B.C. to lead environmental review at Thesis Gold project
Thesis Gold Inc. [TAU-TSXV] said Friday it has received confirmation from the Government of Canada that the Impact Assessment (IA) process for its 100% owned Lawyers-Ranch gold project will be substituted to the Province of British Columbia.
“As a result, B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office will conduct the IA for Lawyers-Ranch under the Environmental Assessment Act, SBC 2018, C.51 ib on behalf of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada.
“This is a significant milestone for the Lawyers-Ranch Project and an important step toward a more efficient and co-ordinated pathway,’’ said Thesis President and CEO Dr. Ewan Webster. “The substituted process provides greater certainty and clarity as we advance the project while maintaining the high environmental, social, and consultation standards expected by all parties,’’ he said. “We believe Lawyers-Ranch has the potential to become an important source of precious metals for Canada, generating meaningful benefits for First Nations, local communities, British Columbia and the country as a whole.”
The substituted IA process under Canada’s IAA is expected to streamline permitting for Lawyers-Ranch by allowing the Province of B.C. to lead a single, consolidated environmental review in place of a parallel federal and provincial assessments, provided federal requirements are met. This “one project, one review” approach is expected to reduce duplication, shorten timelines, and lower administration burden, while maintaining robust consideration of environmental, social and Indigenous impacts.
By aligning, the provincial IA with federal permitting requirements and supporting federal participation, and Indigenous consultation, Thesis expects improved coordination, greater regulatory clarity, and reduced uncertainty.
Thesis expects the EA decision by early 2029.
The shares advanced on the news, rising 2.14% or $0.06 to $2.86, and trade in a 52-week range of $3.98 and 90 cents.
Back in December, 2025, the company launched the Environmental Assessment and permitting process for the Lawyers-Ranch project at both the provincial and federal levels. The project is located in British Columbia’s Toodoggone Mining District.
The move came after Thesis announced positive results from a prefeasibility study for the project. The study envisages strong gold-equivalent (AuEq) annual production rates for the first three years averaging 266,000 ounces, and 187,000 ounces over the 15-year mine life. The initial capital spend is pegged at $736.2 million. The all-in-sustaining cost is estimated at US$1,185 per AuEq. Total life of mine production is expected to be 2.84 million AuEq.
The initial project description (IPD) outlines the company’s plans to develop and operate the project, which is situated 450 kilometres north of Prince George and 275 kilometres north of Smithers. The project partially overlaps with the traditional territories of the Kwadacha Nation, Tsay Keh Dene Nation, Takla Nation and Tahltan Nation.