madsen Mine is part of West Red Lake’s 47 km² land package in Ontario’s Red Lake district, a region that has yielded over 30 million ounces of gold. The company also owns the Rowan Property, which hosts three historic gold mines.