The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
ADK First Nation to participate in transporting concentrates North of 60 Mining News – August 19, 2022
Zinc and lead concentrates produced at a future Prairie Creek Mine would be transported across the Acho Dene Koe First Nation Traditional Territory en route to global markets.
NorZinc Ltd. Aug. 17 announced the signing of a transportation corridor benefits agreement with Acho Dene Koe First Nation, whose traditional territory lies along the route for delivering zinc and silver-rich lead concentrates produced at a future Prairie Mine in Northwest Territories to global markets.
"We are pleased to be signing this agreement with the Acho Dene Koe First Nation which sets a strong foundation for us to work collectively, ensuring the benefits to its community/members," said NorZinc President and CEO Rohan Hazelton.
In October, NorZinc published a preliminary economic assessment for a 2,400-metric-ton-per-day mining operation at Prairie Creek that will produce an average of 261 million pounds of zinc-equivalent – which accounts for the value of the lead and silver that will also be recovered – annually over 20 years of operation.
Zinc and lead concentrates produced at this mine would be loaded into containers and trucked to Fort St. John in British Columbia or some other location where it could be loaded on railcars for delivery to markets.
This route would pass through Acho Dene Koe First Nation's Traditional Territory, which covers parts of southwestern Northwest Territories, southeastern Yukon, and northern BC. The trucks loaded with concentrates would pass immediately by Fort Liard, the main community within Acho Dene Koe territory.
Under the transportation benefits agreement, Acho Dene Koe First Nation and its economic development corporation, ADK Holdings Ltd., will participate in the benefits of Prairie Creek, particularly through training, employment, business, and contracting opportunities related to transporting the mineral concentrates.
ADK Holdings Chair Boyd Clark called the Prairie Creek agreement a "tremendous opportunity."
"The ore transportation opportunity and the formation of a new company will help to position the economic development corporation for the future in employment, business opportunities, and economic growth that has not been seen since the days of when oil and gas was at its height," he said. "We look forward to working with NorZinc in advancing this opportunity."
Negotiations for the transportation benefits agreement, which began under Acho Dene Koe First Nation Council Chief Gene Hope two years ago, was finalized under the nation's new council.
"Our Council would like to thank the efforts of our negotiating team in achieving this positive result in supporting economic opportunities, as well as, providing of capacity to our First Nation with direct community support for education, training, and community harvesters and events for the future," said Acho Dene Koe First Nation Sub Chief Brenda Berreault.
The finalization of this transportation benefits agreement comes a week after NorZinc announced the signing of an environmental agreement with the Naha Dehe Dene Band and Liidlii Kue First Nation Band for the development and operation of a mine at Prairie Creek and an all-season road to access this zinc-lead-silver project.
"The formalization of yet another benefits agreement with our First Nations partners and its economic development corporations demonstrates and solidifies the support and recognition of the positive impacts of the project in this northern region and brings us one step closer to moving Prairie Creek forward," said Hazelton.
More information on the agreements signed with the Naha Dehe Dene Band and Liidlii Kue First Nation Band can be found at First Nations sign Prairie Creek enviro pact in the August 12, 2022, edition of North of 60 Mining News.
Over his more than 16 years of covering mining and mineral exploration, Shane has become renowned for his ability to report on the sector in a way that is technically sound enough to inform industry insiders while being easy to understand by a wider audience.
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