It’s not often a crew gets to turn belief into success, especially in the mining business.

It’s not often they can convince the international financing community focused on numbers – not passion.

Victoria Gold poured its first gold bar Tuesday evening at its Eagle Gold Mine north of Mayo.

Company president and CEO John McConnell hosted the event via a livestream from the international Denver Gold Show.

Chief operating officer Mark Ayranto hosted it from downtown Whitehorse at the Miner’s Daughter pub on Main Street.

Together they shared the gravity of the accomplishment, not just by them but by everybody involved in the Eagle Gold Project over the last 10 years.

And there were many, including Sean Harvey, the chair of the company’s board of directors, who is described as a member of the 10-plus years club.

They shared a thank you to their families for standing by them and their vision when the push was uphill.

They thanked those confident enough to put up half a billion dollars to bring the mine into production.

“Everybody deserves a great thank you, a collective thank you,” Ayranto told an enthusiastic gathering in Whitehorse.

They watched on the big screen as McConnell introduced the team of Matthew Mock, Victoria’s process manager, and Premier Sandy Silver, who were at the mine site preparing for the pour, both decked out in silver safety suits.

“This team is ready to pour gold,” came the pronouncement from Denver.

It didn’t talk long to fill the mould with 1,001 ounces – 63 pounds – valued at somewhere around Cdn. $2 million.

The pub was filled with cheers and applause from prominent members of the local business community. Many had provided services and supplies to the Eagle Gold Project, from heavy equipment to air travel.

There were several government ministers on hand. Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Ranj Pillai was in Denver.

There were members of the official Opposition in the audience who were recognized for supporting the project while they were in government.

Mayor Dan Curtis was there, as were many representatives of the mining industry.

While Chief Simon Mervyn of the First Nation of Na Cho Nyak Dun was unable to make it, the First Nation was represented by Bryan Moses, its environmental monitor, and Ronalda Moses, the First Nation’s liaison to Victoria Gold.

Everybody shared a toast.

Victoria Gold’s bar was the first to be poured by a hardrock mine in the territory since the Brewery Creek gold mine east of Dawson poured its last gold bar in 2001.

Ayranto mentioned how the project has had an enormous benefit on the Yukon’s economy and how currently there are 251 people employed directly by the company, more than half of whom are residents of the Yukon.

Eighteen on the payroll are members of the First Nation of Na Cho Nyak Dun.

When the mine is fully ramped up in the next nine months, the company expects to employ an estimated 350 people.

Ayranto explained in an interview afterward officials expect to pour a bar every couple of days, in keeping with the company’s projection of producing 200,000 ounces per year.

Victoria Gold bought the property in Dublin Gulch in 2009. The company went through the exploration phase, the economic assessments, feasibility studies. It secured the mining licence and the licence from the water board.

McConnell used to market the project as a turn key operation ready to go, with all the necessary permits in hand.

Financing to bring the mine into production was announced 18 months ago.

The mine life is currently estimated at 11 years, though exploration on the property continues.

As part of Tuesday’s celebration, Victoria Gold showed video footage detailing the construction project, from dirt being moved, steel going up and pipes being laid.

Officials showed aerial footage of the first big blast in the open pit.

It was an impressive affair, a synchronized affair involving a couple of hundred individual explosions over 300 metres, beginning at one end of the bench, and ending at the other, all in sequence over a matter of seconds.

It was a captivating moment that grabbed the audience.

“That one was for you, Sean,” said McConnell in reference to CEO Sean Roosen of Osiska Royalties, which joined with Orion Mine Finance and CAT Financial to provide the financing.

It was Roosen’s birthday.