Mining in the Elk Valley

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Mining in the Elk Valley

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Growing Together Anna and Zane Gravelle take relationships to heart, both at home and at work.

The married couple of four years are both Teck employees and residents of the Elk Valley in British Columbia, Canada. Together with their blended family of five children, Anna and Zane are members of the Aq’am (St. Mary’s Indian Band) and Tobacco Plains Indian Band, respectively, two of the four Ktunaxa Nation communities in B.C. When not on the job, the pair spend their time fishing on the lakes near their home, hunting wild game, and enjoying music and adventures with their kids.

Photo and article submitted by Teck

“Even though our community is the smallest within the Ktunaxa Nation and our nation is one of the smallest within Canada, with a population of around 1,500–2,000, we’ve done a lot of footwork to ensure our cultures and traditions are still being practised,” says Anna.

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The Ktunaxa people are a distinct Indigenous and linguistic group who have historically occupied and protected their land while living in balance with nature. Preserving their culture remains of high importance today, but so does integrating with the communities within and surrounding their territory, which spans southeastern British Columbia, southwestern Alberta, and parts of Washington, Idaho and western Montana.

In May 2016, Teck signed an Impact Management and Benefits Agreement (IMBA) with the Ktunaxa Nation Council that is creating numerous long-term benefits for the Ktunaxa people and increased certainty around future sustainable mining development in the region. Spanning approximately 40 years and all five of our steelmaking coal operations in the Elk Valley, it is one of the most comprehensive agreements of its kind in place in Canada.

“When I first started at Teck, there was very little knowledge about the Ktunaxa Nation; people didn’t know who the nation in the area was,” says Zane. “I really like the IMBA program and the steps that are being taken.”

Developing Careers Zane’s relationship with Teck began through the Mining Apprenticeship Program (MAP) at the College of the Rockies, when he enrolled in a training program for Industrial Electricians and Heavy Duty Equipment Technicians.

“It was a great opportunity because you’re moving around from mine to mine and learning different things while progressing within your apprenticeship,” says Zane.

He knew he wanted to work close to home and family, so after completing the program he was pleased to accept a job as one of eight running repair field electricians at Line Creek Operations. Today, his

primary duties involve keeping the shovels and drills running, as well as taking care of the mine facilities.

“I find it rewarding helping out at the mine site and knowing that there are a lot of things that are basically on my shoulders at certain times. My co-workers rely on my abilities, as I rely on theirs, while at the same time watching out for each other’s safety.”

Anna’s career with Teck began in a temporary role in 2017 and advanced to a permanent position earlier this year as an administrative assistant for the Environment and Social Responsibility team in Sparwood, B.C. Here, her day-to-day work includes onboarding staff during new-hire orientations, coordinating meetings, finance reconciliations, and vacation and schedule management.

Building Relationships Along the way, both Zane and Anna say they have developed positive relationships with the people they work with. And, as the first Ktunaxa Nation couple both working at Teck, the Gravelles note they’ve seen a shift in the relationship between Teck and their community, and still see more opportunities in the future.

“Teck recently helped fund the Administration and Health Building in Tobacco Plains, which was quite an achievement,” says Zane. “We have our own healthcare system in our band, and Teck purchased a van for the healthcare workers. There are a lot of things that they do in general to help out the communities in the area, as well as in Ktunaxa communities.”

Adds Anna, “I feel like we have quite a few strong leaders right now who are guiding us in the right direction, and we make our presence well-known.

It’s still a growing relationship, but it’s growing in the right direction for us.”

Learning More: The Ktunaxa Nation The Ktunaxa, also known as the Kootenai or Kootenay, have occupied their land for over 10,000 years. The Elk Valley area is the main home of the easternmost branch of the Ktunaxa people, who are closely connected to families living at what is now Tobacco Plains. Additionally, three other Ktunaxa communities currently exist in Canada near Windermere, Cranbrook and Creston.

Over their long history, the Ktunaxa people have enjoyed the natural bounty of the land, seasonally migrating throughout their territory to follow vegetation and hunting cycles.

“Our homeland really defines who we were and who we are today; we have a huge responsibility to ensure this place continues to exist for future generations of Ktunaxa, as well as non-Ktunaxa people,” says Ktunaxa Nation Council Chair Kathryn Teneese. “We need to try to figure out how we can move forward together in a way that makes sense, but that recognizes and acknowledges that we have a unique identity and connection to our homeland that no one else really has.”

The Ktunaxa Nation is achieving this by educating and supporting its neighbours, all while building relationships and economic opportunities for its people. Work done at the governing table is guided by the group’s vision statement that celebrates cultural identity, partnerships, and managing land and resources in a self-sufficient way.

For more on the Ktunaxa Nation, visit www.ktunaxa.org

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Celebrating 40 years and the delivery of Caterpillar’s 40,000th dozer in the Elk Valley Finning has been a proud supporter of the Elk Valley mining community for decades, supporting our customers’ equipment, parts and service needs.

Forty years ago, when it was all about new machines and financing, Finning launched the Tractor Lease Program with the delivery of a new Cat® D9 dozer to Kaiser Coal in 1979.

Thursday, May 2, 2019 Page A15

WHEREVER THERE’S MINING,

WE’RE THERE.

First D11 rebuild out of Sparwood.

The dozer business has evolved over the past four decades where today’s lease terms on our Cat D11 dozer have nearly tripled. Even more interesting is almost half of our dozer business today consists of rebuilds, not new machines.

As the market evolved and the need for a rebuild solution emerged, we adapted to our customers’ needs by being one of the first to create a tractor overhaul program. We became renowned for the quality of our rebuilds, which have become so prevalent they have been dubbed the Sparwood Special.

With companies choosing to rebuild versus buy new when it makes sense, the rebuild business has grown exponentially. Over 40 per cent of the dozers in the Elk Valley are now rebuilds as customers are seeing the cost benefits of extending the life of their fleet. With the added durability Cat has built into our dozers and the extended life cycles of 13,500 hours, a machine can be affordably rebuilt to provide another full life.

Another local connection to our dozers is Caterpillar’s tradition of sending prototype machines to the Elk Valley mines for performance testing in our unique applications and conditions. The new Cat D11 dozer has utilized several design inputs from this collaboration with impressive results. The D11 delivers higher productivity and the latest technology which provides for safe and efficient operation.

The technology allows operators to move material in less time at a lower cost per ton. This intelligent dozer also has a sophisticated machine protection strategy and a machine guidance system that further drives higher productivity at a lower cost. It has a purpose-built frame engineered to be rebuilt for multiple lives with the lowest total cost of ownership and load sensing hydraulics, idle management systems and emissions technology to minimize fuel burn.

Proud to support mining in the Elk Valley. Learn more about our local branch at Finning.com or call 1-888-Finning

Caterpillar celebrated a significant milestone producing their 40,000th large dozer, which was put into service in the Elk Valley last year. Finning was honoured to celebrate this achievement with the Elk Valley mines.

Finning and our Elkford employees are proud to be a long-standing business partner and supporter of the mining industry in the Elk Valley. We look forward to providing leading-edge service and innovative solutions to our customers to keep their equipment on-line and operating at peak performance for years to come.

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A Brief History of Mining in the Elk Valley The vast reserves of coal in the area have been recorded since at least the mid-1800s when Europeans first came through the valley, however not much would be done with them until the end of the 19th century.

The foundations for the formation of coal in our region began over 130 million years ago when the East Kootenays were nothing but an area of marshy swamps on a small coastal peninsula next to a shallow inland sea. The vegetation and supporting conditions would eventually lead to the coalfields that have supported our communities in the valley since day one.

In the 1860s, there was a small gold rush on Wild Horse Creek near present-day Cranbrook, BC. Prospectors who came to the region grew disappointed the further and further east they explored, finding nothing but loads of coal, literally falling out of the creek and river beds. Little did they know at the time, coal mining in the area would become a much more profitable endeavour than gold by the end of the century.

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In 1887, William Fernie and a few others incorporated the Crow’s Nest Coal and Mineral Company to begin development on the coal fields in the area. By 1896, with local and federal support, they had already acquired 250 000 acres of coal lands and a provincial railway charter allowing construction of a line from the Elk Valley to the mines and smelters of the West Kootenays.

The first shacks went up on Coal Creek in mid-1897 and mining began later that year with 20 experienced miners brought in from Cape Breton. By the end of the next year, the rail line would be completed and the second influx of people to the East Kootenays would begin.

Coal Creek and Fernie would be the first mining towns to settle and develop, quickly followed by Michel, Morrissey, Natal, Hosmer, and Corbin. The Morrissey and Hosmer mines didn’t operate for long, but the mines surrounding Michel-Natal and Corbin are going strong to this day.

Our coal is a bituminous coal and produces very little ash when burned. It was used to generate steam in locomotives for the Canadian Pacific and the Great Northern Railways, power plants, for machinery in various industries, and also domestic use. Coal would also be turned into coke for use in various smelters around North America. Today our coal is dried at the mines (not coked) and the majority sent to Asia to be used in steelmaking.

The mines, and the good wages, have attracted workers and their families from all over the world. However, along with these new opportunities, hardship also followed. Regardless of the safety measures put in place (lamps to detect excess methane gas, the timbering and pillars left in the seams to support the roof and loose rock, fans to remove excess gas, and the rules and regulations), the mines could still be a very dangerous place. Over the past 121 years of mining in the area, there have been over 500 deaths in the mines. The majority

occurred while mining was mainly underground, however accidents do still happen today. Because of this danger, mine rescue and training have always been a very important part of the mines in the valley, and those involved have always been very highly regarded and respected.

When an explosion or bump occurred in the underground mines, the community would gather at the foot of the hill with their friends, families, and neighbours to wait for their loved ones to come out. Part of the reason our communities are so close-knit here is because of these events. You didn’t know if it was going to be your father, brother or uncle who would be one of the lucky to come out of that mine alive, or if it would be your neighbours loved one who wouldn’t. What kind of feeling that must have been to be so happy that yours made it out alive, and at the same time feel so bad for your neighbour who lost theirs. It was a constant fear in the communities, but everyone always looked after each other.

Mining has slowly transitioned throughout the years from the smaller cold, damp, and dangerous underground operations with mostly manual labour, to safer, larger, and mainly mechanized open pit operations. In 1968, Kaiser Resources purchased the mining rights from the Crow’s Nest Pass Coal Company and began open pit mining in the area. Coal production/demand varied over the years, and eventually the last underground mine in the valley, Balmer North, closed in 1986.

Today, the five mines in operation (Fording River, Greenhills, Line Creek, Elkview, and Coal Mountain) are owned by Teck Resources and all open-pit. Operations have become significantly safer since mining first began here, and much more environmentally conscious. Since the beginning, the coal mines have been the main industry which keeps the economy of the valley alive, and also helps support the growth in other industries which followed. The towns of the Elk Valley would be a lot different today - if they existed at all - if the mines had never opened.

Photo and information courtesy of Fernie Museum

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The Story of Coal Mountain Marking Over 100 Years of Memories This article was adapted from the Community Connections newsletter produced by the team at Teck’s Sparwood office.

It was July 30, 1905 when railway builder and entrepreneur Daniel Chase Corbin gazed upon an 85-yard thick seam of high-grade steelmaking coal, boldly exposed near the base of one of Mount Taylor’s minor peaks in the Elk Valley of British Columbia.

Shortly thereafter, he founded the Corbin Coke and Coal Company (CC&C) and began mining at the site, which would eventually go on to become what today is known as Coal Mountain Operations (CMO).

By 1912, production at CC&C had gained momentum but was abruptly brought to a halt by the No.1 mine fire of 1913; as a result, the company was forced to seal the mine. It was later reopened and operated using more modern mining techniques, including a steam shovel at the No. 3 mine, which was often referred to as, “The Big Showing”.

In 1935, a major strike and riot resulted in the shuttering of CC&C and the mine. The town of Corbin was left deserted and mining operations ceased; however, with the Second World War depleting steelmaking coal supplies at the Trail smelter, and continuing need to supply Allied troops with materials, Consolidated Mining and Smelting (Cominco) contracted Frank O’Sullivan of Lethbridge and his crew of independent truckers to supply the smelter with coal from CMO. The mining at the time was dangerous, using Ford trucks to drive up and down the road to the coal seam in the rugged mountainous terrain. After the war, they did not continue mining operations, but the property was maintained as a hedge against rising coal prices.

Between 1972 and 2004, the ownership of CMO changed hands several times. Teck acquired the mine in 2008, and since then, annual production has averaged 2.5 million tonnes per year.

Today, Teck is in the process of ceasing active mining operations at CMO and beginning the transition to care and maintenance, including site reclamation activities.

Corbin is currently home to recreational cyclists, ATV and snowmobile users, campers and other outdoor recreational enthusiasts. In the coming years, the mine site will be reclaimed to a state of ecological diversity that can support a range of biodiversity, social and cultural values.

“My family has been here for four generations,” says Glen Hutton, resident of Corbin. “My kids grew up here, and I’m looking forward to watching my grandkids enjoy nature and the reclaimed landscape.”

In the coming years, the mine site will be reclaimed to a state of ecological diversity that can support a range of biodiversity, social and cultural values.

A Time of Transition

Coal Mountain (CMO), one of Teck’s five steelmaking coal operations in the Elk Valley region of British Columbia, will reach the end of active mine life in 2018.. When it came to closure planning, after developing a detailed plan for reclamation, the focus was finding employment opportunities for the more than 300 valued employees working at CMO— some for 30+ years—at other Teck sites within the area.

“We did not want to say goodbye to the employees who had given Teck so many years of excellent service, and who had put down roots in this community with their families,” said Jared Whidden, Superintendent Human Resources, Elkview Photo courtesy of Fernie Museum Operations.

With careful consideration and internal engagement with human resources, business development and senior leadership, a plan was developed to transition employees—from equipment operators to maintenance workers—to other Elk Valley sites, retaining their decades of experience and helping employees and their families to stay settled in local communities.

The needs of the other sites in the Elk Valley were analyzed, assessing their hiring requirements that arose through normal attrition. During this time, Teck also worked with local unions to ensure a smooth transition across sites starting in 2017, with additional employees transferred in spring 2018, and a core team remaining at CMO while work was undertaken.

“Many of our employees were born and raised in the Elk Valley, and uprooting their lives and families was the last thing they wanted to do,” shares Jared. “We see this result as a win for everyone—for our closure planning and human resources teams, and for the people who work and live here.”

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Celebrating Mining in the Elk Valley Salute to all the mines in the Elk Valley.

Mining Month BBQ Wednesday, May 15th 12pm in Titan Park.

Coal mine tours running from May 13th to 16th

Please call Chamber to sign up for free tours.

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Don’t Forget to Sign Up for the Teck Mine Tours: Monday, May 13th – Elkview Operations Tuesday, May 14th – Greenhills Operations Wednesday, May 15th – Fording Operations Thursday, May 16th – Line Creek Operations A bus will pick up participants and depart at 09:30 from both the Fernie Chamber of Commerce and the Blairmore Mall in the Crowsnest Pass (by RSVP only). They will connect at the Sparwood Chamber of Commerce, gather local participants, and depart at 10:30 for the designated site.

Other Mining Month Events include: Friday, May 15th – Free Mining Month BBQ 12:00 pm, Titan Park

Celebrating B.C. Mining Month May 2019 Teck is proud to recognize the skills and dedication of our employees, contractors and suppliers during B.C. Mining Month.

Thank you for your valuable contribution to the mining industry in B.C. Contact Sparwood Chamber of Commerce for local activities, including mine tours (May 13–16) and a community barbecue (May 15).

Call 250.425.2423 or visit bcminingmonth.ca

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The Future of Driving Autonomous Driving Technology, Electric Vehicles and Beyond Submitted - Teck

From car and ride sharing to electric and autonomous vehicles, the way we get around is changing. Not since Henry Ford’s mass-produced, affordable Model T pushed the horse and buggy to the side of the road have we seen such a major transition taking shape. And it isn’t just the big automakers driving change. Companies such as Uber, Google, Tesla and Waymo are investing heavily in electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous driving technology.

While fossil-fuelled vehicles still rule the road, and will for decades to come, rapid advances in driving technologies are setting the stage for major changes in how we experience driving, both at work and at home.

Autonomous Driving Technology

Perhaps the most exciting advancements being made in vehicles are in autonomous (self-driving or driverless) technology.

Imagine your family car without a steering wheel or accelerator and brake pedals. The car would travel the route you identify without any physical input from you by using a complex variety of interconnected systems such as GPS, sensors, cameras, sonar and video to create a map of the surroundings and environment.

The data collected would be processed by a control system that manages functions like steering, speed, braking and avoiding obstacles. You could sleep, catch up on social media or just stare out the window while the car does all the work.

Automakers and tech companies are investing billions of dollars in developing the technology, often through partnerships. In 2016, Ford announced that it was teaming up with four Silicon Valley tech companies and intends to introduce a fleet of driverless cars in a ride-sharing service by 2021. This past summer, Toyota said it was investing US$500 million to help Uber further develop autonomous technology. Meanwhile, Uber’s competitor Lyft is partnering with Nissan.

While the technology is still in its infancy, it has the potential to fundamentally change transportation systems.

Autonomous Haulage Pilot

The use of autonomous vehicles is also a topic of great interest at Teck. At Highland Valley Copper, a pilot is underway on the use of autonomous haul trucks, which have the potential to enhance safety, reduce the environmental footprint of mining, and generate more than $20 million in annual savings

at the mine.

The pilot involves six retrofitted and new Caterpillar trucks and is expected to run for about one year, providing more information about the use of the technology and creating the opportunity for further autonomous haul truck usage at Teck.

upon reducing our consumption of fossil fuels.

Reducing the emissions from the transportation sector would have a significant impact.

Though sales of EVs are still only a fraction of overall vehicle sales, the IEA predicts that EV ownership could reach 125 million by 2030, driven by government policies, stricter emissions standards, and Growth of Electric Vehicles financial incentives and rebates. That could increase According to the International Energy Agency to 220 million EVs by 2030 if countries take more (IEA), the number of electric and plug-in hybrid cars aggressive measures to tackle climate change and on the world’s roads grew to more than three million reduce emissions further than currently planned. in 2017, a 54per centincrease compared with 2016.

China accounted for about half of that growth, with Essential Elements sales of 580,000 vehicles, followed by the United For Teck, the advancements being made in EVs and States with 280,000 vehicles. autonomous technology also offer opportunities for The agency noted that charging infrastructure is the products we produce. keeping pace with growth, with the number of private For example, an average gasoline-powered car uses chargers at homes and workplaces estimated at almost about 20 kg of copper, a hybrid uses about 40 kg three million worldwide, in addition to about 430,000 and an EV has roughly 80 kg. A hybrid electric bus publicly accessible chargers. contains nearly 90 kg of copper, while a battery-only The growth is being driven not only by advances in electric bus contains nearly 370 kg.

The EV revolution will also require steel makers technology, but also by the growing understanding that the transition to a low-carbon economy depends to make lighter and stronger steels to compete with

Supporting a Local Initiative Teck is contributing to the advancement of EVs through more than products. Last spring, Teck contributed $30,000 in a regional and community-driven strategy to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles by installing charging stations along an 1,800-kilometre stretch of Highway 3 in the Kootenays, a road frequently travelled by thousands of Teck employees in the region.

“Our involvement in the Accelerate Kootenays initiative aligns with our efforts to support the transition to a low-carbon economy, along with providing the metals and minerals required for clean technology,” says Larry Davey, Vice President, Planning and Development, Teck. “This charging station is a great example of Sparwood’s focus on sustainability.

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Steelmaking coal and copper are also critical components in electric vehicle charging station infrastructure. For example, looking ahead to 2027,100,000 tonnes of copper could be needed annually to support the development of charging stations depending on the speed (fast charging = more copper) to the size of the charging station.

The Mining Association of B.C. has partnered with Clean Energy Vehicles for BC (CEVforBC) and Dueck GM to wrap an electric-powered Chevrolet Volt with facts outlining mining’s role in a lowercarbon economy.

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other materials needed to make these vehicles. Our Product Technology Centre (PTC) is playing a key role by working with steel mills to develop new zinc alloys and galvanizing processes that can galvanize this next generation of Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS), helping ensure our steelmaking coal remains a core material in this next generation of vehicles.

And all EVs are mandated to use a 12-volt advanced lead battery for essential emergency and safety systems, including lighting, battery management system (BMS) for traction battery and ABS brakes.

These batteries contain about 10 kg of lead, a metal produced at both our Red Dog and Pend Oreille operations, and refined at our Trail Operations.

Trail is also uniquely positioned to supply the growing demand for specialty metals, namely germanium and indium, which are needed for sensors in autonomous vehicles.

The District of Elkford is proud to support mining in the Elk Valley.

For mine tour information: 1.855.877.WILD www.elkford.ca

The car has been touring the province, engaging with British Columbians at various events about how B.C.’s mining industry is driving a green energy future. Among the appearances the car has made are Mining Day at the Legislature, the Business Council of B.C.’s Energy Transitions Forum, the Vancouver International Auto Show, the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities convention, the B.C Tech Summit and a variety of events connected to B.C. Mining Month.

The MABC has been chronicling the tour on social media using the hashtag #fuelledbymining.

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98th Annual

EKMISA

Mine Rescue Competition

Come Support your Elk Valley Mine Rescue Teams!

Saturday May 11th | 8am - 3pm Family Friendly Free BBQ for the Public Around the Fernie Aquatic Center

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