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British Columbia.
British Columbia is a province with a rich mining history and a wealth of mining potential yet undiscovered. Early mining operations brought gold and coal to the surface; today, these and many other valuable minerals are bringing prosperit...
789 stories
Draft recommendations on implementing mandatory reporting standards released
The Revenue Resource Transparency Working Group released draft recommendations on June 14, 2013, for implementing mandatory reporting standards for Canadian mining companies. The collaborative effort between industry groups and civil society aims to create transparency in mining company payments to governments, with public consultation extended until September 2013.
Driller finds ancient fern leaf fossil
A Sonic Drilling Ltd. driller discovered a fully intact 80 million year old fern leaf fossil while conducting slope stability drilling at the Peace River Coal mine near Tumbler Ridge, BC. The discovery is significant as complete, well-preserved plant fossils from the Cretaceous period are rare finds even in fossil-rich coal mining areas.
Teck’s Coal Mountain surface mine rescue team wins
Teck's Coal Mountain Operations mine rescue team won the Best Surface Rescue Team award at the 58th Annual Mine Rescue and First Aid Competition in British Columbia. The mine also shared the Edward Prior Safety Award for having the lowest lost-time accident frequency rate among operations with 200,000 to one million worker hours.
Elk Valley mine rescue teams qualify for provincial competitions
Multiple Teck coal operations in BC's Elk Valley competed in the annual East Kootenay Zone Surface Mine Rescue and First Aid Competition on May 11. Coal Mountain Operations won the six-person team event while Greenhills Operations took first in three-person first aid, with both advancing to provincial competitions in Revelstoke.
The inaugural BC Mining HR Diversity Award
The BC Mining HR Task Force and Mining Association of BC launched the inaugural BC Mining HR Diversity Award in 2013, recognizing BC AMTA and New Gold for their partnership creating employment opportunities for Indigenous communities. The initiative achieved a 65% unemployment-to-employment transition rate and 93% retention rate, with 24% of New Afton's workforce self-identified as Indigenous.
Pierre Lebel is named Mining Person of the Year for 2012
Pierre Lebel, chairman and director of Imperial Metals, was recognized as Mining Person of the Year for 2012 by the Mining Association of British Columbia. The award acknowledges his three decades of leadership in B.C.'s mining industry, including his role in developing two operating base metal mines and four advanced projects.
Historic mine, modern technology and future hedges: the Wingdam gold project
Omineca Mining and Metals is developing the historic Wingdam gold mine in BC's Cariboo district using freeze-mining technology borrowed from Saskatchewan potash operations. The company's test mining recovered 4,704 grams of gold from a small tunnel, suggesting potential yields of 4.2-5.6 million grams across the full two-kilometre channel.
Promoting the positives and attracting the next generation
Goldcorp's senior VP of people and safety Paul Farrow discusses the company's efforts to modernize mining's image and attract young talent through graduate programs and technology integration. The company brings in 25 graduates annually for a three-year program providing hands-on experience at multiple mine sites. Farrow emphasizes how modern mining operations have evolved beyond historical stereotypes through improved safety, technology adoption including autonomous truck fleets, and better living conditions.
Operating with respect for the land
Duz Cho Construction, owned by the McLeod Lake Indian Band, has completed extensive infrastructure and tailings facility construction at the Mount Milligan mine site northwest of Prince George over three years. The company built road access infrastructure and an 8-kilometre earthen dam structure for the tailings storage facility, with the mine scheduled to open in July 2013.
Working Together to Protect the Elk Valley Watershed
Teck announced up to $600 million in investments over five years for water treatment and selenium management in B.C.'s Elk Valley, following a new provincial Area Based Management Plan Order. The company operates five steelmaking coal mines in the region and is constructing its first water treatment plant at Line Creek Operations.
Working together to open Mount Milligan
AMEC Americas Ltd. and Fluor Corporation completed EPCM services for the $1.5 billion Mount Milligan copper-gold mine in British Columbia, the province's first major metals mine in 15 years. The project includes a 60,000 tonnes per day processing plant and is expected to create 400 permanent jobs when production begins in fall 2013.
Linking local business with mining companies in north central BC
The Northern Interior Mining Group (NIMG) has grown from a 2008 economic development initiative to over 150 members, successfully connecting local businesses with mining companies in north central British Columbia. The organization has expanded beyond mining to support all natural resource development, with $64 billion in BC resource projects planned over the next decade.
College of the Rockies receives $1.1 million for training simulators
College of the Rockies received $2.8 million in combined funding from provincial, federal, and regional sources to purchase five haul truck training simulators. The program will address critical workforce shortages, with 6,370 mining workers needed in the Kootenay region over the next decade.
BC AMTA celebrates two major milestones
The British Columbia Aboriginal Mine Training Association celebrated major milestones with 55 First Nations students graduating from mining workforce programs in Williams Lake and Merritt in early 2013. The organization secured $10 million in federal funding and expanded operations to multiple offices across BC after previously shutting down in 2012.
Guardian First Aid Service provides essential services
Guardian First Aid Service, based in Elkford, B.C., provides essential safety and medical services to mining operations in the East Kootenay, including work with Teck Coal in the Elk Valley. The company has been operating since 2003 and offers services ranging from basic first aid to paramedic-level care.
A B.C. company continues its research into environmentally sound mining techniques
Kemetco Research is developing environmentally sound mining technologies including cyanide-free gold recovery, improved cyanide detoxification processes, and biological treatment systems for acid mine drainage. The company's biological sulphide generator operates up to 7 times faster than competing technologies and has been optioned to a major U.S. multinational for demonstration.
A colossal company has big plans for B.C.
Xstrata Coal Canada announced plans to develop two major coal mines in northeastern B.C., the Sukunka and Suska projects, expecting operational status within 3-4 years. The projects represent a combined $2.3 billion investment and could produce over 5 million tonnes of metallurgical coal annually each. The company has submitted project descriptions to environmental assessment agencies and is proceeding with drilling programs.
The BC Task Force is creating a vast array of opportunities
The BC HR Task Force for mining, formed in 2007, is addressing the industry's labor shortage through innovative pilot programs including youth apprenticeships at Mount Polley and Gibraltar mines. The task force has expanded beyond its initial mandate to develop comprehensive training programs connecting high school and post-secondary students with mining careers.
An innovative discovery camp is coming to Williams Lake
The BC Task Force is launching an innovative four-day mining career discovery camp for Grade 8 students in Williams Lake, B.C. at the end of June. The pilot program aims to address the industry's aging workforce and talent shortage by engaging students early with hands-on mining career exploration including mine tours, safety demonstrations, and equipment simulations.
How B.C. can win a gold medal in the economic Olympics
Mining executives at the BC Natural Resource Forum called for streamlined permitting processes and improved First Nations consultation frameworks to boost mining investment in British Columbia. The panel highlighted regulatory inefficiencies as barriers to development, with companies like Xstrata Coal investing $700 million in northeastern BC coal projects.
An exciting gold project moves forward
New Gold Inc. is advancing its flagship Blackwater gold-silver project in British Columbia toward production by 2017, with a $1.8 billion investment planned. The project would produce an average of 507,000 ounces of gold and 2.04 million ounces of silver annually over a 15-year mine life, representing New Gold's largest production asset.
Canada is good to mining, says American CEO
Thompson Creek Metals CEO Kevin Loughrey praised Canada's regulatory system as less burdensome than the U.S. while providing an update on the Mount Milligan copper-gold mine in British Columbia. The mine is 75% complete and expected to begin commercial production in Q4 2013, with reserves of 2.1 billion pounds of copper and 6 million ounces of gold over a 22-year mine life.
Westshore Terminals looks ahead with optimism
Westshore Terminals completed a $100-million upgrade that increases its throughput capacity to 33 million tonnes, maintaining its position as Canada's largest coal export terminal. The facility shipped a record 27.3 million tonnes in the previous year and handles both metallurgical and thermal coal for global markets.
Work on the Kitimat Modernization Project is going strong
Rio Tinto Alcan's $3.3-billion Kitimat Modernization Project is progressing well with 17% construction complete as of 2012. The new aluminum smelter will increase production capacity from 280,000 to 420,000 tonnes annually while reducing environmental footprint by 50%.