TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Quebec-focused lithium miner Canada Lithium on Tuesday announced several executive and board appointments as it prepares to transition from the construction and commissioning phase of its Québec Lithium mine and process plant near Val d'Or, Québec, to producer status.
The company said CEO Peter Secker would assume a key strategic role as the new deputy chairperson of the board and would increasingly focus on implementation of the company's strategic goals of expanding the product offering.
COO Charles Taschereau had been appointed as president of the company. Taschereau, who joined Canada Lithium in September 2010, had been responsible for the development of the $207-million Québec mine and plant. He would oversee the transition from mine development to mine and plant operations.
Halina McGregor, a former VP for finance and CFO of Goldcorp and, prior to that, senior VP for finance and CFO of Sherritt International, was appointed Canada Lithium's VP for finance.
The company had also appointed former Ontario Premier Ernie Eves to its board.
"We anticipate the Val d'Or operation holds the potential to provide a stable, long-term platform enabling the company to capture growth opportunities. In the near term, these include the potential to produce downstream value-added products such as lithium hydroxide and lithium metal,” chairperson Kerry Knoll said.
First production of lithium carbonate is expected late in the first quarter and full production at a rate of 20 000 t/y is anticipated by late this year.
The company’s shares were down almost 5% at 77 Canadian cents apiece on the TSX at noon on Tuesday.