The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
North of 60 Mining News - July 16, 2024
Highway 37 is a two-lane road that runs north 875 kilometers from Highway 16 to the B.C. northern border with the Yukon.
Core from drilling at Newmont's Red Chris Mine, currently the only copper-producing operation in B.C.'s Golden Triangle.
Highway 51, more widely known as the Telegraph Creek Road, is a narrow and winding dirt road in the Golden Triangle region of Northern B.C.
A drill at KSM, which hosts some of the largest undeveloped gold and copper reserves in the world.
A haul truck at the Red Chris copper-gold mine in the traditional territory of the Tahltan Nation.
Heralded as a win for First Nations residents and the mining industry in Northern British Columbia, the federal and provincial governments are investing C$195 million (US$142.6 million) to upgrade highway infrastructure in the critical minerals-enriched Golden Triangle.
"The Northwest BC Highway Corridor Improvements Project will benefit a critical mineral region and First Nations partners," said B.C. Minister of Transportation Pablo Rodriguez. "It will also improve transportation safety, reliability and access to essential services, and reinforce our government's commitment to a net-zero future."
Financed through the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund, a flagship program under the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy, this highway improvement project is expected to support the development and operation of several Golden Triangle mining projects rich in copper, molybdenum, zinc, nickel, and cobalt.
The federal government is covering C$75 million of the costs, with the balance of the project being funded by B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
Improving the transportation infrastructure in the northern reaches of the province is a key piece of the B.C. Critical Mineral Strategy unveiled by Premier David Eby at AME Roundup 2024, an annual mining conference that draws thousands to Vancouver, B.C., each January.
"B.C. has the critical minerals the world needs to build a clean economy," said B.C. Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation Josie Osborne. "We are seizing the generational opportunity before us to create jobs, not only in northwest B.C., but also in communities across the province that supply and provide services to our mining sector."
A drill at KSM, which hosts some of the largest undeveloped gold and copper reserves in the world.
The Golden Triangle covers a large swath of northwestern British Columbia that lies deep enough into mining's frontier that the value of its world-class deposits of copper, gold, silver, nickel, cobalt, and other metals has not been fully realized, yet is still reached by industrial-grade hydropower, roads, and Pacific Rim ports needed to unlock its vast mineral potential.
Roughly 75% of Canada's total copper reserves are found within the Golden Triangle, yet Newmont's Red Chris Mine is the only operation in the region that is currently producing this metal critical to the clean energy transition.
The largest and most advanced of the mine projects hosting the undeveloped copper reserves in Northern B.C. is Seabridge Gold Inc.'s KSM mine project.
KSM hosts 54.5 billion pounds of copper and 153.9 million ounces of gold in all resource categories.
A mid-2022 prefeasibility study detailed plans for developing an open pit mining operation at KSM capable of producing more than 178 million lb of copper, 4.2 million lb of molybdenum, 1 million oz of gold, and 3 million oz of silver annually for 33 years.
While this would be a world-class mine in its own right, the study does not consider deeper resources with he potential to support an underground mine capable of producing another 14.3 billion lb of copper, 13.8 million lb of molybdenum, 14.3 million oz of gold, and 68.2 million oz of silver over 39 years.
Core from drilling at Newmont's Red Chris Mine, currently the only copper-producing operation in B.C.'s Golden Triangle.
Another large portion of the copper reserves in the Golden Triangle is found at Galore Creek, a mine project being advanced by a joint venture between Newmont and Teck Resources Ltd.
A prefeasibility study completed in 2011 envisioned a mine at Galore Creek producing 6.2 million lb of copper, 4 million oz of gold, and 65.8 million oz of silver over an 18-year span.
Galore Creek Mining Corp., which is the JV equally owned by Newmont and Teck, is working on an updated prefeasibility study slated for finalization this year.
Turnagain, a Golden Triangle mine project being advanced by a joint venture between Giga Metals Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp., hosts approximately 12.3 billion lb of nickel and 743 million lb of cobalt needed for lithium-ion batteries powering electric vehicles and storing renewable energy.
Developing the more prospective and advanced Golden Triangle mine project has the potential to create up to an estimated 3,000 jobs, spur roughly C$20 billion (US$14.6 billion) in capital investments, generate over C$450 million (US$329 million) in annual mineral taxes, and create substantial revenue-sharing and economic opportunities for local First Nations.
"Investment into the Northwest Region has a direct correlation to the good work being carried out by Nations to ensure that regional economic stability is great for all Canadians," Nisga'a Nation President Eva Clayton said in response to the Northwest BC Highway Corridor Improvements Project. "We see the importance of the critical minerals investments like this supporting safer access to industry and long-term economic growth of our people. Moreover, it provides for safe journeys for the Nisga'a Nation, our neighboring nations and guests to our respective territories."
While Northern B.C. does enjoy road access provided by Highway 37, a two-lane highway that cuts north-south through the Golden Triangle, this and the few mostly dirt sideroads require upgrades in order to support increased traffic that would come with mining and keeping the roads safe for residents.
The Northwest BC Highway Corridor Improvements Project will provide both useability and safety upgrades to Highway 37, Highway 37a, and Highway 51.
Highway 37a is a 65-kilometer (60 miles) spur road to the coastal mining town of Stewart.
Highway 51, more commonly known as the Telegraph Creek Road, is a very narrow, mostly dirt road with steep climbs and sharp switchbacks that extends roughly 110 kilometers (70 miles) west from Highway 37.
"Tahltan leadership and our communities have long advocated for highway improvements for as long as I can remember. Tahltans have no choice but to travel on treacherous roads with zero cell service for hours to access essential services," said Marie Quock, chief of the Iskut Band of the Tahltan Nation.
"Our three Tahltan communities have struggled for generations with safe passage highways 37 and 51 – to southern communities where our people depend on the everyday facets of life, including emergency health care, food, and other everyday necessities often taken for granted by many residents of B.C.," added Carmen McPhee, chief of the Tahltan Band.
These safety concerns will be addressed with the upgrades slated for the northern frontier highways, which will include widening the shoulders, creating pullouts for slow-moving vehicles, and increasing Wi-Fi access along 800 kilometers (500 miles) of roadway.
Highway 51, more widely known as the Telegraph Creek Road, is a narrow and winding dirt road in the Golden Triangle region of Northern B.C.
The road infrastructure improvements are considered crucial to allowing for increased industrial traffic linked to mining activity and will generate well-defined, long-term benefits for First Nations and local communities in the region, including enhanced safety, reliability and accessibility of essential services.
This is particularly true for the Tahltan and Nisga'a First Nations, whose traditional territories cover most of the mineral-rich lands now known as the Golden Triangle.
"Today's announcement regarding safer highways for our people is welcomed by the Tahltan Nation," said Tahltan Central Government President Beverly Slater.
The permitting and development of mines in the Golden Triangle hinges on gaining support from the sophisticated and well-organized First Nations of northwestern B.C.
The Tahltan Nation, whose homeland covers 70% of the Golden Triangle, has been supportive of mineral exploration and mining in this mineral-rich region as long as its sovereignty is recognized and the values of its people are respected.
"Mining is a part of our culture and economy. For thousands of years, Tahltans prospected, mined and traded obsidian," said Slater. "While we recognize the need for critical minerals for a low-carbon future, this can only happen with the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples; therefore, the pace and scale of mining in our Territory will be determined by the Tahltan Nation."
The traditional territory of Nisga'a Nation, Tahltan's neighbor to the south, covers most of the rest of the Golden Triangle.
These First Nations have individually and together been proactive in ensuring that any mining carried out in the Golden Triangle region maximizes the benefits for their people while at the same time protecting the environment and their cultural heritage.
One of the latest examples of this was the formation of Nations Royalty, the first Indigenous-owned mineral royalty company. Nisga'a Nation was instrumental in the creation of Nations Royalty and deposited royalties it held on five Golden Triangle projects into the newly formed company.
"With guidance from renowned mining entrepreneur, Frank Giustra, our ambition is to grow Nations Royalty into one of the top global royalty companies," said Clayton.
A haul truck at the Red Chris copper-gold mine in the traditional territory of the Tahltan Nation.
Under the Tahltan-Mining Industry Working Group, leaders from the Tahltan Nation and select mining companies operating in Tahltan Territory (Galore Creek Mining, Newmont, Seabridge, and Skeena Resources) have been advocating for road upgrades to improve safer community and commercial travel through the Golden Triangle.
"Today's landmark announcement is a testament to the leadership of the Tahltan Nation and demonstrates the incredible outcomes that occur when Indigenous people and industry work together toward a shared vision for the future," the group said in response to the C$195 million road upgrade announcement.
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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