Sustainable mining opportunities in
West Canada
An exploration of the Mining industry in Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest
Territories & Yukon, and Dutch Business opportunities in this industry
Source: http://www.mining.com/
21 March 2013
Rivka Miedema
The Netherlands Trade Office
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Derk Ponsioen and Maarten den Ouden
Consulate General of the Netherlands
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
For more information: [email protected] -
1
Contents
1.
Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... 3
2.
Mining industry in Canada: general and provincial potential ......................................................... 5
3
4.
2.1
Western Canada ...................................................................................................................... 6
2.1
Alberta ..................................................................................................................................... 7
2.2
British Columbia ...................................................................................................................... 8
2.3
Northwest Territories............................................................................................................ 10
2.4
Yukon..................................................................................................................................... 11
Current developments and challenges.......................................................................................... 13
3.1
Shortage in employment....................................................................................................... 13
3.2
Environmental issues and reclamation ................................................................................. 13
3.3
Shale gas................................................................................................................................ 14
3.4
Other developments and challenges..................................................................................... 15
Dutch business opportunities........................................................................................................ 16
Appendix................................................................................................................................................ 17
2.1
Operating mines in Alberta ................................................................................................... 17
2.2
Operating mines in British Columbia..................................................................................... 19
2.3
Mines in NWT ........................................................................................................................ 23
2.4
Mining and exploration projects in Yukon ............................................................................ 23
2.5
Green mining Opportunities SDTC: Call for applications ...................................................... 28
2
1.
Executive Summary
The Canadian mining industry represents a unique opportunity within the world mining market,
driven by a powerful combination of rich resources and a secure investment climate. Canada ranks
first in the production of potash; second in uranium; third in aluminum and titanium; fourth in
sulphur and nickel; and fifth in diamonds, platinum group metals, asbestos, molybdenum, salt and
cadmium. Canada has the third largest proven crude oil reserves in the world in the Alberta oil sands.
The mining industry contributes highly to Canada's economy with a total value of $36 billion in 2010.
$8 billion comes from mineral extraction and $28 billion from mineral processing and manufacturing.
Despite current economic challenges in the global mining industry, after years of cost inflation and
lower than expected prices for natural resources the long term future for the Canadian mining
industry looks bright. The Asian demand for Canada’s natural resources remains strong, different
Asian companies are currently investing in new mining projects in Canada. Canada is investing $ 20
billion to improve the infrastructure on the West Coast with the Asia Pacific Gateway strategy. These
investments in ports, transportation hubs, pipelines and railway infrastructure will facilitate the
export of the natural resources to their destination.
This report is focused on the mining industry in Western Canada: Alberta, British Columbia,
Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory, the main challenges in the industry and opportunities
for Dutch companies in Western Canada. These opportunities often arise from “supplying sectors” to
the mining industry, such as the environmental industry and the infrastructure and transportation
sector. Since many opportunities are related to the environmental industry and current regulation
emphasizes strict environmental assessments and remediation of closed mines, this report will focus
on “sustainable mining” opportunities..
The federal government and the provincial governments are starting to focus on the environmental
footprint of the growing mining industry. Different innovative technologies will have to be used to
make the mining industry more sustainable and deal with issues such as water contamination and
reclaim polluted mine sites after the economic life of the mine is over. A concrete example is In Situ
Coal Gasification (ISCG). With this new technology, coal layers that are un-mineable with
conventional techniques could become accessible and increase Canada’s coal reserve immensely.
Although still in the infancy stage for coal mining, this technique is already used in oil sands mining. It
provides a less intrusive mining technique to the physical mining site, but water contamination
remains an issue. Many mine operators are looking for new concepts to deal with this.
The Alberta government is currently implementing new groundwater monitoring systems in the oil
sands region, in areas larger than Dutch provinces. New systems have to be designed that can
monitor the impact of the oil sands industry on groundwater quality and quantity. The Dutch
“Partners for International Business” programs are already focusing on opportunities in this sector.
Cleanup and environmental remediation of closed mines is growing in importance. A current
example is the large clean up of the closed “Giant Gold Mine” in the Northwest Territories. Costs are
estimated at $488 million as the remediation plan is currently under review at the regulators. This
project is expected to be open for tenders in summer 2013. The clean up is expected to begin in 2014
and should provide employment for 300 people.
3
Sustainable Development Technologies Canada (SDTC) is an organization that facilitates – on behalf
of the federal government – the commercialization of clean technologies. On a yearly basis this
organization organizes a call for clean tech applications, open for international organizations. One of
the current priority areas is natural resources. SDTC support projects that mitigate environmental
impacts associated with Canada’s natural resource sector. Examples of focus points are sustainable
mining, cleaner fossil fuels and clean energy. In this area, the focus lies on renewables and improved
energy efficiency of transportation.
The shortage of human resource is one of the largest challenges in the industry. The provinces and
territories have a very low unemployment rate and with an expected demand for 16,930 new direct
jobs by 2020 in the mining industry, they don’t have the necessary labour. This makes both
governments and companies open to new and more efficient technologies.
In the vast uninhabited areas of the Northern BC, Alberta and in territories the mining industry is
facing a lack of infrastructure. Passable roads, access to telecommunications and a good energy
supply are crucial for mining operations. Examples of new initiatives and investments are: a new 287
kilovolt power line in the northwest of BC: this will open up a number of new mining sites in BC,
providing them with reliable electricity. The new 140 kilometer road to be built between Inuvik and
Tuktoyaktuk in NWT; estimated at $ 260 million and the development of the 2,735 km pipeline from
Alberta to the Gulf coast, bringing the Alberta bitumen to the market.
The Canadian federal government is working on a better regulatory regime to improve the lack of
coordination between federal ministries and agencies and provincial and territorial counterparts. The
regulatory processes are not coordinated, duplicative and often not transparent. This is a significant
problem for the mining industry. The new devolution agreement between the federal government
and the Northwest Territories on the 11th March 2013 is a recent example that progress is underway.
With this agreement the federal government has granted the Northwest Territories greater
independence in approving resource projects. The goal of this historic agreements is that it will spur
economic development and reshape the economy of Canada’s North.
Despite the challenges, the outlook for the Canadian mining industry is bright. This is demonstrated
by sustained high levels of capital investment and exploration activities. This report gives an overview
of new mines that are expected to come into production in the next years. The planned expansion
projects in often remote location will bring new business opportunities. Dutch business can support
and assist the mining industry and the government in finding solutions for their challenges. They can
provide new technologies and share their knowledge and expertise in the field of water and soil
treatment and management, energy efficiency and infrastructure construction.
4
2.
Mining industry in Canada: general and provincial potential
By producing more than 60 minerals and metals Canada is one of the largest mining nations in the
world. Mines, quarries and primary metal and mineral manufacturing facilities are distributed across
every province and territory. The mining industry has an effect on the economy, environment and
social life through factors such as employment, trade balance, air emissions and water quality. The
mining industry contributes greatly to Canada's economic strength. Real metallic and non-metal
mining gross domestic product (GDP) was $4.4 billion in 2011, and is expect to reach $8.5 billion in
2020. The Canadian mining industry is primarily export orientated. It provided 23 per cent of
Canada's total exports in 2011; the total value of mineral export was $101.7 billion. Besides this, the
mining industry provides in total 320,000 jobs divided over all parts of Canada, with an expected
growth of 16,930 jobs by 2020. The employees are working in mineral extraction and in the valueadded smelting, fabrication and manufacturing areas. Salaries in this sector are also very
competitive. An employee earns on an average $1,632 per week (Natural Resources Canada, 2012).
The Canadian federal government aims to exploit the mining potential of its country and therefore
offers a 100 per cent deduction of eligible exploration expenditures. These expenditures are
deductible from the federal taxes paid in the different provinces and territories.
5
2.1
Western Canada
As can be seen in the map of Canada, Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the
Yukon are the Western provinces in Canada. The economy in Western Canada has historically been
focused on the natural resources sector. The forestry sector, mining sector and the energy sector are
still playing an important role in these provinces and territories.
This table gives a short overview of the provinces and territories described in this report and gives an
impression of the size (in total 83 times the size of the Netherlands) and low population density of
less than 2,5 people per square kilometer. In general the large distances and lack of infrastructure
determine the feasibility of many mining projects.
Alberta
Population
Surface (times
Netherlands
Largest mining
sectors
current development
3,6 million
662.000 km2
(16 times Nl)
Oil sands and
coal mining
New oil sand extraction
technologies
6
British Columbia
4,4 million
945.000 km2
(23 times Nl)
Coal and
copper mining
New export infrastructure
Northwest
Territories
41.000
1.346.000 (32
times Nl)
Diamond
mining
New arctic infrastructure
Yukon
34.000
482.000 km2 (12
times Nl
Gold mining
Small gold projects
2.1
Alberta
Alberta is most commonly known for its oil sands. The province has the third largest proven crude oil
reserve in the world. The oil sands contain an estimated 1.84 trillion barrels of crude bitumen. At this
point and with current technology, 169 billion barrels are thought to be recoverable and therefore
proven, out of 174 billion barrels of oil that make up Canada’s total oil reserve (11% of the total
global reserves). It accounted for 27.6 per cent of Alberta's GDP in 2011. Syncrude Canada operates
the largest mine in the world and uses some of the largest mining trucks ever built (capacity of 380
tonnes each). Oil sands investment increased to $17.2 billion in 2010, a 63 percent increase from
$10.6 billion in 2009. In 2011, oil sands investment further increased to $21.6 billion. More
information about the oil sands can be read in 'Alberta Oil Sands Report; An exploration of the Dutch
Business Opportunities in the Alberta Oil Sands Industry' by Martijn Groen.
Alberta’s second most important mined commodity is coal. Alberta has 33 billion tonnes remaining
to be mined and that accounts for 70% of Canada’s total reserves. In 2011, Alberta’s total coal
production through its 12 mines was 36.9 million tonnes. Coal mining will become more important
because of the renewed interest in coal for electricity generation after the Fukushima disaster in
Japan. In 2011, the industry supplied coal for 54% of the province’s electricity generation.
There are 15 major mines and quarries in Alberta: 11 coal and oil sands mines; 4 major quarries.
Total mineral production in 2011 was $2.6 billion, of which just $1.1 million was from metallic
mineral production was just $1.1 million. In comparison to British Columbia, NWT and Yukon, Alberta
is a very small player in the metallic mineral production. Beside oil and coal, other commodities
mined in Alberta at this moment include gold, sulphur, quartz (silica), limestone, salt, shale gas,
ammolite and sand & gravel. Of all the mineral rights in Alberta 81 percent are owned by the Crown.
The other 19 percent are Freehold mineral rights. These rights are owned by individuals, companies
or the federal government on behalf of First Nations. The Coal and Mineral Development Branch is
responsible for the administration of the Crown's mineral rights.
Mineral exploration and deposit appraisal expenditures amounted up to $47.3 million in 2011, the
lowest amount of the four provinces/territories. Compared to 2010, expenditures grew by 211%.
Exploration work suggests the potential for uranium in northeastern and southwest Alberta; lead,
zinc and copper in northern Alberta; iron in the Peace River area; and diamonds in north-central
Alberta.
Recently the ministry Alberta Energy decided to regulate the resources in an new and innovative
way. The province is creating a single regulator for all oil, gas, oil sands and coal projects in the
province. The new Alberta Energy Regulator will be responsible for all projects from application to
reclamation. It will bring together the regulatory functions from the Energy Resources Conservation
7
Board and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development into a single entity.
The new regulator is expected to be in operation by June 2013. The Alberta Energy Regular will be
financed by grant from the Alberta government and levy's from the industry. The Alberta Energy
Regulator could make the regulatory processes more efficient and transparent.
2.2
British Columbia
British Columbia is a globally competitive jurisdiction for mine development. It has a stable political
and investment climate with competitive taxation and supportive policies. BC is located in a
geographically strategic location as Canada’s Pacific Gateway with rail access to the rest of Canada
and the US and through the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert access to the rest of the world.
Through hydro generation, there is an abundance of low-cost power. Vancouver, BC has
comprehensive publicly available geoscience through a high number of mining-related company
headquarters, partially due to BC’s AAA credit rating.
BC’s Ministry of Energy and Mines generated a Mineral Exploration and Mining Strategy in which
seven key mined commodities for BC are presented:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Coal – BC is Canada’s largest exporter of coal and the province produced in 2011 26.7 million
tonnes of it, amounting up to $5.7 billion production value. Coal accounts for 2/3 of BC
mining production;
Copper – BC is Canada’s largest producer of copper with a production of 169,608 tonnes
($1.5 billion) in 2011;
Molybdenum – BC is the only producer of molybdenum with a production of 8,404 tonnes in
2011. Production value of molybdenum is confidential;
Gold – BC is among the top 3 provinces in the production of gold with 2,651 kg ($128 million)
in 2011;
Silver – BC produces half of Canada’s silver at 58 tonnes ($66.3 million) in 2011;
Zinc – BC is among the top 3 provinces in the production of zinc at 26,663 tonnes ($60
million) in 2011;
Lead – BC is among the top 3 provinces in the production of lead at 425 tonnes ($1.1 million)
in 2011.
Besides these seven mined commodities, BC also produces more than 30 industrial minerals. In 2011,
the mining industry was responsible for a production value of $8.6 billion, an increase of 20% from
2010. Exploration and deposit appraisal expenditures rose to $460 million, a 72% increase and
mining investments rose to over $2 million, a $700 million dollar increase. More than 29,000 were
employed in mineral exploration, mining and related sectors. Currently, there are 24 mines in
operation; 14 metallic mineral and 10 coal mines. Another 50 are industrial mineral mines/plants and
29 are aggregates mines/plants. More than half of Canada’s exploration and mining companies are
based in BC, which has the largest concentration of exploration companies and geoscience
professional anywhere in the world. Vancouver specifically is a center for mining excellence, with
over 850 mineral exploration and development companies headquartered there.
BC’s business tax rates are amongst the lowest in North America. Provincial tax rate is 10% and the
federal tax rate is 15%, adding up to a total of 25% business tax rate. The province also offers royalty
programs and tax incentives:
8
•
•
•
Mining Exploration Tax Credit – 20% refundable tax credit for eligible mineral exploration and
an enhanced rate of 30% available for qualified mineral exploration in Mountain Pine Beetle
affected areas;
Mining Flow-Through Share Tax Credit – 20% non-refundable tax credit;
New Mine Allowance and other mineral tax provisions allow new mines and major
expansions to deduct 133% of their capital costs, until 2016.
The provincial government is putting a lot of effort into streamlining the regulatory process. They are
eliminating duplication in environmental assessments by developing a single, effective process for
mine development proposals subjected to both the provincial and federal Environmental Assessment
Act. Notice of Work applications (Exploration Permit applications) are reviewed by the provincial
government to check if they adhere to the Mines Act, the Health, Safety and Reclamation Code for
Mines in British Columbia and other associated statutes such as water and environmental
regulations. The backlog for Notice of Work applications has been reduced and it now maintains a
turnaround time of 60 days of processing. For individual prospectors and small-to medium-sized
business, FrontCounter BC provides a wide range of authorizations and permits on behalf of various
clients agencies. It therefore acts as a one-stop shop. Under BC’s Mineral Exploration and Mining
Strategy eight new mines will be created and nine existing ones expanded by 2015. With 5 new
mines approved/under construction and 5 mine expansions approved/under construction, BC is
already halfway there. Realizing these goals will increase annual mine-operation revenue by $1.6
billion; create approximately 2,000 construction jobs, 2,000 new direct jobs and 3,000 indirect jobs;
sustain 5,000 direct and 7,500 indirect jobs and generate over $150 million a year in government
revenue.
A new 322 kilometer, 287 kilovolt power line will be constructed in BC’s northwest. This Northwest
Transmission Line will provide electricity to potential new mine sites like Snowfields, Bronson, Galore
Creek, Schaft Creek, Klappan, Red Chris, GJ, Golden Bear, Kutcho Creek and Turnagain.
Because of the earlier mentioned presence of over 850 mineral exploration and development
companies in Vancouver, BC is home to a number of trade fairs and other events. Some of these are:
•
•
•
AME BC Mineral Exploration Roundup. AME BC represents thousands of members including
geoscientists, prospectors, engineers, entrepreneurs, exploration companies, suppliers,
mineral producers, and associations who are engaged in mineral exploration and
development in BC and throughout the world. The Roundup is the world’s premier technical
mineral exploration conference with technical sessions, short courses, poster sessions, core
shack, prospectors’ tent and map tent. Over 240 exhibitors make up the additional trade
show. The Roundup takes place each year in January. 2013 major sponsors were Teck,
Goldcorp, Macquarie and Rio Tinto.
BC Mining Week. As declared by the Legislature of British Columbia, April 28-May 4, 2013 is
BC Mining Week. Mining is one of BC’s largest and oldest industries and BC Mining Week is
an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the importance of the modern industry to British
Columbians. This week is all about creating exposure for the mining industry with companies
opening up their doors and other initiatives like the Mining Person of the Year Award,
luncheons, mine tours and expo’s.
BC Technical and Research Committee on Reclamation’s Mine Reclamation Symposium. This
is a four-day symposium on reclamation including workshops, mine tours, technical sessions
and networking possibilities.
-- For more information on mining in British Columbia, visit the website of the BC Mining Association.
9
2.3
Northwest Territories
Exploration and mining has long been the largest category of private sector activity in the NWT. In
2011, mines and mineral development contributed $768 million to the NWT economy and employed
over 3,000 people (of which 48% are NWT residents). Currently, there are four mines operational;
three diamond mines and one tungsten mine. See corresponding appendix for an overview of the
operational mines. In total, mineral production in 2011 exceeded $2.1 billion, of which $64.5 million
in metallic minerals and $2.1 billion in non-metallic minerals. By far the biggest share is due to the
diamond mining which accounted for almost the whole of the non-metallic minerals production.
With a rather fixed life expectancy (because of exhausted minable reserves), it is expected that the
Cantung mine will close in 2014, followed by the EKATI mine in 2019, the Diavik mine in 2023 and the
Snap Lake mine in 2028. If no new mine opens, this means that employment and NWT GDP will start
to reduce significantly in a few years.
Currently, there are seven significant mineral projects in various stages of development. Proposed
mined commodities will be diamonds, rare earth metals, cobalt, silver, bismuth, nickel, zinc and gold.
Most of these mines have an expected production start date in 2015, so they could potentially
counteract the expected downturn in employment and GDP because of the closure of the existing
mines. See corresponding appendix for an overview of these projects. Estimated annual direct
employment of these new mines is 1,750 new jobs. Since only one in a thousand exploration projects
actually result in a mine, it is important to maintain a healthy exploration investment. In 2011,
exploration and deposit appraisal expenditures amounted up to $105 million, a 15% increase
compared to 2010 (and a preliminary 2012 figure of $120 million).
The NWT and Canadian Government support the mining industry through different initiatives. The
federal government established a new agency to support business development in the North called
the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (or CanNor) and it continues to invest
significantly in training through Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) programs.
The NWT Government itself implemented an Economic Opportunities Strategy to support broad NWT
economic development. More specific for mineral development are an examination of opportunities
to expand the use of hydro-electric, solar and biomass to generate electricity and heat (for the
remote mining areas), renewal of the NWT Energy Strategy and preparation of an NWT Labour Force
Development Framework. The government also provides the mining industry with regional
geoscience and geological information to focus exploration efforts. Several infrastructure
investments like the construction of a 140 kilometer all weather road between Inuvik and
Tuktoyaktuk (estimated at $ 260 million), the Mackenzie River Bridge, a Mackenzie Valley highway
and fiber optic cables are made to make the remote areas more accessible and attractive for private
investments.
Land and water management used to be responsibility of the federal government, but through the
devolution agreement that was signed on March 12ththe NWT Government will get this
responsibility which will mean that it gets to make its own decisions. Opportunities for new concepts
and companies will increase dramatically. Assuming no land use restrictions and industry best
practices, Fraser Institute found that NWT ranked 6th (out 93) in policy and mineral potential
according to the 2011/2012 Survey of Mining Companies. The new devolution agreement is expected
to eliminate the federal level of bureaucracy governing land use permits and make it less expensive
and complicated to operate in the NTW.
The NWT will receive extra funding from the federal government to expand the staff positions and
set up new programs, in addition the territory will retain a larger portion of the resource royalties
10
that the federal government previously collected. The federal government will hand the territory an
additional $ 130 million a year.
-- For more information on mining in NWT, visit the website of the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of
Mines.
2.4
Yukon
Though legendary for gold mining, Yukon is rich with world-class mineral deposits and many rich
areas remain undiscovered. Yukon is a vast land with unexplored and untapped potential, offering
exciting new opportunities and a competitive investment climate. Yukon’s government, in
cooperation with its private sector partners, is actively marketing its abundant mineral wealth to
world markets. Yukon controls and administers its natural resources. Decisions about mining, oil
and gas, lands, forests and water are made by Yukoners.
With nearly two billion years of geological history, Yukon boasts over 80 defined deposits of copper,
lead, tungsten, zinc and silver and claims to over 2,700 known mineral occurrences. Northeastern
Yukon is also home to one of the world’s largest iron ore deposits. In addition, several important
occurrences of asbestos, barite, molybdenum, nickel, uranium and coal have been discovered.
Emerald and diamond potentials also exist. And after all these years Yukon is still producing gold
(placer gold) traditionally around the area of Dawson City.
Yukon had very little mining activity from 2000 to 2007, but the sector has since gained tremendous.
Yukon's mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction share accounted for only 8.8% of the territory’s
$1,758.8 million real GDP in 2007, but grew to 22.9% of $2,324.3 million real GDP in 2011. In 2012,
there were 3 mines in operation; Bellekeno operated by Alexco Resources Corp (silver, lead and zinc),
Minto operated by Capstone Mining Corp (copper, gold and silver) and Wolverine operated by Yukon
Zinc Corp. (zinc, gold, lead, copper and silver). These three mines accounted for a production of $395
million in metallic minerals production in 2011. Total non-metallic mineral production was $6.8
million adding up to a grand total of $401.8 million in mineral production in 2011. Exploration and
deposit appraisal expenditures for Yukon amounted up to $331.7 million in 2011, a 111% increase
compared to 2010. In 2012 there were a total of 79 exploration projects accounting for the high
increase started in 2011. 62 of these projects were for the commodity gold, two for silver, six for
copper, four for zinc, two for tin, two for nickel and one for rare earth metals. The high exploration
expenditures of 2011 will not be met in 2012, where these expenditures are back to 2010 levels. See
the corresponding appendix for a geographical overview and a list of both active mines and
exploration projects.
Under current regulations and land use restrictions, Yukon ranks 3rd (out of 93) for mineral potential
according to the 2011/2012 Survey of Mining Companies by the Fraser Institute. If you take the land
use restrictions away, Yukon ascends to a 2nd ranked position. According to the same survey, there is
none to limited uncertainty regarding existing regulations. There is a very clear political framework
and stability with a fair, transparent and efficiently administered legal process. Taking into account
both policy and mineral potential, Yukon is ranked 1st out of the 93 jurisdictions.
Yukon has no government debt, no territorial sales tax and a highly competitive taxation regime. The
government offers several incentive programs to accommodate mining investments. One example is
a fuel-tax exemption for authorized off-road commercial purposes. Another example is the Mining
and Petroleum Environmental Research Group. MPERG is a cooperative working group made up of
government agencies, mining companies, Yukon First Nations and non-government organizations for
the promotion of research into mining and environmental issues in the Yukon. Members of the
11
MPERG can bring new projects forward that (if criteria are met) will be realized with help of the
entire group. The Yukon Mining Incentives Program (YMIP) is another program designed to promote
and enhance mineral prospecting and exploration activities in Yukon. The program's function is to
provide a portion of the risk capital required to locate, explore and develop mineral projects to an
advanced exploration stage. Financial incentives run from $15,000 to $ 35,000 per year with 50-100%
reimbursement. A more general initiative that is also applicable for the mining industry is the
Strategic Industries Development Fund. Projects that have the potential to generate significant
wealth and contribute to the growth of a strategic industry in Yukon can get funding up to $500,000
(75% project reimbursement). The Yukon Geological Survey is government controlled organization
committed to the development of a modern geoscience database of mineral deposits in the Yukon
Territory. They carry out regional bedrock mapping projects, mineral deposit studies, mineral
assessments and geochemical, geophysical and environmental studies. An extensive list of
publications, including mineral deposit maps and both territorial and federal mining reports is
publicly available.
-- For more information on mining in Yukon, visit the website of the Yukon Chamber of Mines.
12
3
Current developments and challenges
3.1
Shortage in employment
The mining industry employed 308,000 people in 2011. Of the 308,000 people directly employed by
mining in 2010, nearly 53,000 worked in mineral extraction. The Mining Industry Human Recourses
Council (MiHR) expects that the mining industry will face a serious human resources challenge in the
next decade. MiHR suggests that the industry Canada-wide must hire 10,000 new workers each year
for the next decade to replace existing workers and fill new positions. With unemployment rates
between 4.5% and 7.1%, the four provinces/territories simply don’t have the required supply of
educated labour to meet the demand to overcome the shortage.
For BC specifically, nearly 15,000 job openings are expected in the next few years. Currently, 20% of
the workforce is between the age of 50 and 54. Because of this high share, nearly 5,000 retirements
are expected for the next decade. Starting in 2016 and through to 2020, the industry will face a
significant shortage in over 80 trades. Because of this, a lot of new employees will be required for the
industry to maximize its potential. They will be needing a higher level of training than in the past,
requiring post-secondary skills like advanced degrees in engineering, trades, apprenticeships and
heavy equipment operating certifications. Through the BC Mineral Exploration and Mining Industry
Labour Shortage Task Force and Employment Skills Access, the provincial government funds
initiatives to find solutions for the shortage in employees.
3.2
Environmental issues and reclamation
Provincial governments are responsible for reclamation and close-out of mine site. The federal
government – through the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development – is directly
responsible for mining activities north of 60° in the Yukon and NWT. Every legislative policy or
framework states that mine reclamation programs and financing has to be created before any mine
operating licenses will be handed out.
Although policies are currently in place, there are many (older) abandoned or orphaned mines that
create challenges in the whole process of reclamation. The right legislative tools are lacking, funding
is in short supply, third party assistance is difficult, lack of a closure plan and financial and legal
responsibilities are unclear. This leads to the following current environmental and economic issues:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
(Ground-)water contamination. Mining residuals have the potential for generating acid and
releasing metals into the aquatic environment;
Dust creation and areal transportation. Creation and transport of dust containing residual
metals may have significant impact on the terrestrial environment in the long term if no
control measures are put in place;
Vegetation and wildlife. Waste materials may have negative impacts on the surrounding flora
and fauna of the area. Covering tailings and waste rock with engineered soil covers should
minimize outside contact to the waste materials;
Soil contamination;
Liability;
Wetland compensation and mitigation;
Increasing demands for recreational access in many of the reclaimed mine areas;
Abandoned Infrastructure;
13
Less than 1 per cent of the abandoned mines in Alberta have undergone remedial work. In March
2008, the government of Alberta issued its first (and only so far) oil sands mining reclamation
certificate to Syncrude Canada Ltd. for the 104-hectare parcel of land known as Gateway Hill, north
of Fort McMurray. In the future, oil sands mining will be done by in situ drilling where the landscape
will be far less disturbed. Yukon had 120 abandoned mines in 2000, NWT 37 and BC numbers are not
known.
Since the late 1960's, approximately 45,412 hectares, or 0.05% of B.C.'s 95 million hectare land mass
has been disturbed by major metal and coal mines. Of this, approximately 19,422 hectares (42%) has
been reclaimed.
Different incentive programs are in place to motivate reclamation. One of such is the Robert E. Leckie
Award for Excellence in Environmental Stewardship awarded by the Yukon government. The award is
presented to worthy recipients for excellence in environmental stewardship, outstanding social
responsibility, and leadership and innovation in overall process.
The Northwest Territories is currently facing the largest cleanup of the closed “Giant Mine”. The large
goldmine was the region’s economic mainstay for 50 years until it’s closure in 2004.
After the closure of the mine about 237,000 tonnes of highly toxic, water-soluble arsenic trioxide
remained on the site. Most of the arsenic was blown back underground, where huge dustpiles of it
sit in 15 subterranean chambers, some big enough to swallow an 11-storey building. About 3,600
cubic metres of arsenic and arsenic-contaminated material remain in surface structures—
uncontained and, in many cases, exposed to the elements.
A $488-million plan to clean up the site and freeze the underground arsenic in place—Canada’s
biggest environmental cleanup—is before northern environmental regulators. The final costs are yet
unknown since the process has not been tendered.
3.3
Shale gas
Although shale gas extraction is still in its infancy in West Canada, advancements in technology will
undoubtedly lead to increased development of unconventional oil and gas resources. If the reserves
in Alberta and British Columbia can be extracted through a sustainable and feasible technique,
Canada’s gas reserves could increase immensely. The use of new technologies, such as horizontal
wells and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing, creates new risks and opportunities. For example, unlike
conventional hydrocarbon pools, unconventional resource development requires a greater scale of
development and intensity of infrastructure to be economical. To address the associated challenges
with large-scale developments, the ERCB has suggested a new regulatory approach that includes
moving from well-by-well regulation to regulation focused on development with a defined area. This
play-focused regulation would be performance-based to achieve specific outcomes in public safety,
water protection, air quality, waste management, surface impacts, resource conservation, and
orderly development.
Because shale gas is trapped in low-permeability rock, pathways need to be created to allow the gas
to move through the rock to the well and enable it to be pumped to the surface. A common method
of doing this is to use hydraulic fracturing to “fracture” or crack the rock and create the paths
required. Hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) is the process of pumping fluid into a wellbore to create
enough pressure to crack the rock layer. Concerns have been raised about the chemicals that may be
used in fracking fluids. To produce the shale gas horizontal wells and multistage fracturing are used.
14
These wells start by drilling vertically and then turning the drill bit so that it drills horizontally through
the formation. The formations being targeted are 650-3500 meters below the surface.
3.4
Other developments and challenges
Because mineral prices are generally set through international trading and exchanges, mining
companies have limited control over the revenue side of their income statement. To stay
competitive, they must therefore control their costs. The industry's three main production costs are
wages, energy (fuel and electricity) and materials & supplies. In 2009 the total amount of was
respectively $2.9 billion for wages, $1.8 billion for energy and materials & supplies $5.4 billion.
There currently is a lack of early, and meaningful, consultation with First Nations' governments and
communities. First Nations and mining projects need a strong reciprocal understanding of each
other's values and objectives, which will result in greater project sustainability and success. Some key
challenges facing mining companies include First Nation capacity and/or resource limitations and
‘disconnect’ that may exist between the values of First Nations and the perceived values of a mining
company. Mining companies must take time to develop and maintain positive relationships with
Aboriginal communities. This is key to ensuring that relationships are mutual beneficial for industry
and communities.
The Keystone XL pipeline project is a proposed 1,700-mile pipeline that would transport 830,000
barrels of oil from one of the largest oil reserves in the world in Alberta to one of the world's largest
refining center in the Gulf Coast. The Keystone XL has faced lawsuits from oil refineries and protests
from environmentalists. In January 2012 President Obama rejected the application amid protests
about the pipeline's environmental impact in Nebraska. On January 22, 2013 the governor of
Nebraska approved a revised route through the state. He said the pipeline could be built and
operated safely and would bring thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in new
revenue to Nebraska. Nebraska's approval of a new Keystone XL pipeline route means there is no
bureaucratic excuse, hurdle or catch President Obama can use to delay this project any further.
Canada's economy would benefits highly from the pipeline. The number of jobs and money that
would be created is enormous, and Canada would benefit because of the ability to move out crude
oil that cannot be refined in Canada
15
4.
Dutch business opportunities
The main area in which the Dutch companies could be beneficial for the Canadian mining is the
advanced ways of dealing with environmental issues, and in particular those related to soil and water
contamination. The Netherlands has a lot of experience with soil and water remediation and could
provide the provinces and territories with new technologies to deal with contamination issues.
Two Partners for International Business (PIB´s) covenants are established between the Netherland
and West Canada. The first PIB is about Water & Soil. The parties involved can support West Canada
with their knowledge and techniques in the area of soil remediation, ground- and surface water
management, water quality and tailings. The second PIB, Water & Waste, is focused on wastewater
treatment and waste processing. These two covenants facilitate the Netherlands in increasing
business opportunities. The PIB Water & Soil is led by Hans van Duijne from the Netherlands Soil
Partnership. The PIB Water & Waste is led by Trudy van Spankeren from Global Matching. Other
parties that are involved are the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, the Consulate General
of the Netherlands in Toronto and Vancouver, the Dutch Embassy in Ottowa and the Netherlands
Trade Office in Edmonton.
The mining industry cannot exist without the right infrastructure. The high number of exploration
projects and new mining activities to commence creates an opportunity for Dutch businesses related
to infrastructure in the broadest sense; road and rail construction, telecommunications, specialty
transport and energy supply. Because of the extreme weather conditions and the remote locations of
the mines it's a challenge to provide the right infrastructure. For example, Dutch businesses with
experience in and expertise about building all-weather roads, transportation of unique mining
equipment/building material, telecommunications (broadband) and the construction of energy
supply can assist West Canada in providing the infrastructure which is needed for the construction of
new mines. Dutch Companies like Mammoet and SMIT (Boskalis) are already operational in West
Canada.
Currently there is a lack of policy related to the challenges Alberta is facing. Especially water policy is
missing. Because of the geographical location of the Netherlands and their history of struggling
against the water The Dutch government has a lot of expertise in the field of water policy. Dutch
governance and regulatory systems can be used as example to implement environment related
legislation in Alberta.
As well in environment related challenges as in energy- and cost efficiency challenges, prevention can
play a larger role. Canada is doing well on reacting on problems, but poorly in preventing a problem.
British Columbia is currently investigating the possibilities of setting up a Centre of Excellence for Oil
Spill management, mostly focusing on oil spills in ports. The Dutch experience in port management
could play an important role.
16
Appendix
2.1
Operating mines in Alberta
Table of active mines, mined commodity, location and operator listed. Listed mines have reported
production through September 30, 2011; non-producing mines are excluded from the list.
Mine/Quarry
Burtonsville Island
Calling Lake
Cardinal River
Coal Valley
Exshaw
Fish Creek
Genesee
Grande Cache
Highvale
Whitewood
McLeod
Mitsue
Muskeg
Obed Mountain
Onoway
Paintearth
Peace River Silica
Rundle Stone
Seebe
Sheepcreek
Sheerness
Spencer
Spencer 2
Sprayfalls
Summit Lake
Vesta
Villeneuve
Villeneuve 2
Yamnuska
Commodity
Coal - Subbituminous
Salt
Coal - Bituminous
Coal - Bituminous
Limestone
Limestone
Coal - Subbituminous
Coal - Bituminous
Coal - Subbituminous
Coal - Subbituminous
Limestone
Salt
Limestone
Coal - Bituminous
Gold
Coal - Subbituminous
Silica Sand
Dolomitic Siltstone
Shale
Sandstone
Coal - Subbituminous
Gold
Gold
Sandstone
Limestone
Coal - Subbituminous
Gold
Gold
Sandstone
Location
Burtonsville
North of Athabasca
Hinton
Edson
Exshaw
Nordegg
Genesee
Grande Cache
Seba Beach
Warburg
Cadomin
Slave Lake
North of Ft McMurray
North of Hinton
Onoway
Forestburg
Peace River
Canmore
Kananaskis
Grande Cache
Hanna
Villeneuve
Villeneuve
Exshaw
Coleman
Cordel
Villeneuve
Villeneuve
Kananaskis
Operator
Keephills Aggregate Company Inc.
Calcium Inc.
Teck Coal Ltd.
Sherritt International Corporation
Lafarge Canada Ltd.
Graymont Western Canada Inc.
Prairie Mines and Royalty Ltd.
Grand Cache Coal Corporation
Transalta Corporation
Transalta Corporation
Lehigh Hanson Materials Ltd.
Tiger Calcium Services Inc.
Hammerstone Corporation
Sherritt International Corporation
Lafarge Canada Ltd.
Prairie Mines and Royalty Ltd.
Contractors Leasing Corp.
Kamenka Quarries Ltd.
Lafarge Canada Ltd.
Grand Cache Coal Corporation
Prairie Mines and Royalty Ltd.
Murox Industries Ltd.
Murox Industries Ltd.
Thunderstone Quarries Ltd.
Graymont Western Canada Inc.
Prairie Mines and Royalty Ltd.
Lehigh Hanson Materials Ltd.
Lafarge Canada Ltd.
Lafarge Canada Ltd.
Table of sand and gravel producers in Alberta in 2011.
Company
Barrhead Transit Mix Ltd.
Head office
based in:
Barrhead
Company
Lafarge Construction
Materials
Head office
based in:
Edmonton
17
Company
Head office
based in:
Mayerthorpe
Bashaw
Lahrmann Construction
Laidlaw Sand & Gravel Ltd.
Head office
based in:
Lacombe
Bow Island
Red Deer
Ledcor
Edmonton
Alix
Lehigh Hanson
Calgary
Red Deer/Stony
Plain
Grande Prairie
Calgary
Calgary
Nisku
Red Deer
Red Deer
Lehigh Hanson Materials Ltd.
Fort McMurray
Dunmore
Fort Vermilion
Forestburg
Beiseker
Edson
Redwater
Edmonton
LMT Enterprises Ltd.
MacKenzie County
McNabb Construction Ltd.
McNair Sand & Gravel Ltd.
McPhee Construction Ltd.
Mill Creek Sand & Gravel
(1980) Ltd.
Mixor Aggregates
Grande Prairie
St. Paul
Beaverlodge
Lacombe
Airdrie
Calgary
Nash Enterprises Ltd.
Nikirk Bros. Contracting Ltd.
Ninkovich Gravel Ltd.
Park Paving
Payless Sand and Gravel
Pidherney's
Beaverlodge
Lacombe
Edmonton
Wabamun
Entwistle
Castor
Raven Rock Products Ltd.
REDA Enterprises Ltd.
Reperio Resources
Richardson Bros Ltd.
SAN Forestry Ltd.
Scorpion Construction Ltd.
Slave Lake
Rimbey
Red Deer
Edmonton
Edmonton
Rocky Mountain
House
Edmonton
Bonnyville
Edmonton
Olds
Plamondon
Whitecourt
Calgary
Wainwright
Seven M Contruction
Site Energy Services
Edmonton
Calgary
Slimdor Contracting Ltd.
South Rock Ltd.
Cochrane
Calgary
GENIVAR
Gering Gravel Sales
Gray's Limited
Grimshaw Gravel Sales Ltd.
Camrose
Hardisty/Red
Deer
All over Alberta
Edson
Strathmore
Grimshaw
Edmonton
Innisfail
Fort McMurray
Fort McMurray
H. Wilson Industries
Hammerstone Corporation
Fort McMurray
Calgary
Standard General Inc.
Stewart Construction Ltd.
Stony valley Contracting Ltd.
Surmont Sand and Gravel
Ltd.
T & T Sand & Gravel
Target Products Ltd.
Barsi Enterprises Ltd.
Bashaw Concrete Products
Ltd.
Bettensons Sand & Gravel
Co. Ltd.
Bill Russell Sand & Gravel
Ltd.
Border Paving Ltd.
Buffalo Gravel Corp.
Burnco Rock Products Ltd.
Burnswest Corporation
Carmacks Enterprises
Central City Asphalt Ltd.
Chiles Homes Ltd.
Clover Bar Sand & Gravel
Ltd.
County of Grande Prairie
County of St. Paul
D. Ray Construction Ltd.
DB Bobcat Services Ltd.
DBC Contractors
Desna Controls & Weighing
Inc.
Dick's Sand & Gravel Ltd.
DMD Rock Products Ltd.
E Construction Ltd.
EGT Sand & Gravel
Entwistle Concrete
Filipenko Brothers
Construction Ltd.
Fish Creek Excavating
Fitzgerald Construction 2001
Inc.
FT Aggregates
GCS Energy Services
Company
Leduc
Devon
Morinville
18
Company
Highway Rcok Products
Hopkins Construction Ltd.
Hulburt Rock Products Ltd.
Inspek Crushing Ltd.
JLG Ball Enterprises
JMB Crushing Systems
JT Setters & Sons
Construction
Keephills Aggregate Co. Ltd.
Knelsen Rock Products Ltd.
Knelsen Sand & Gravel Ltd.
Lafarge
2.2
Head office
based in:
Edmonton
Lacombe
Fort Macleod
Fort McMurray
Boyle
Bonnyville
Red Deer
Edmonton
Grande Prairie
La Crete
Red Deer
Company
TBL Construction Ltd.
The Groundworx Company
Tollesrup Construction Inc.
TOR Land Resource Inc.
Tri-S Concrete (1996) Ltd.
Volker Stevin Contracting
Wapiti Gravel Suppliers
West Ridge Sand & Gravel
Ltd.
West-Can Seal Coating Inc.
Westrock Aggregates Ltd.
Yellowhead Aggregates
Head office
based in:
Red Deer
Nisku
Lethbridge
Edmonton
Fairview
Calgary
Grande Prairie
Hinton
Didsbury
Edmonton
Edmonton
Operating mines in British Columbia
Table of active metal mines in British Columbia in 2011; non-producing or abandoned mines are
excluded from the list.
Mine/Quarry
Bralorne
Copper Mountain
Endako
Commodity
Gold
Copper
Molybdenum
Location
Bridge River
Princeton
Fraser Lake
Gibraltar
Highland Valley
Copper
Huckleberry
Kemess South
Copper, Molybdenum
Copper, Molybdenum
Williams Lake
Logan Lake
Copper, Molybdenum
Copper, Gold
Houston
Mackenzie
Mount Polley
Myra Falls
Copper, Gold
Zinc, Silver, Copper, Gold
Lead
Copper, Gold
Gold
Molybdenum
Williams Lake
Campbell River
Gold, Silver
Germansen
Landing
Atlin
New Afton
QR
Ruby Creek
Molybdenum
Shasta-Baker Mine
Yellowjacket
Gold
Kamloops
Quesnel
Atlin
Operator
Bralorne Gold Mines Ltd.
Similco Mines Ltd.
Thompson Creek Mining
Company
Taseko Mines Ltd.
Teck Resource Ltd.
Imperial Metals Corporation
Northgate Minerals
Corporation
Imperial Metals Corporation
Breakwater Resources Ltd.
New Gold Inc.
Cross Lake Minerals Ltd.
Adanac Molybdenum
Corporation
Sable Resources Ltd.
Yellowjacket Resources Ltd.
Table of active coal mines in British Columbia in 2011; non-producing or abandoned mines are
excluded from the list.
19
Mine/Quarry
Brule
Coal Mountain
Elkview
Fording River
Greenhills
Line Creek
Quinsam
Trend
Willow Creek (Pine Valley)
Wolverine
Commodity
PCI
Metallurgical, Thermal
Metallurgical
Metallurgical
Metallurgical, Thermal
Metallurgical, Thermal
Thermal
PCI
Metallurgical Coal
Metallurgical
Location
Chetwynd
Sparwoord
Sparwood
Elkford
Elkford
Sparwood
Campbell River
Chetwynd
Tumbler River
Tumbler River
Operator
Western Canadian Coal Corp.
Tech Resources Ltd.
Tech Resources Ltd.
Tech Resources Ltd.
Tech Resources Ltd.
Tech Resources Ltd.
Quinsam Coal Company
Peace River Coal Inc.
Western Canadian Coal Corp.
Western Canadian Coal Corp.
Table of active industrial mineral mines/plants in British Columbia in 2011.
Mine/Quarry
Anyox Slag Heap
Apple Bay
Commodity
Slag, Silica
Geyserite
Ashcroft
Ashlu River
Quarry
Beaverdell
Granite
Benson Lake
Basalt Roofing Granules
Granite, Dimension Stone,
Building Stone
Granite, Dimension Stone,
Building Stone, Aggregate
Limestone, Calcium Carbonate
Blubber Bay
Quarry
Brisco Tufa
Limestone
Travertine
Bud
Canyon
Bentonite
Ashlar, Flagstone, Thin Veneer
CertainTeed
Granite
Chemical Lime
Clayburn IM’s
Craigmont
Crawford Bay
Lime
Refractory Bricks, Clay Products
Magnite
Dolomite, Limestone
Becor
Elkhorn Quarries
Alumina Rich Clinker
Gypsum
Falkland Mine
Fireside
Four J
Gillies Bay
Gypsum
Barite, Lead, Zinc
Gypsum
Limestone, Aggregate, Railroad
Ballast, Building Stone
Limestone
Giscome
Location
Kitsault
Coal
Harbour
Ashcroft
Squamish
Operator
Electra Gold Ltd
IG Machines and Fibers Ltd.
Rhone
IMASCO Minerals Ltd.
Port
McNeil
Blubber
Bay
Brisco
Ashgrove Cement West Inc.
Princeton
East
Kelowna
Cranbrook
Caribaldi Resources Corp.
Margranite Industries
Golden Rock Products Inc.
Western Industrial Clay Products
Ltd.
Kettle Valley Stone Company
Western Rock Product operation
Chemical Lime Company of Canada
Inc.
Langley
Clayburn Industries Ltd.
Abbotsford Craigmont Mines Ltd.
Merritt
IMASCO Minerals Ltd.
Northeast Pacific Bentonite
of Nelson
Hat Creek Westroc Inc.
Winderme Lafarge Canada Inc. - B.C. Gypsum
re
Kamloops Fireside Minerals Ltd.
Fireside
Georgia Pacific Canada Inc.
Canal Flats Texada Quarrying Ltd.
Van Anda Chemical Lime Company of Canada
Giscome
Pacific Abrasives & Supply Inc.
20
Mine/Quarry
Grand Forks
Commodity
Slag
Hardy Island
Granite, Dimension Stone,
Building Stone
Limestone
Granite, Dolomite
Calcium Carbonate
Limestone, Calcium Carbonate
Harper Ranch
Imasco Sirdar
Imasco Surrey
Imperial
Limestone Co.
Ltd.
Klesilkwa River
Stone
Kootenay Stone
Dimension Stone
Location
Grand
Forks
Hardy
Island
Kamloops
Sirdar
Surrey
Texada
Island
Hope
Mount Meager
Nazko
Flagstone, Building Stone,
Ymir
Dimension Stone, Silica, Quartzite
Jade/Nephrite, Gemstones
Boulder
City
Silica
Golden
Pyrophyllite, Alunite, Sillica
Kyoquot
Magnesite
Radium
Hot
Springs
Pumice, Pozzolan
Pemberton
Aggregate, Pumice
Quesnel
Nipple Mountain
Splitstone
Pavillion
Flagstone, Dimension Stone,
Building Stone
Limestone
Polar Gemstone
Corp.
Ranchlands
Gemstone, Jade
Zeolite
Red Lake Quarry
Diatomite, Fuller’s Earth
Kutcho Creek
Jade
Moberly
Monteith Bay
Mount Brussilof
Rock Creek
Dolomite
San Juan Quarries Slate
Skagit Valley
Granite, Dimension Stone,
Building Stone
Sumas Clay
Clay, Clay Products
Texada Island
Limestone
Limestone Quarry
Vancouver Island Marble
Marble
Vulcan
Pumice
Western –
Calcium Bentonite
Calcium
Bentonite
Winner Quarry
Mineral/Rock Wool
Penticton
Operator
Hardy Island Granite Quarries Ltd.
Lafarge Canada Inc.
Imasco Minerals Inc - SIRDAR
Imasco Minerals Inc. - limestone
Imperial Limestone Co. Ltd
Riverstone Quarry Inc.
Revelstoke Flagstone Quarries
Jade West Resources Ltd.
Dynatec Inc.
Electra Gold Ltd
Lehigh Northwest Cement Ltd.
Baymag Mines Co. Ltd.
Great Pacific Pumice Ltd.
Lightweight Advanced Volcanic
Aggregates Inc.
Kettle Valley Stone Company
Cache
Graymont (Western Canada) Inc.
Creek
Dease Lake Polar Gemstone Corp.
Cache
Creek
Kamloops
Heemskirk Canada Ltd.
Western Industrial Clay Products
Ltd. (Absorbent Products Ltd.)
Rock Creek Mighty White Dolomite
Lantzville San Juan Quarries Ltd.
Hope
Margranite Industries
Abbotsford Sumas Clay Products Ltd.
Vananda
Texada Quarying Ltd.
Duncan
Coquitlam
Kamloops
Phoenix
Matirx Marble – Vancouver Island
Marble
Garibaldi Aggregates Ltd.
Western Industrial Clay Products
Ltd.
Pacific Arasives & Supply Inc.
21
Table of active aggregates mines/plants in British Columbia in 2011.
Mine/Quarry
Abbottsford Gravel Sales Ltd.
Bathville #1 Pit
Cumberland Road/Lafarge – Buse Lake
Quarry
District lot 1, District lot 4050 and 4052, CD,
Plan PGP 35829/BCR Lot 752/DL 921 Parcel
A1232 - Hixon Enterprises Ltd.
Earle Creek
Huntingdon Road (28473)
James Pit
Langrey Road (Duncan) Gravel Pit
Lower Roth Road Pit
Mantle Creek Pit
Marshall Road (30211)
Melchosin & Sechelt (Construction
Aggregates)
Min of Transportation & Hwys
Moir Park
Old Camaron Pit and Quarry
Orca
Ostero Pit
Pier Mac Petroleum Instala Ltd - Windfield
Operations
Pipeline Road (Main Pit)/Salmon
Inlet/Pipeline Road – Pit A/Pit G
Pipeline Road Pits B, C and M
Commodity
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Public Works Canada (Pacific Regional Office) Sand and
Gravel
Ross Road (1091)
Sand and
Gravel
Ross Road (2050)
Sand and
Location
Operator
Abbotsford Abbottsford Gravel Sales
Ltd.
Penticton
Peter Bros.
Vancouver
Lafarge Canada Vancouver Island Div
Prince
Pittman Asphalt, a
George
division of YCS Holdings
Ltd.
Coquitlam Lafarge Canada Inc. Abbotsford
Abbotsford Columbia Bitulithic Ltd.
Kamloops
Dawson Construction
Limited
Saanichton Butler Brothers Supplies
Ltd.
Langley
Little Rock Quarry
Coquitlam
Mantle Creek Sand &
Gravel Ltd.
Aldergrove Valley Gravel Sales Ltd.
Vancouver
Victoria
Cranbrook
Nanaimo
Pt. McNeil
Taylor
Kelowna
Port
Coquitlam
Coquitlam
Lehigh Northwest
Materials Ltd.
Ministry of
Transportation & Hwys
Salvador Ready Mix
Concrete Ltd.
Hub City Paving Ltd.
Polaris Minerals
Corporation
Nels Ostero Sand and
Gravel
Pier Mac Petroleum
Instala Ltd - Windfield
Operations
Allard Contractors Ltd
Jack Cewe Ltd.
Fort Nelson Public Works Canada
(Pacific Regional Office)
Abbotsford Valley Rite Mix Ltd.
Vancouver
Steelhead Aggregates
22
Mine/Quarry
Stone Pit
Swamp Point
Ucluelet Pit
Vector Pit
Winfield Pit
Winfield Ranch Pit / Westlake Pit
2.3
Commodity
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Sand and
Gravel
Location
Vernon
Stewart
Port
Alberni
Kelowna
Kelowna
Kelowna
Operator
Ltd.
Gene Stone Industries
Ltd.
Ascot Resources Ltd.
Dolan's Concrete Ltd.
Glen-Am Construction
Inc.
OK Builders Supplies Ltd.
Westlake Paving and
Aggregates Ltd.
Mines in NWT
Table of active metal mines in NWT in 2011; non-producing or abandoned mines are excluded from
the list.
Mine/Quarry
Cantung
Diavik
EKATI
Snap Lake
Commodity
Tungsten
Diamonds
Diamonds
Diamonds
Location
Nahanni
Lac de Gras
Lac de Gras
Northeast of Yellowknife
Operator
North American Tungsten
Rio Tinto
BHP Billiton
De Beers Canada
Table of potential mine developments in NWT as of July 2012.
Mine/Quarry
Courageous Lake
Gahcho Kue
Commodity
Gold
Diamonds
Location
Matthews Lake
Kennady Lake
Nechalacho
NICO
Rare Earth Metals
Gold, Copper, Cobalt,
Bismuth
Zinc, Lead
Silver, Zinc, Lead, Copper
Gold
Thor Lake
Northwest of
Yellowknife
Pine Point
Nahanni
Yellowknife
Pine Point
Prairie Creek
Yellowknife Gold
Project
2.4
Operator
Seabridge
De Beers/Mountain
Province
Avalon Rare Earth
Fortune Minerals
Tamerlane
Canadian Zinc
Tyhee Gold
Mining and exploration projects in Yukon
Geographical figure of the different mining and exploration projects in Yukon in 2012
23
Source: Yukon Exploration and Geology Overview (2012: 2)
Table of active mines in Yukon in 2012; non-producing or abandoned mines are excluded from the
list.
Mine/Quarry
Bellekeno
Minto
Wolverine
Commodity
Silver, Lead, Zinc
Copper, Gold, Silver
Zinc, Silver, Lead, Copper, Gold
Location
Keno Hill
North of Whitehorse
Watson Lake
Operator
Alexco Resource Corp.
Capstone Mining Corp.
Yukon Zinc Corp.
24
Table of exploration projects in Yukon in 2012
Project
3Ace
Optioner/owner
Northern Tiger Resources Inc.
Work type
P, G, GC, T,
DD
Ballarat
Stakeholder Gold Corp.
DD
Betty
Ethos Capital Corp./Ryan, S.
GC, RC/P
Big Creek
Teck Resources Ltd.
GC
Boulevard
Independence Gold Corp.
P, G, GC
Brewery Creek
Golden Predator Corp.
DD, RC/P
Cache Creek
Golden Predator Corp.
AGP, GC
Cantung
Ryan Gold Corp.
G, GC
Charlotte
Ansell Capital Corp.
DD
Coffee
Kaminak Gold Corp.
GC, DD, RC/P
Dade
Wolverine Minerals Corp./Strategic Metals Ltd. DD, RC/P
Dublin Gulch
Victoria Gold Corp.
DD
Dun
Long C.
GC
Einarson
Anthill Resources Ltd.
GC, DD
Etzel
Great Bear Resources Ltd. / Ansell Capital Corp. DD
Flume
Ryan Gold Corp.
G, GC, DD
Glenmorangie
Commander Resources Ltd.
P, G, GC
Henderson
Indenpence Gold Corp.
P, G
Ida Oro
Ryan Gold Corp.
GC, DD
Jubilee
Long E.
P, GC, G
Justin
Aben Resources Ltd. / Eagle Plains Resources
P, G, AGP, GC,
Ltd.
DD
Joy
Expedition Mining Inc.
P, G, GC
King Solomon Dome Kestrel Gold Inc./Kreft, B.
GP
Klaza
Rockhaven Resources Ltd.
T, DD
Klondike Valley
Diamond Tooth Resources Ltd.
T, GC
Lansing
New Dimension Resources Ltd./Strategic
P, G, GC, T
Metals Ltd.
Leotta
Goldbank Mining Corp.
P, GC
Little Hyland
Lee, G.
P, GC, CP
Livingstone - RNB
Goldstrike Resources Ltd.
P,G
claims
Lonestar
Klondike Gold Corp.
P, G, GC, DD
Mac
Newmont Mining
P, GC
Mag
Brewer, K.
GC
Mariposa
Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd.
GP, GC, T, DD
Midas Touch
Strategic Metals Ltd.
DD
Mint
Silver Range Resources Ltd.
DD
ML claims
Mayo Lake Minerals Inc.
P, GC, GP
Money
White Pine Resources Inc.
P, GC, T
Commodity
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
25
Project
Nucleus
Ogi
Oro
Piggot Creek
Plateau North
Plateau South
QV property
Optioner/owner
Northern Freegold Resources Ltd.
Fox Exploration Inc.
Colorado Resources Ltd.
Black, A.
Goldstrike Resources Ltd.
Goldstrike Resources Ltd.
Comstock Metals Ltd./Ryan, S.
Rackla Gold Project
Raven
Rose Blue
Scarlet East
Scarlet West
Sprogge
Squid
Sulphur
Summit
Tell
Tender
Vivi
Wels
White Gold
White River
Wolf
YCS
Yukon
Keno Hill
ATAC Resources Ltd.
Ryan, S.
Taku Gold Corp./RyanWood Exploration Inc.
Strategic Metals Ltd./Rackla Metals Inc.
Rackla Metals Inc.
Northern Tiger Resources Inc.
Metals Creek Resources Corp.
Taku Gold Corp./Morgan, T.
Goldstrike Resources Ltd.
Manson Creek Resources Ltd.
White Pine Resources Inc.
Wolverine Minerals Corp.
Gorilla Gold Corp.
Kinross Gold Corp.
Driven Capital Corp./Tarsis Resources Ltd.
Teck Resources Ltd.
Indenpence Gold Corp.
Cantex Mine Development Corp.
Alexco Resource Corp.
Silver Range (Keg)
Alaskite
Casino
Del
King Lake Copper
Minto
WS Total
La Liga
Mel
R-15
Selwyn Project
Jennings
Dorsey Lake
Mich
Wellgreen
Bandito
Silver Range Resources Ltd.
Ryan, S.
Western Copper and Gold Corp.
Northern Tiger Resources Inc.
Tanana Exploration
Capstone Mining Corp.
BC Gold Corp.
Inform Resources Corp.
Kobex Resources Ltd.
Redtail Metals Corp.
Selwyn Resources Ltd.
Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd.
Panarc Resources
First Point Minerals Corp.
Prophecy Platinum Corp.
Endurance Gold Corp.
Work type
GC, DD
P, GC
P, G, GC
T, GC
P, G, GP, T
P, G, GP, T
P, G, GC, T,
DD
P, G, GC, DD
P, GC
DD
P, GC, DD
P, G, GC
GC, T
GC
DD
P, G
GP
P, GC
RC/P
GC, T
GC
DD
GC
GC, T
P, GC
P, G, GC, DD,
MD
DD
GC
DD
GP
GC, G
DD, MD
P, G, GC
P, G, GC
GC
DD
DD
GC
GC
P, GP, GC
DD
P, GC
Commodity
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Silver
Silver
Copper
Copper
Copper
Copper
Copper
Copper
Zinc
Zinc
Zinc
Zinc
Tin
Tin
Nickel
Nickel
Rare Earths
26
Abbrevations
AGP - airborne geophysics
DD - diamond drilling
G - geology
GC - geochemistry
GP - ground geophysics
MD - mine development
P – prospecting
RC/P - reverse circulation/percussion drilling
T – trenching
U/GD - underground development
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2.5
Green mining Opportunities SDTC: Call for applications
Canada is a global leader in developing clean technologies. To maintain this momentum,
SDTC announced today its 21st call for applications, which will be open until April 18th, 2012.
“In every corner of this country, some of Canada’s brightest minds are developing technology
that brings together economic prosperity and environmental responsibility,” said SDTC
President and CEO Vicky Sharpe. “We want to work with these entrepreneurs to help bring
their projects to commercialization. These clean technologies are the key to Canada’s future
growth and prosperity.”
SDTC is a not-for-profit corporation created and funded by the Government of Canada to
finance and support the late-stage development and pre-commercial demonstration of clean
technologies. Through its SD Tech Fund™, SDTC helps companies through the critical
juncture when capital and scaling costs become challenges and the risk profile deters other
investors.
SDTC supports technologies that address the challenges of Climate Change, Clean Air, Soil
and Water, including technology solutions focused on these current priority areas:
•
•
•
•
•
Natural Resources: Mitigate environmental impacts associated with Canada’s natural
resource sector including “green mining”, cleaner fossil fuels and forestry.
Clean Energy: Enable cleaner energy production, including natural gas, and improved energy
efficiency of transportation, the built environment and industrial processes.
Agriculture: Increase yield and improve temperature and drought resistance of agricultural
crops and mitigate land-use changes and biodiversity loss.
Northern/Remote Communities: Innovative solutions for self-sufficiency in smaller
communities.
Packaged Solutions: Integrated technology packages that combine one or more clean
technologies, such as renewable energy generation, energy storage, and waste and
wastewater management.
About SDTC
Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) is an arm’s-length foundation funded
by the Government of Canada. It has received $1.09 billion as part of the Government’s
commitment to create a healthy environment and a high quality of life for all Canadians.
SDTC operates two funds aimed at the development and demonstration of innovative
technological solutions. The $590 million SD Tech Fund™ supports projects that address
climate change, air quality, clean water, and clean soil. The $500 million NextGen Biofuels
Fund™ supports the establishment of first-of-kind large demonstration-scale facilities for the
production of next-generation renewable fuels.
SDTC operates as a not-for-profit corporation and has been working with the public and
private sector including industry, academia, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the
financial community and all levels of government to achieve this mandate.
28