Vancouver BC: May 13, 2024 – PRA Communications (PRA) is pleased to share that we have been awarded the Gold SABRE Award in the Energy and Natural Resources category for our work on Seabridge Gold KSM Project: Navigating Environmental Assessment and Beyond. The SABRE Awards are the world’s largest PR awards programme dedicated to benchmarking the best PR and communication work from across the globe.
“It’s truly an honor to receive this prestigious recognition, especially for our PR and communication efforts within the mining industry. Often, the extensive consultation, stakeholder engagement, and communication with rights holders required to successfully navigate provincial and federal environmental assessments, negotiate benefit agreements, and earn social license to operate go unnoticed. This acknowledgment underscores the importance of these efforts,” says Robert Simpson, President and CEO of PRA Communications.
The KSM Project located in Northwest British Columbia is the world’s largest undeveloped gold deposit and third-largest undeveloped resource of copper. Canada’s provincial and federal Environmental Assessment (EA) process was a rigorous eight-year undertaking that became the largest and most comprehensive ever conducted in North America. It required Seabridge Gold to demonstrate the KSM Project, when built and operational, would not have adverse environmental effects and that it has clear support from the five affected First Nations, three cities and towns, three municipalities and the British Columbia, Canadian, Alaskan and US governments and Tribes. Upon completion of baseline research and perception audits, PRA Communications created and implemented a multi-year communications strategythat encompassed a broad suite of activities.
“The PRA team was integral to our success at KSM. Often strategic communication and reputation management is either overlooked during the environmental assessment process or relegated to scientists and engineers. We understood professional, comprehensive, strategic and measurable communication and public relations was critical for our success. PRA stood shoulder to shoulder with us, boots on the ground and professionally guided our whole team to be better communicators, from our executive to our environmental scientists,” says Brent Murphy, Senior Vice President Environment, Seabridge Gold.
The KSM Project was granted Environmental Assessment (EA) Certificates by both the British Columbia and the federal government, as well as approval under the terms of the Nisga’a Final Agreement. Upon submission of the Environmental Assessments, community and First Nations supported the KSM Project by a 76 percent approval rating as measured through an inclusive polling and interview engagement model. The Tahltan Nation voted 83percent in favor of the KSM Project and their negotiated Impact Benefits Agreement. The Province of British Columbia recognized Seabridge Gold’s KSM project as an exemplary model for industry-wide consultation, engagement, and external communication, thanks to its strong support from the community.
The Gold Sabre Awards were presented at a ceremony held in New York on May 1, 2024.
For more information, please contact:
Michael MacMillan, Vice President, PRA Communications
