50 years of
shows
support for
Message from the editor, Shayna Wiwierski – 4
Critical minerals could be the Yukon’s contribution to Canada’s energy transition – 6
The re-emergence of Keno Hill Silver District – 9
Gold Terra’s Yellowknife City Gold Project –The advantage of existing infrastructure – 10 No stone unturned – 12
Celebrating 50 years of Yukon’s modern mining industry – 14
What does economic reconciliation look like for Yukon’s mining sector and Yukon First Nations? – 16
Geoscience: A varied and interesting profession – 18 New poll shows unprecedented support for Canada’s mining sector and its role in contributing to the tech essential to net-zero – 20
Mining an untapped resource –Women in non-traditional occupations – 22
Drones usher in a new generation of exploration geophysics – 24
Building the rare earth element supply chain: Challenges and opportunities – 26
There’s no avoiding ESG – so let’s not make it so exhaustive –
than 17,000 attendees welcomed to Toronto for the 90th PDAC Convention –
Terra Resource Corp.
Pursuit Resources
Well, fall is upon us again, and with that comes lots of mining news in Canada’s north.
In this issue, we take a look at what the Yukon is doing in terms of the green transition. As the Government of Yukon reports on
Those stories are just a taste of what we have in store for you in Issue 2, 2022 of Mining Your Business. I hope you enjoy this e-newsletter and we hope you will help us spread the message about this exciting publication to your colleagues and friends. Also, if you haven’t already, we invite you to share this and to sign up for our newsletter at miningnorthof60.com/mining-yourbusiness/.
Finally, we wish to thank all the companies who have contributed a story for Issue 2, 2022 of Mining Your Business. Special thanks goes out to the following contributors:
• The Government of Yukon
• Sixty North Gold Mining Ltd.
• Yukon Chamber of Mines
Yukon First Nation Chamber of Commerce
• The Mining Association of Canada
We invite all interested companies to share their news and editorial ideas with us. If you would like to contribute a story for future issues of Mining Your Business e-newsletter, please contact myself at shayna@delcommunications.com.
Also, as we close out 2022, keep an eye out for the upcoming issue of North of 60 Mining & Exploration Review, to be released at the beginning of next year. You can read it via our official site, miningnorthof60.com.
As Yukoners increasingly adopt lowcarbon technologies like electric vehicles and solar panels to do our part to help address climate change, we face a question: is there more we can do to help with the green transition?
Generation, transmission, and storage of renewable energy rely heavily on critical minerals, which the Government of Canada defines as building blocks for a clean and digitized economy.
Although mining presents a number of
environmental challenges, the world will need to develop more critical mineral deposits to meet projected demand for renewable energy.
Canada has committed to invest strategically to boost production and processing of critical minerals and to grow its manufacturing sector to supply, among other things, electric vehicle batteries. What will Yukon’s contribution be to these efforts?
The logical answer is raw materials. The
The Casino property, located 300 kilometres northwest of Whitehorse, is a porphyry deposit hosting copper, gold and molybdenum. Western Copper and Gold Corp., the owner of the property, states the deposit could produce more than four billion pounds of copper. (Image courtesy of the Government of Yukon.)
Yukon is well-endowed with many of the critical metals needed for clean energy. Take copper for example. Electric vehicles contain more than three times as much copper as conventional cars, and world demand for copper is expected to result in future supply shortfalls.
The Yukon is currently home to one copper producer – Minto Metals’ Minto copper mine. It produces high-grade copper, but in small quantities compared to Canada’s total production of the metal – it produces about 33 million pounds, or 15 tonnes of copper annually, compared to Canada’s total copper production of about one billion pounds.
There’s the potential for the Yukon to contribute much more. There is over 15 billion pounds of copper contained in 15 mineral deposits in the territory. Two regions that are particularly well-endowed with copper are the Dawson Ranges, which hosts a number of significant porphyry deposits (including the Casino deposit), and the Finalyson Lake district, characterized by volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits. Western Copper and Gold’s Casino Project, to highlight one deposit, could produce more than four billion pounds of copper. At this point, the project is in the early stages of environmental assessment, but if it goes into production it would be the Yukon’s biggest mine ever built, and a significant contributor to Canada’s copper output.
The Yukon is also rich in zinc, with an estimated 60 billion pounds of the metal spread across more than 25 deposits2. Currently, only a small amount of zinc is being produced in the territory, by Alexco Resource’s Keno Hill complex, which is focused on producing silver. But that could change soon.
BMC’s Kudz Ze Kayah project is expected to produce 235 million pounds of zinc annually for a minimum of nine years of operation, along with 32 million pounds of copper and 56 million pounds of lead concentrates. The project recently cleared its environmental assessment, although First Nations continue to raise concerns about it and are seeking a judicial review of the approval.
Another notable deposit of critical minerals in the territory is Nickel Creek Platinum’s Nickel shäw Property, which the company touts as one of the world’s largest undeveloped deposits of nickelcopper sulphide and platinum-group metals.
Fireweed Zinc’s deposits at MacMillan Pass and Selwyn Chihong Mining’s Selwyn Project also contain significant zinc resources (6.7 billion pounds and 38.6 billion pounds, respectively).
Another notable deposit of critical minerals in the territory is Nickel Creek Platinum’s Nickel Shäw Property, which the company touts as one of the world’s largest undeveloped deposits of nickel-
copper sulphide and platinum-group metals. Measured and inferred resources for the property include 1.9 billion pounds of nickel, 1.1 billion pounds of copper, 107 million pounds of cobalt, and 5.8 million ounces of platinum group metals and gold. With the exception of gold, these commodities are all critical minerals.
Yukon also hosts the Mactung and Logtung tungsten deposits; both are ranked among the world’s 10 largest undeveloped deposits of tungsten.
Of the 31 critical minerals on Canada’s critical minerals list, all but six have been documented in the Yukon. Many of the territory’s critical mineral occurrences have, to date, seen limited exploration, but as demand for these commodities increases, it is likely that we will see more.
and their 160 employees are proud to present their new partnership with the Manik family from Arviat, Nunavut to serve the mines of this territory. a partnership between LJL and Qitik A.T.
787-6509 www.ljlmecanique.com info@ljlmecanique.com
The Government of Yukon supports responsible resource development while ensuring that the environment and First Nations’ rights and interests are protected. In fact, the government is currently working in partnership with Indigenous governments to develop new mining legislation that respects First Nations’ special relationship with the land. At the same time, our government is also committed to reducing the territory’s carbon emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 under its Our Clean Future climate change strategy.
There is clearly alignment between our carbon emissions goal and the opportunity to be a net contributor to the supply chain of critical minerals. Climate change, economic opportunity and a strong regulatory regime just may converge and allow Yukoners to boast that we are driving electric vehicles built with some metal mined close to home. 7
The iconic Keno Hill Silver District in Canada’s Yukon Territory, one of the highest-grade regions on Earth, has a storied mining history dating back to 1898 when the first placer gold was discovered. A small amount of hand mining between 1913 and 1917 and larger scale production was almost continuous from 1919 to 1989 with over 200 million ounces of silver produced at an average grade of 1373 grams per tonne. In fact, Keno Hill produced more wealth than the legendary Klondike, one of the richest placer gold districts in the world, and became one of the mainstays of the Yukon economy from the 1920s to 1960s, following the end of the gold rush. Since then, the Keno district has been largely consolidated among publicly traded companies, including Alexco Resource (recently acquired by Hecla Mining) which operates one of the highest-grade primary silver mines in the world.
While there have been ebbs and flows industry-wide, mining has remained consistent in the area and yet, remarkably, despite its clearly demonstrated mineral endowment, much of Keno has remained
underexplored. Located directly adjacent to Hecla is Metallic Minerals, an exploration company that recognized this incredible potential back in 2016 and has since established a 166-square-kilometre land package, the second largest in the district. The company’s holdings hosted eight historical mines, including five with average recovered grades above 5,000 g/t silver, and extensive data mining, surface exploration and drilling has yielded several priority targets for near-term resource definition. Drilling has not only confirmed the presence of high-grade silver veins, but also bulk tonnage silver mineralization never before defined at Keno Hill. This discovery was a watershed moment in the exploration of Keno Hill and has potential to result in the rewriting of over a century of geological history.
Metallic Minerals just wrapped up their 2022 exploration program, consisting of 3,265 metres of diamond core drilling with a focus on defining silver, lead, and zinc resources at multiple advanced-stage targets, as well as conducting step-out drilling at several new discoveries. Additionally, for the first time, the district
will be flown for a LiDAR survey, which will provide greater precision in survey and topographic control while aiding in lineament detection in the search for new Keno-style high-grade silver discoveries. Results from these exploration activities, including drill assays, are expected over the coming quarters.
Keno Hill has road access, grid power, plus an active mill and mining operations soon to be run by Hecla, the largest silver producer in the United States and third largest in the world. Not only does their presence validate the potential many have seen for years and direct attention once again to this legendary district, it creates another compelling scenario for Metallic Minerals and the other explorers in the area.
“We see this acquisition as a further highlight of the quality of existing reserves and resources in the area and having a major player like Hecla join the jurisdiction reflects the development and exploration potential that still exists in one of the world’s highest grade silverproducing regions,” said Scott Petsel, president of Metallic Minerals. 7
Gold Terra believes there is more high-grade gold to be found in this existing mining camp and has an option to purchase 100 per cent of the former Con Mine property from Newmont.
A good infrastructure network is critical for successful mining operations. Gold Terra has a major advantage as their districtsize property is next door to the City of Yellowknife, situated in a key historic mining district with existing mining infrastructure from a long history in mining for gold and diamonds in the Yellowknife area. Gold mining is what created the city of Yellowknife in the 1930s, and where the Con and Giant mines had a combined output of over 14 million ounces at an average grade of 16 g/t gold.
One of the major obstacles to exploring and operating in Canada’s northern regions is the lack of existing critical infrastructure. Not only are the costs of mineral exploration, drilling, and developing mines significantly higher in remote regions, the higher cost is linked directly to the lack of infrastructure in northern regions.
As such, companies operating in these remote areas must invest in vital infrastructure such as winter and permanent roads, accommodation facilities, and power stations. Additionally,
Gold Terra is continuing to advance exploration work on their property with a drilling program designed to test the Campbell Shear along strike south of the former producing Con Mine from surface to greater depths of approximately 1,000 metres.
there is often the lack of a nearby workforce, and it is costly to accommodate workers.
Gold Terra’s Yellowknife City Gold Project encompasses 800 square kilometres of contiguous land north, south, and east of the city of Yellowknife. The company controls a significant land play in one of the six major high-grade gold camps in Canada with the advantage of existing infrastructure in place, including seasonal roads, a local hydro-electric power plant, a nearby airport, a train station, and a workforce close by. The project has a major cost advantage as workers can go home at night and the cost of drilling is on par with exploration in less remote regions.
Gold Terra believes there is more high-grade gold to be found in this existing mining camp and has an option to purchase 100 per cent of the former Con Mine property from Newmont. From 1938 to 2003 the Con Mine produced over 6.1 MM ounces of gold from the Con and Campbell Shear Zones. Currently the underground
Con mine is flooded with water, but the existing infrastructure inside the mine, including the Robertson shaft, which goes down to approximately 1,900 metres vertical depth, is intact and could be cost effective to rehabilitate for any future mining operation.
Gold Terra is continuing to advance exploration work on their property with a drilling program designed to test the Campbell Shear along strike south of the former producing Con Mine from surface to greater depths of approximately 1,000 metres. High‐grade gold mineralization has been intersected in multiple targeted zones, including Yellorex, Yellorex North, Kam Point, and the Y88 zone. Gold Terra has completed 22,491 metres of drilling on the Campbell Shear since September 2020. An updated mineral resource estimate is scheduled for the fall of 2022, which will include the high-grade Yellorex zone, part of the Con Mine option property under option from Newmont.
Initial metallurgical testing has also been ongoing on the project. Gold Terra has received very positive initial metallurgical test results on the Yellorex zone, which achieved gold recoveries of 92 per cent. The recovery process involved milling, gravity, sulphide flotation, regrind of concentrate, followed by pressure oxidation (pOX) and cyanidation. High gold recoveries of up to 98.8 per cent were achieved into the flotation concentrate alone. Results provide Gold Terra with two potential product paths for Yellorex mineralization, which is either to produce a saleable concentrate or produce gold on site through the POX process.
In addition, as of March 2021, the current resource stands at 1.2 Moz in the Inferred category in four deposits north of Yellowknife. Gold Terra is well placed to increase its resource with more drilling in the next winter season.
While the focus is to continue drilling along the Campbell Shear south of the Con Mine, Gold Terra is also having very positive drill results in the former Mispickel area, located approximately 20 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife. The 2022 drilling program has successfully extended gold mineralization in the Mispickel area with the addition of two new gold zones, MP-Ryan and Zone 14. Gold Terra plans to return to the area next winter with more drilling to infill and extend the three high-grade zones identified to date. The Mispickel area is of great importance as it has the potential to serve as a satellite deposit to the main area of focus along the Campbell Shear south of the Con Mine.
With a large drilling program and positive drill results, Gold Terra is on track to re-establish Yellowknife as one of the premier gold mining districts in Canada. Gold Terra offers a rare opportunity to invest in a world-class high-grade discovery on the doorstep of Canada’s most prolific past gold production. For more information and company news, please go to our website at www.goldterracorp.com/.
Multi-million ounce potential in Yellowknife Gold Belt. Drilling to delineate gold underway on Campbell Shear south of the former Con Mine.
Sixty North Gold Mining Ltd. has been working on restarting its wholly-owned Mon Mine in the prolific Yellowknife Greenstone Belt in the NWT, Canada. Development of stopes below the past-producing West Stope, where 12,000 tonnes grading 30 gpt gold were extracted in the 1990’s, commenced in late 2021. The East Stope and extension around a fold hinge yielded an additional 3,000 tonnes at a similar grade.
All mining equipment and supplies have been delivered to the property, the camp and shops are installed and operations are ready to commence. In late 2021, a three-by-four-metre ramp was driven 132 metres to intersect the vein 17 metres below the old stopes. The plan is to extend this ramp another 70 metres +/- to where historic drill holes,
including 61.38 gpt gold over 1.2 metres in 87-11, 47.49 gpt gold over 3.0 metres in 89-7, 25.31 gpt gold over 1.7 metres in 89-14, and more recently, 15.29 gpt gold over 1.6 metres in NDM-3 have been encountered. Stopes to be developed in this material are expected to produce material similar in nature to that from the stopes above.
Operating crews have past experience mining this property in the 1990’s and other properties in the Yellowknife Gold Belt in the 2000’s. It is worth noting that two other mines that commenced operations at 100 tpd in the Yellowknife Gold Belt include the Discovery Mine (past production one-million ounces of gold at 30 gpt) and the Con Mine (past production six-million ounces of gold at 15 gpt).
Once the stopes are developed on the
Mon Property, mining and processing at the permitted 100 tpd rate will commence and additional resources are expected to be developed to sustain operations.
Work across the consolidated 2,700 hectare property discovered a silver and gold-rich volcanogenic massive sulphide horizon whose existence had been speculated on in the past, but remained undiscovered until 2018. And to illustrate the “no stone unturned” adage and that there are always opportunities, a large gabbroic intrusion greater than 600-metres thick was found to host significant nickel, cobalt gold, platinum, and palladium values in sampling following up a biogeochemical survey. Work in 2022 on this discovery has identified similar sulphide-poor showings discontinuously
over a 200 metre strike-length. Samples have been delivered to the laboratory for analysis, and petrographic samples have been delivered to laboratories for characterization of this unusual showing where nickel values greater than one per cent and cobalt values of 0.18 per cent have been obtained. This
is the first significant nickel + cobalt + PGM discovery in the Yellowknife Gold Belt.
Sixty North Gold Mining Ltd. is run by an experienced team of miners and financers with many decades of experience. Dr. D.R. Webb, PhD, P.Geol, P.Eng, president, CEO, and a
director is committed to this project and leads the team. Webb controls over 25 per cent of the shares in the company, completed both his M.Sc. and his PhD on projects in Yellowknife, and has been involved in mine development in North America, Africa, Asia, and Europe over the past 40 years. 7
This we believe has also contributed toward building a vibrant economy, while at the same time protecting our natural environment.
Yukon’s mineral sector is the largest private sector contributor and employer in the territory and donates millions annually through sponsorships and scholarships, as well as to important community and charity initiatives in health and education.
As we emerge out of the shadows of a global COVID-19 pandemic, it is only apt that this year we celebrate the theme Resources, Resilience and Relationships at the 50th Golden Anniversary of the Yukon Geoscience Forum and Trade Show.
Hosted by the Yukon Chamber of Mines, the forum is a means to bring together members of the mining community to facilitate responsible development, a key element of modern mining.
50 years is an exceptional achievement and testimony to all Yukoners who have come before us and contributed to the mining industry’s history, culture, and economy.
This trend continues as our territories’ exploration and productivity bounced back in 2021 despite the unprecedented challenge the pandemic bestowed on us.
And while we enter into an era of mindful change, we continue to reflect on these chapters from our rich history, while working towards a sustainable future.
Today, Yukon ranks ninth among the most attractive mining jurisdictions in the world. This comes as no surprise to the Yukon Chamber of Mines. With our abundant resources, a highly skilled workforce, and a commitment to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Yukon exemplifies today’s modern mining industry.
In Yukon, modern mining has been in the making for decades and embodies the finest policies and practices achieved through cutting-edge technology. This contributes to advancement toward a net-zero future and building meaningful relationships with community members and stakeholders.
Climate change is a looming threat to all of us and our mining industry is becoming an integral part of achieving net-zero emissions. Our abundant resources are necessary for making batteries for electric vehicles and solar panels, among others.
We believe that mining is necessary to fight climate change and achieve net-zero emissions. However, it will require us to work together – government, industry, First Nations, and stakeholders.
This is where the Yukon Chamber of Mines and all Yukon Geoscience partners play a key role in supporting projects to progress from discovery through exploration to production.
The forum, which will be held from November 19th to 22nd, is the largest of its kind north of 60 and sees thousands of people attend every year. Industry leaders, representatives from the Government of Yukon, First Nation
governments, and businesses meet over the course of the four-day event to share the past seasons’ successes and challenges, highlighting opportunities and discoveries. The forum is also a platform to engage youth and students in educational programming that supports the overall advancement of the mineral sector through increased awareness.
This year the Yukon Geoscience Forum will have expert speakers dive into industry overviews such as bedrock mapping initiatives in the region, exploration programs, as well as advances in broad-scale mineral deposit modelling.
Some of the sessions will look at new and developing mineral discoveries, the role of data in exploration, and steps taken to reduce carbon emissions with geothermal projects/plans going forward. Speakers will also highlight details on materially significant critical mineral (CM) deposits in Yukon, NRCan’s CM strategy and related investments, along with current CM prices versus market projections. Sessions will also cover legislation and regulation updates, as well as current trends and best practices in the minerals industry.
The forum also hosts Yukon’s largest business sector and association trade show where companies connect with current and potential business contacts and partners while promoting their services and products.
Yukon Geoscience Forum represents the greatest opportunity for mineral sector networking and relationship building through meetings and professional development opportunities.
The 50th annual Yukon Geoscience Forum and Trade Show will be held from November 19th to 22nd. To register, please visit www.yukongeoscience.ca/. 7
By Albert Drapeau, executive director of the Yukon First Nation Chamber of Commerce
Since the Truth and Reconciliation Committee released its six-volume final report in December 2015, First Nation Governments, Canada, Provincial and Territorial Governments, as well as Canada’s business communities are responding to the recommendations. Every Canadian has a role with implementing the recommendations, and for the business community, the challenge is learning that each First Nation government is unique, with specific engagement protocols. In other words, one size does not fit all.
Why? Based on my experience, each First Nation government has a responsibility for their people, land, water, fish and wildlife, health and wellness, education, and community services, just to name a few. Each are a priority, but, how does a First Nation government choose which priorities to focus on when all of them are needed and important? Again, in my experience, the leadership creates their strategic objectives, and the administration creates the work plans and budgets to deliver on the objectives that each department is responsible for. The challenge is working with a finite budget while meeting the First Nation obligations to their people and community.
Section 92 identifies three principles
that businesses can use as a guide to build their reconciliation framework. The recommendation is to review and identify what your company can do to build your reconciliation policy. Note that your company is not limited to only the three, but rather, you can work with the First Nation to develop other principles that mutually work for both parties.
The first principal described in Section 92 speaks to building respectful relationships. When projects are being considered within a First Nation’s traditional territory, mining companies can start by approaching the First Nation government and development corporation, and learning about their community’s priorities. They can share information about the project and communicate and work to develop a communication protocol to share information, decisions, and the roles of both parties within the project. It is very important to keep the communication lines open, to be seen in the community at events, and to share information with the community members. Being active within the community and interacting with community businesses and members fosters cultural awareness, community norms, and builds trust.
Training, education and employment are outlined as the second principle, and in this day and age, most companies across Canada are experiencing labour shortages. Working with the First Nation’s education and training department is a step in the right direction. In my experience, I have witnessed investments in people for
apprenticeship opportunities, heavy equipment operators, and technicians. There is so much more potential for employment. Bringing awareness to the communities about the types of careers in the mining sector could resonate with the youth. Investment in people is crucial and is a benefit to the people and to the company. This type of investment has returns for people’s careers, supports families, and builds community while the project’s operations and production goals are met.
The third principal is about your company’s personnel, from senior management to entry-level employees becoming educated about the First Nation’s history, the impacts of residential school on the people, and the Yukon Final Agreements, to name a few. By engaging and taking the time to meet, to learn, and to be active in the community, you will begin to
learn about the community and its customs, values, and challenges. Work with the First Nation and the crosscultural liaison or the communications department to develop educational sessions. In my First Nation, a booklet was developed to provide an overview of the First Nation’s governance structure, clans, and traditional laws. Although the brochure is an overview, it is a starting point to ask questions, to engage and to communicate.
First Nations have been impacted by past government policies and that impact can still be felt today; nevertheless, First Nations are moving forward. We understand that we need one another, we need to educate and learn from one another, and we know that working together we can partake in today’s economy and build a healthier and better life for our future generations. 7
The Northwest Territories and the Nunavut Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists (NAPEG) is a proud supporter of the Mining Your Business electronic newsletter and the North of 60 Mining & Exploration Review.
NAPEG is the regulator of professional engineers and geoscientists in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Most people have an idea of what an engineer does and an understanding that there are distinct types of engineers; although many laypeople are only familiar with the specializations of civil, mechanical, chemical, and electrical engineering.
In this article we will focus on the profession of geoscience and the three main distinct post-secondary education streams of geoscience: Geology, Environmental Geoscience, and Geophysics. The geosciences are also known as the earth science.
The educational requirements of geoscience are typically attained by the completion of a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree or equivalent at a recognized Canadian university. Many professional geoscientists practicing in Canada were educated at foreign universities offering equivalent programs to Canadian universities. Like engineers, NAPEG requires four years of professional experience, the ability to demonstrate proficiency in professional competencies, and successfully passing the National Professional Practice Examination prior to licensure as a professional geoscientist (P.Geo.).
There are many different practice areas of geoscience. The Geoscientists Canada website has the following to say:
“Our Earth has been around for more than four billion years so there’s a lot of information to work with. Some geoscientists work in a traditional broad area of Earth science like geology, geophysics, geochemistry, and environmental geoscience. Others practice geoscience in one of many specialized areas, such as volcanology (volcanoes), paleontology (fossils) or geochronology (age-dating rocks); or they work in a new
emerging discipline such as medical or forensic geology. What’s important to remember is that there are many distinct types of geoscientists and different forms of geoscience practice.”
Professional geoscientists work in many fields such as the resource extraction industry in mineral exploration and mining, oil and gas, utilities, as scientists, advisors, analysts for governments and consulting firms. They may also provide these services for banks and investment firms.
Because of the importance of this work to the economy and our environment, a P.Geo. adheres to rigorous ethical standards and always exercises a duty of care in their professional practice. Ongoing professional development is mandatory to maintain their NAPEG registration.
What else is NAPEG involved in?
In addition to our regulatory role, NAPEG supports the NAPEG Education Foundation, which is a registered charity that carries on outreach and educational activities and offers scholarships and awards to qualified northern students pursuing post-secondary studies in engineering and geoscience. Information on how to donate to the foundation, as well as scholarship opportunities can be found on our website at www.napeg.nt.ca/about-us/education-foundation.
Questions? Visit our website at www.napeg.nt.ca, or contact us at napeg@napeg.nt.ca.
In the public interest, NAPEG regulates and supports the professional practice of engineering and geoscience in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Our vision is to be a trusted authority contributing to a better future for our north. 7
On June 27, 2022, the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) released a new national poll that finds high levels of support for Canadian mining and increased understanding on the role Canada’s mining industry must play in producing the green technologies essential to a low carbon future.
For the past 12 years, MAC has worked with Abacus Data to assess public opinion on Canada’s mining sector. This year, support is at an all-time high, with 80 per cent reporting that they have a positive feeling about producers of minerals and metals in Canada, and 78 per cent saying they have a positive feeling about Canadian mining companies. Other highlights include:
• 84 per cent give mining companies in Canada a good or acceptable performance in contributing new materials for use in greener and cleaner technologies.
• 83 per cent say they would like to see more mining projects in Canada provided they have a plan to reduce GHG emissions.
• 81 per cent say Canada should remain in the oil business provided our barrels are produced by companies that achieve a net-zero emissions target.
• 80 per cent say we need a strong mining sector for Canada’s economy to be healthy over the long term.
• 80 per cent give Canadian mining companies good or acceptable ratings when it comes to the way they operate in other jurisdictions. This includes measures of how these companies help raise environmental standards and ensure that local communities benefit economically from their mining activities.
• 79 per cent give mining companies operating in Canada a good or acceptable performance in their efforts to reduce environmental impact.
• Upon learning about Canada’s leadership in sustainable mining via the Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) standard, 88 per cent believe it is a good idea for government to support Canadian companies that adhere to such standards in their efforts to win in export markets and to attract investment to Canada.
“This year’s polling data clearly shows that Canadians are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that the minerals and metals industry is a key partner in accomplishing our goal of a greener future,” said Pierre Gratton, president and CEO of MAC. “As one of the lowest carbon-intensity producers of mineral and metal products in the world there is no doubt that Canada fulfills the need for mined materials better than most competing mining jurisdictions and we are pleased to see this recognition by the public at large.”
Abacus reports that the generally positive sentiment about the mining sector is due in large part to the feeling that the industry provides economic benefits and well-paying jobs for Canadians in communities across the country, and that people believe the industry has been making an effort to reduce its environmental impact. Impressions in this area have been improving over time, and as more people see mining companies making commitments and taking steps to reduce CO2 emissions, this too is helping people see the industry as having a promising future in a global economy that is looking to decarbonize.
“Canadians care about climate action and decarbonization and
expect progress,” said Bruce Anderson, chairman of Abacus Data. “This year’s numbers reveal two important trends – first, Canadians are seeing economic opportunities in the mining sector when it comes to the future of uses of sustainably produced minerals and metals, and second, that they observe Canadian mining companies moving in a good direction across a range of priorities, from environmental stewardship to emissions reduction to Indigenous relations. There’s enthusiasm about the role Canadian mining is playing in elevating mining standards in other parts of the world too.”
To access MAC’s polling data focused on perception of Canada’s mining sector, please visit bit.ly/3bzX2Rv.
The mining industry is a major sector of Canada’s economy, contributing $107 billion to the national GDP and is responsible
for 19 per cent of Canada’s total domestic exports. Canada’s mining sector employs 692,000 people directly and indirectly across the country. The industry is proportionally the largest private sector employer of Indigenous peoples in Canada and a major customer of Indigenous-owned businesses.
The Mining Association of Canada is the national organization for the Canadian mining industry. Its members account for most of Canada’s production of base and precious metals, uranium, diamonds, metallurgical coal, mined oil sands and industrial minerals, and are actively engaged in mineral exploration, mining, smelting, refining, and semi-fabrication. Please visit www.mining.ca. 7
Golden Pursuit Resources Ltd. is actively exploring in the Gordon Lake area of the Northwest Territories.
The Gordon Lake area is an historic gold mining area that saw numerous small mines and exploration projects developed between the 1930s and the 1980s. Golden Pursuit has consolidated all these projects for the first time and is applying modern methods to this historic district.
We have been in business since 1999, and our staff complement has over 25 years experience in the foodservice industry.
Northbest Distributors Ltd. is a full-line foodservice industry distributor. We are proud to distribute well-known brands like Maple Leaf Meats, Lilydale Poultry, Cargill Meats, Canada Bread, Dairyland/Saputo, and McCain Foods. Our company stocks a large selection of these items in our Yellowknife warehouse.
Our online product catalogue will show you the full range of quality products that we carry. We are a representative of The Grocery People, a full-line retail and foodservice supplier located in Edmonton, allowing us to offer an extensive line of brand name grocery products.
If you are interested in our products and services, please feel free to contact us by telephone, fax, or email. Set up a new account online or call us today.
347 Old Airport Rd., Yellowknife, NT X1A 3T4 (867)
F: (867) 873-6516
E: northbest@theedge.ca
604-730-6982 www.goldpursuit.ca info@goldpursuit.ca
“As one of the lowest carbon-intensity producers of mineral and metal products in the world there is no doubt that Canada fulfills the need for mined materials better than most competing mining jurisdictions and we are pleased to see this recognition by the public at large.”
After the war, however, most skilled labour positions reverted to male employees. Currently, women make up only five per cent of skilled tradespeople in Canada, and that statistic includes the hairstyling and aesthetics sector, of which 84 per cent of the workers are women.
The NWT mining sector is ahead of the national curve, as women make up 15 per cent of that labour force. However, women comprise 51 per cent of the population.
Industries and employers across Canada have for years been facing a shortage of skilled tradespeople and individuals experienced in operating heavy equipment. This is due in large part to an aging workforce coupled with fewer young people pursuing these careers.
A 2021 report by the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) estimates that 700,000 skilled tradespeople are expected to retire by 2028, and predicts a 10,000-worker deficit in nationally recognized trades over the next five years. The inclusion of provincially regulated trades increase that estimate by a multiplier of 10. As well, new apprenticeships have been on the decline for more than a decade.
The Northwest Territories (NWT) is no exception to the national trend. According to Skills4Success – a 15-year labour market analysis and projection report commissioned by the Government of the Northwest Territories – the NWT will see 28,500 to 36,700 job openings between 2015 and 2030. Most of those positions will require either technical training or certification, or a post-secondary diploma or degree.
The prominence of skilled labour-intensive industries, such as mining and construction, in the NWT creates a vulnerability to such current and projected labour shortages. Traditionally, and at present, a disproportionate number of skilled tradespeople in the north are temporary or fly-in non-resident workers.
One solution to the expected skilled labour shortage may be to take a page out of history: provide more opportunities for the largest underrepresented demographic in the field – women. During the Second World War, the sudden shortage of men in skilled labour positions opened the door to women, who filled the jobs successfully and proved capable of performing the duties of the positions.
In the Northwest Territories, Aurora College has been delivering skilled trades education for more than 50 years. In 1968, Heavy Equipment Operator was the first course offered, and it has been delivered regularly since then. While women have enroled in many skilled trades and apprenticeship programs at Aurora College, they are still a small minority of students in these programs.
In 2021, to encourage participation of more women, Aurora College – in collaboration with long-time training partner, the NWT Mine Training Society – offered its first Heavy Equipment Operator (HEO) for Women program.
HEO for Women is a response to the needs of both the NWT labour market and northern residents. Meaningful employment opportunities exist across the north for trained heavy equipment operators, and women are underrepresented in the field.
The program is part of Aurora College’s larger goal of encouraging more women and under-represented populations to enter trades and industrial training careers. While women can and do enrol in the regularly scheduled deliveries of HEO and industrial training programs at Aurora College, research indicates that many women feel more comfortable attending all-female training programs for non-traditional occupations. The program also allows the opportunity to offer workshops and discussions on topics within the course that are more likely to affect women.
With the success of the pilot program, Aurora College is working to add HEO for Women to its regular program rotation. HEO for Women is one initiative in Aurora College’s larger commitment to providing opportunities additional for women in the non-traditional skilled trade sector. Other programs being considered include Women in Trades and specialized trades introduction programs for women. 7
The world is mind bogglingly vast and laden with unyielding terrain in which valuable natural resources may be hiding in any nook or cranny. For centuries, geophysical methods have been used to prospect for natural resources that lie below the Earth’s surface. Dating back to at least 1640 in Sweden, magnetic mapping was being used to locate buried iron-ore deposits.
The leading edge of geophysics has since that time been in continual pursuit of improvements in resolution, depth of investigation, and ease of execution in
exploration properties, which often comprise the aforementioned unyielding terrains.
With the advent of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), commonly known as drones, a leap forward in geophysical prospecting has begun. Drone-borne magnetic surveys are quickly becoming a bread and butter tool to mineral explorers, offering higher resolution data and unparalleled mapping quality.
EarthEx Geophysical Solutions have
embraced this new wave of geophysics and have flown over 30,000 linekilometres of UAV magnetics in locations from the Yukon, NWT, all across Canada, Greenland, and Nevada over the last two years.
The drone borne approach to geophysics eliminates the need to cut lines and results in improved precision in data collection. Flying lower than traditional aircraft, coherent geophysical maps over sizeable areas can be produced with superior resolution, providing a great advantage in exploring for mineral deposits, which can often sit within finer-scale structural features. The combination of precision and accuracy provided by these surveys results in superior drill-targeting, shortening the path to discovery. As the team mantra at EarthEx states, “discovery is in the details”.
Offering a system which can fly lower than any other system on the market, with full-time centimetre scale (RTK) precision, as well as tackling more difficult terrains, EarthEx are able to produce the highest resolution magnetic maps available, revealing great geological detail in places where it was previously not possible. This, coupled with a strong in-house technical team of geophysicists, EarthEx provide their clients with a suite of geophysical products, which play central roles in their exploration campaigns.
“We are elated with the response our data has received from our clients,”
said Daniel Card, president and chief geophysicist of EarthEx. “Magnetic data has always been a bread-and-butter tool for explorers, and we are proud to be producing the highest-quality magnetic data on the market.”
He adds that the success that their clients have had, especially in structural definition using this data, has been very exciting and has led to repeated success in discovery and delineation of many commodities, especially structurally controlled deposits like gold, silver and lithium, to name a few.
“The industry’s response has been fantastic, keeping us continually booked up for months in advance, including many repeat customers,” said Card. “Thank you to our clients, partners, and the exploration community for your continual support and encouragement, for our role in this exciting new era in exploration.”
In addition to magnetic surveys, EarthEx are actively using unmanned aircraft to support exploration with tools like LiDAR and orthophotography, as well as other high-resolution technologies, such as borehole geophysics. Other new technologies, such as UAV-borne electromagnetics, are expected to be available in the near-term of what is a very bright future for mineral explorers.
With six geophysical crews in operation, EarthEx are currently booking for spring campaigns across Canada and winter campaigns in the United States. 7
“The industry’s response has been fantastic, keeping us continually booked up for months in advance, including many repeat customers,” said Card.
The rare earth element (REE) market has experienced impressive and unprecedented growth over the past couple years, and it is expected to continue that growth in the coming few years. There are many reasons for this growth, including a move toward electric vehicle adoption, net-zero goals at both domestic and international levels, and a secured supply of REE’s that is no longer dependent on foreign sources.
The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) hopes to be a contributing factor in this continued industry growth as it builds its Rare Earth Processing Facility and REE hub. But with growth in any sector, particularly a relatively new sector, there are both challenges and opportunities. For the REE industry, the key to success will come from the development and security of its own independent supply chains.
What is important to understand is that REE resources around the world are not actually all that rare. However, most of the world has been dependent on foreign sources of these critical materials for the past number of decades. This import dependence can be a concern because it puts supply chains and material users at risk.
With the evolution in both the auto and energy industries, hydrocarbon demand is diminishing and REE demand is
increasing. The secure supply of rare earth elements and the resiliency of their supply chains are essential to meeting this demand. And while industry has made significant progress toward this over the past couple years, it is not yet sufficient and still leaves a number of vulnerabilities.
Another important thing to understand is that the REE supply chain is complex and poses many challenges to develop. That’s because there are many individual stages of the full REE production chain, including mining, beneficiation, hydrometallurgy, separation, metal alloys, magnets, original equipment manufacturers (OEM), and finally, end use.
The development of new supply chains does not come easy. One real challenge that is being observed worldwide is the speed at which upstream operations can get up and running to the point where the beginning of a supply chain can develop. These types of exploration projects typically require both time and significant financial backing in order to get to production.
One upstream company which has found a quicker route to market is Cheetah Resources Corp. – the only operational REE mine in Canada. Cheetah Resources commenced production of its Nechalacho mine in the Northwest Territories in June 2021.
It will ship rare earth concentrate from its mine to its Rare Earth Extraction Plant in Saskatoon (located adjacent to SRC’s Facility) to be processed into a mixed rare earth carbonate before being shipped to Norway and the U.S. for separation.
But with the massive demand required in the coming years, Nechalacho Rare Earth Mine will need to expand significantly and many more REE mines will need to begin production in order to meet the need and create a secure supply beginning from the upstream portion of the supply chain.
Another challenge is that the REE market can be quite volatile and uncertain. When rare earth oxide prices are too low, this affects the ability for new upstream mining projects to be economical. When rare earth oxide prices are high, this leads to constraint for magnet manufacturers or even impacts for the end user industry. This continuous fluctuation of pricing can lead to instability for industry.
Currently, the biggest risk for the REE industry is market sustainability – will prices continue to trend up, will they level out, or will they drop? What is evident is that the swift development of transparent and secure supply chains will lead to more certainty and less volatility for the REE industry going forward.
While there are many challenges to building a new supply chain, it also presents many opportunities. This starts with the demand. The annual demand for rare-earth metals is projected to at least double by 2030, creating both enormous pressure and opportunity for global production. In order to meet this demand, international collaboration will be required – something we are already seeing on many levels already – mainly being pushed forward by the need to achieve net zero since rare earths offer a great opportunity to achieve those goals.
Scaling up and commercializing new technologies can often be a challenge, however, research and development (R&D) is actually well-positioned to address long-term solutions to the REE supply chain. SRC is especially experienced to help validate and demonstrate new technologies in its research laboratories and pilot-scale facilities – led by some of the world’s
leading experts in REE processing and separation technologies.
Finally, the vulnerabilities in the REE supply chain can be addressed through a variety of mechanisms, including a focus on exploration, production, alternatives, recycling, reprocessing, industry incentives, international collaboration, and R&D investment. All of these areas create opportunities and, in the end, will help reduce the dependence on foreign sources, encourage technological innovation, support job creation, and most importantly, will foster a strong and vibrant REE industry for years to come.
In Canada, SRC’s facility is playing a leading role in addressing some of the issues in the supply chain, providing rare earth producers with a potential route to market and completing the important mid-stream piece of the supply chain by
completing concentration and separation at the early stage of project development – a previous place of bottleneck for industry within the supply chain. As a first-of-its-kind in North America, the facility will lay the foundation for an REE supply chain in Saskatchewan and form an industry model for future REE resource expansion in the province.
SRC’s facility is currently being completed in two phases. The first, which includes a Monazite Processing Unit, will process the ore and produce mixed rare earth, and be operational in early 2023. The second phase includes a Separation Unit and a Metals Unit, which will produce rare earth metals, a key ingredient used to manufacture permanent magnets. These will be operational in early 2024.
For more information on SRC’s Rare Earth Processing Facility or the services it offers to industry, go to www.src.sk.ca/ree.
We live in strange times, and global warming and climate change have finally gained broad acceptance.
The extreme weather being experienced everywhere makes it pretty difficult to deny; and therefore, decreasing carbon levels is necessary and being taken seriously.
However, there’s a huge challenge, including how to mine the necessary minerals to achieve the products that will decrease dependency on the world’s present emission-laden products. Extracting these minerals will increase emissions, so therefore, how does one achieve lower emission levels? It’s a paradox to be sure.
Then of course, the war in the Ukraine has increased the need for energy – and it’s become more political than ever (not to mention it’s now a weapon of war).
ESG is exhausting. While many companies have made significant strides, ESG, including the acronym, has become politicized to the point where many don’t see the benefits, whilst doing their level best to comply with all that is required.
With over 32 standards and frameworks worldwide, it’s no wonder companies are experiencing ESG fatigue. However, tools like the Onyen ESG reporting software are available to finally tackle the requirement to measure performance, which sets the bar even higher.
Next? The TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures). The TCFD is most likely to become mandated in many jurisdictions –including Canada and the UK – and will impact not only mining, but finance, banks, fund managers, insurance companies… You name it, it’s going to impact it.
This means they will need to have data. Lots and lots and lots of data. So where will they get it?
The ISSB was established out of COP26 in Glasgow 2021 to develop a global set of disclosures for the capital markets. With the extractives industry literally going bonkers trying to follow over
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32 separate standards (including the new ones coming out of the ICMM), depending on where you are in the world, the TCFD will be mandatory and it’s supposed to make life a little easier. The World Gold Council, the G7, and the G20 have confirmed it. Certainly, the institutional investors and financial sector is pushing it as well to manage their risks and to administer their investments on behalf of their customers.
One of the areas where the ISSB will have a huge impact is on water measurements and their definitions. What does this mean? More confusion. Why? Presently the two main standards founded to the TCFD are SASB and the CDSB. Now that they’ve amalgamated, we have the IFRS
S2 standards. While mostly focused on GHG, the areas of how those emissions affect water isn’t really being understood.
Some creative responses have occurred in meeting this gap – take BHP’s Blue Carbon Breakthrough Grant project. It’s helping towards the development of “biodiversity credits” along the lines of “carbon credits”. We hope this initiative goes well as these credits can result in funding communities and Indigenous peoples who take stewardship of their ecosystems seriously.
The Onyen system includes TCFD and also meets the XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) requirement for outputting all ESG reporting to regulators and a plethora of
financial stakeholders in the investment community for which the extractives industry relies on to thrive.
While many companies are solely focused on GHG – the fact is, water, energy, and social risks are the areas that many capital markets stakeholders will focus on, and as the TCFD mandate becomes a reality, the only way out of this morass of standards is technology and understanding what is really needed. It doesn’t matter how politics twists the facts. Money will always be the driver when it comes to good corporate governance and measuring sound corporate performance. And the extractives community understands that in spades. 7
Onyen Corporation is pleased to announce that it has been selected as 2021’s Best ESG Reporting Solution and Best RegTech Startup of the Year by the Canadian RegTech Association/Association Canadienne de la technologie réglementaire.
Onyen provides a data collection system enabling companies to compile information on their Environmental, Social and Governance performance and practices, measure their performance against multiple international standards and prepare reports for internal tracking and external publishing. Aurania Resources Ltd., one of many Onyen customers who provided a supporting reference letter to the nominations, said:
“We found the Onyen platform to be cost-effective and very user friendly. As a junior company with limited funds and resources, this was a great fit for us. It took complicated information and broke it down into manageable sections. We are always striving to do the right thing from an ESG standpoint and we welcome input on what we can do better – the Onyen platform highlighted what we have been doing right and helped us look at the areas in which we can improve going forward. “
This is the inaugural year of the awards, sponsored by Ernst & Young Canada. The winners were selected by a panel of leading industry judges. Onyen commends the Association and Ernst & Young Canada for their initiative in supporting and recognizing the work of Canadian RegTech firms and is proud to accept these two prestigious awards.
some creative responses have occurred in meeting this gap –take BHP’s Blue Carbon Breakthrough Grant project.
The world’s mineral exploration and mining industry returned to Toronto for its first in-person Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention since March 2020, confirming the sector’s thirst for returning to business, in the flesh.
The PDAC 2022 Convention—the world’s premier annual exploration and mining event—welcomed 17,445 investors, analysts, Indigenous leaders, mining executives, geologists, government officials, and students after more than two years of uncertainty for major events.
“Like most of the world, the mineral exploration and mining industry faced a variety of challenges during the pandemic, and yet its significance and resilience has remained admirable, and that pride was on full display at the PDAC 2022 Convention,” says Alex Christopher, PDAC president, reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic that forced PDAC 2021 to be a completely online event.
He adds that energy was widespread across the sold-out Trade Show and Investors Exchange, as well as highly-attended short courses and programming that reflected conversations happening within the sector, including the dominant themes
of equity, diversity and inclusion, Indigenous engagement, critical minerals, sustainability, and the industry’s role in helping the world realize a low-emissions future.
Supporting this focus, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, who participated in the convention’s opening ceremonies, released a discussion paper on Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy.
“Critical minerals offer an enormous economic opportunity for Canada as the world transitions to a green and digital economy. Our government is committed to making Canada a world leader in critical minerals, from exploration to recycling,” says Wilkinson.
Highlights from the PDAC 2022 Convention include:
• Captivating discussions and standingroom-only crowds across a number of programs.
• Six of the industry’s top performers were honoured with a PDAC 2022 Award.
• Record attendance at the opening ceremonies.
• High attendance and engaged conversations at the Indigenous Program, including a session on
navigating UNDRIP the right way.
• Expanded keynote program featuring presentations from industry experts on commodities, the mineral outlook, technology, and new discoveries.
• WiM’s annual Mining for Diversity Reception on June 14 and the inaugural launch of the International Day of Women in Mining on June 15.
• PDAC, in partnership with the World Economic Forum, hosted the seventh annual International Mines Ministers Summit (IMMS), bringing together 20 ministers responsible for mining from around the world to discuss the industry’s role in reducing global emissions.
Following the in-person event, the online PDAC 2022 Convention took place from June 28 to 29, where several sessions from the in-person portion were available, as well as many new and relevant topics. All Access Pass holders automatically received complementary online registration.
Some 2022 participants shared their affection for June’s warmer weather and sunshine; however, we will return to our traditional March dates for PDAC 2023 to realign with industry and market forces. See you back in Toronto from March 5 to 8, 2023. 7
