Agency managing Victoria Gold's assets fires mining company's CEO

The agency managing the assets of mining company Victoria Gold has fired the company's chief executive officer.

In an email Sunday, CEO John McConnell said Monday would be his last day.

He said he learned during a weekend meeting with PricewaterhouseCoopers, the court-appointed receiver for Victoria Gold, that he was being terminated.

"The past 15 years have been a blast and I'm very proud of what our team accomplished," McConnell wrote. "Stay tuned for my next adventure!"

The move by PricewaterhouseCoopers came several days after the Ontario Superior Court of Justice appointed it to oversee Victoria Gold's assets, including the Eagle mine site near Mayo, Yukon, where a heap leach pad failed on June 24 and shut down the mine.

Last week, McConnell said he and his senior team members would stay on with Victoria Gold to help with the transition, but he expected to be let go at some point.