The Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology is calling the expansion of mining exploration in central Newfoundland “extremely good news.”

Recently, New Found Gold announced a deal to significantly expand its Queensway North Project area, which is located just west of Gander.

Minister Andrew Parsons says he hasn’t had any recent meetings with the company, but has been hearing about the advancements.

He says there has been a bit of a “gold boom” in the province over the last few years. He notes the markets have been tough recently, but seeing companies like Marathon Gold going full swing with projects is a positive thing.