The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
North of 60 Mining News - May 15, 2024
Lying alongside Highway 37 in Northwestern British Columbia, the Cassiar Mountain Jade Store provides tourists the opportunity to buy jade mined in the area.
British Columbia has banned any new jade mines in the northwestern corner of the province and has given companies mining this semi-precious stone in the area a five-year window to wind down operations.
Provincial concerns over jade mining in northwestern B.C. began after receiving a 2020 letter from the Tahltan Central Government demanding the government take immediate steps to shut down jade and placer gold mining activities across the Tahltan Nation's 95,933-square-kilometer (37,040 square miles) territory.
Over the ensuing four years, the B.C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation has been analyzing the issue, resulting in the May 10 issuance of the Environment and Land Use Act order aimed at winding down jade mining in northwestern B.C.
"The ministry has been working closely with local First Nations, with input from industry, to address concerns regarding the environmental impacts to sensitive alpine environments from jade mining in the Turnagain region of northwestern B.C.," the ministry penned in a May 10 announcement of the jade mining ban. "The order is needed to protect these areas from further harm and disturbance."
Northwestern B.C. jade miners Cassiar Jade Contracting Inc. and Glenpark Enterprises Ltd. say the order is the final nail in the coffin for the jade sector in the region.
Both companies feel that the blanket jade ban in northwestern B.C. does not fairly evaluate their environmental record or regulatory compliance.
"It is hard to understand what is driving government here, other than wanting to accede to Tahltan demands," said Cassiar Jade President Tony Ritter. "Government has never expressed any concerns about our environmental conduct."
Cassiar Jade and Glenpark have already filed lawsuits with the B.C. Supreme Court alleging that the previous provincial government actions preventing mining activities for the past four years have harmed their businesses and caused significant financial loss.
"We previously filed a lawsuit against B.C. because of the harm they caused our businesses with a series of temporary freezes," said Glenpark President Kristin Rosequist. "But now they have really laid their cards on the table and shown they are wanting to drive this industry out completely."
Glenpark and Cassiar Jade find it ironic that the province is completely shutting down the mining of jade in northwestern BC less than a year after British Columbia Premier David Eby touted the importance of the provincial stone during the 2023 celebration of "B.C. Jade Day."
"Jade has been an important part of British Columbia's artistic and business communities for many years, and BC Jade Day is an opportunity to recognize the many contributions of those who work with this remarkable material," Eby said on May 28. "British Columbia is blessed with an abundance of this precious stone, which has been celebrated and prized for centuries for its beauty, value and cultural significance."
"I wish you all the best for a wonderful celebration and continued growth in the years ahead," he added.
Glenpark and Cassiar Jade see the provincial order to wind down jade mining in northwestern B.C. as conflicting with the premier's well-wishes on B.C. Jade Day 2023.
"It is impossible to reconcile the inconsistencies between the Premier's statements and the government's actions," they penned in a statement denouncing the order.
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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