Information for Employees

Status of File as of October 25, 2024

The Receiver has mailed out a WEPP Notice to all eligible employees. The WEPP Notice provides eligible employees with the information required to submit their WEPP Application. 

Eligible employees will need to return a completed and signed Proof of Claim form (included in the WEPP Notice) to the Receiver in order for Service Canada to process their WEPP Application. All eligible employees have up to December 26, 2024 to submit their WEPP Applications to Service Canada. When eligible employees submit their WEPP Applications to Service Canada, the system may ask for a reason for the late submission of the WEPP Application. If asked, “The Receiver obtained extension” should be noted. The Receiver notes that this in no way may affect the eligible employees’ WEPP Applications.

 Additional information on WEPP may be obtained by calling the Service Canada Toll-Free number 1-866-683-6516, or on the Service Canada website via the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/wage-earner-protection.html

Attached here is a WEPP Q&A and WEPP Brochure for further information.  

Any future WEPP related inquiries can be directed to Natalia Chtcherbakova at natalia.chtcherbakova@pwc.com

Status of File as of October 18, 2024

The Receiver, together with Victoria Gold HR, is currently in the process of returning personal items that remain on-site belonging to some employees (the “Employee Items”). A notification will be sent once the Employee Items have been shipped to the relevant employees. The Receiver and Victoria Gold HR are working hard to respond to any of the employees’ questions in connection with the Employee Items.

The Receiver also understands that some employees may have in their possession Victoria Gold owned equipment (the “Victoria Gold Items”). The Receiver requests that employees return the Victoria Gold Items as soon as possible.

For any questions on the Employee Items or for any instructions on how to return the Victoria Gold Items, please send requests to ca_victoriagold@pwc.com or hr@vgcx.com

Status of File as of October 3, 2024

Victoria Gold already submitted Records of Employment (“ROE”) to Service Canada for all former employees and a copy of the ROE will be mailed to the individual employees in the next few business days.

The Receiver is currently in the process of gathering the required information on all former employees who may be eligible to participate in the Wage Earner Protection Program ("WEPP") administered by Service Canada under the Wage Earner Protection Program Act (“WEPPA”). Once this process is finalized, all eligible employees will receive a notice from the Receiver outlining the amounts eligible to be claimed through WEPP, and instructions on how to do so (the “WEPP Notice”).

The Receiver has sought and obtained an extension from Service Canada to comply with WEPPA regulations by October 31, 2024. As such all former eligible employees are automatically granted an extension up to December 26, 2024 to submit their applications under WEPPA to Service Canada (the “WEPP Application”).

To make the WEPP Application the former employees will need the information provided in the WEPP Notice. Additionally, former employees will need to return a completed and signed Proof of Claim form (included in the WEPP Notice) to the Receiver in order for Service Canada to process their WEPP Application.

The Receiver is making every effort to complete this process as swiftly as possible.

Additional information on WEPP may be obtained by calling the Service Canada Toll-Free number 1-866-683-6516, or on the Service Canada website via the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/wage-earner-protection.html

Any future WEPP related inquiries can be directed to Natalia Chtcherbakova at natalia.chtcherbakova@pwc.com

Status of File as of September 19, 2024

Following the incident at the Heap Leach Facility of Victoria Gold Corp. (“Victoria Gold” or the “Company”) on June 24, 2024, 258 employees (the “Laid-off Employees”) were temporarily laid off by Victoria Gold, in accordance with the Yukon Employment Standards Act (the “Act”). Given that mining operations will remain suspended for the foreseeable future, the Laid-off Employees will not be called back to work prior to the conclusion of the temporary layoff period prescribed by the Act. As a result, on September 19, 2024, PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc. LIT (in its capacity as “Receiver” of the Company) issued notices to the Laid-off Employees advising of the deemed termination of the employment in accordance with the Act.

The Receiver is in the process of gathering the information on amounts owed (the “Amounts Owed”) to the Laid-off Employees by the Company. Once the Amounts Owed are determined, the Receiver will be issuing notices with Amounts Owed and instructions on how to make a claim to Service Canada under the Wage Earner Protection Program Act (Canada) to all eligible Laid-Off Employees.

Any further updates on the receivership proceeding of the Company, including the Receiver’s Reports to the Court, will be posted to this website as they become available.

If you are an employee and have questions, please email them to ca_victoriagold@pwc.com