WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30, 2013
< Ecosystem restoration
Photo feature of East Kootenay burns | Pages 8, 9
Ice head to Rebels country > Kootenay has mid-week game in Red Deer | Page 11
STORIES OR IDEAS TO SHARE?
Drop us an email, a Tweet, a Facebook message, or give us a call if you have any story ideas you would like to share.
www.dailytownsman.com
1
Like Us
$ 10
TownsmanBulletin
INCLUDES G.S.T.
Follow Us @crantownsman
Vol. 61, Issue 211
Proudly serving Cranbrook and area since 1951
www.dailytownsman.com
Ktunaxa host The next Sullivan mine? Qat’muk event
It’s early days yet, but preliminary testing has identified a gravity anomaly north of Moyie Lake that could contain lead, zinc and silver similar to the Sullivan
The location of the proposed Jumbo Glacier Resort is of profound importance to the Nation
SALLY MACDONALD Townsman Staff
A Toronto-based resource company has identified what it describes as a “very promising” gravity anomaly north of Moyie Lake that is similar to the Sullivan Mine deposit. PJX Resources announced on Thursday, October 24 that gravity tests done on its Vine property earlier this year indicate an area about two kilometres by four kilometres and between 500 metres and 1,500 metres deep that could contain lead, zinc and silver. “It showed that there was this denser material – it appears to be denser – at depth.
It appears to be somewhat flat lying,” explained John Keating, PJX’s president. “When you put that together, the geophysical company (Excel Geophysics) was thinking that it looks like it could be a sulphide-type deposit. The Sullivan is a massive sulphide that is somewhat flat lying.” It’s too soon to know for sure what the dense material is, but it’s made more promising because another company drilled in the same area in 1990 and 1994, finding massive sulphides – lead, zinc and silver – at about 700 metres deep. “Those (drill) holes inter-
“We have to test it. We don’t know for sure. But it looks like a very good target. It’s very promising”
area.” The next round of gravity tests, expected to be conducted next month, will isolate parts of the property that are more dense, and at what depth it is. Then next year, PJX hopes to obtain permits to drill on the property. “We use the word Sullivan to say that’s the type of target we are looking at; it’s that kind of style of mineral deposit,” said Keating. “We don’t know what it is, but gravity itself shows density changes in the rock.”
“Qat’muk and Jumbo As the Ktunaxa Na- do not have the same tion prepares for a court meaning, and we are John Keating hearing in January on creating this opportuniPresident, PJX Resources the Jumbo Glacier Re- ty for our neighbours in sort, they are inviting the Kootenay region to sected the massive sulphide Kootenay residents to a learn more about the at the very edge of this anommeaning of special event that will true aly, the western side of it,” explain the importance Qat’muk and why it is of said Keating. “So is that masof Qat’muk, the loca- such profound imporsive sulphide representing tion of the proposed re- tance to our nation,” the gravity target? We don’t said Teneese. sort. know. We need to do more Last December, the See SECOND , Page 4 detailed gravity work over the Ktunaxa filed an appli- See DRUMMERS , Page 4 cation with the B.C. Supreme Court for a judicial review of the B.C. government’s decision to enter into a Master Development Agreement with the resort developer. That review will begin on Monday, January 6, 2014. “We have been trying to protect Qat’muk from the threat of a major, four season resort and real estate development since we first heard of it in the early 1990s,” said Kathryn Teneese, chairperson of the Ktunaxa Nation Council. “We appreciate the efforts of many other individuals and organizations to stop the Jumbo Glacier Resort development.” The Jumbo Glacier Resort, which was incorporated as a mountain resort municipality in February, would be built in the heart of what the Ktunaxa call Qat’muk, home of the Grizzly Bear Spirit. On Friday, November 22, the Ktunaxa are hosting a gathering at 7 PHOTO COURTESY LIELA COOPER p.m. at the Key City TheMariah Whitlock (left) and Natasha Norton took part in the Trail Highland Games last weekend. They were accompanied by their mothers, grandparatre in Cranbrook where ents and their teacher, Liela Cooper. Since the girls are both older than 16, they received cash awards instead of medals – Natasha and Mariah were all interested citizens of pretty thrilled to each have a nice cheque to take home with them. Good job, girls! All Liela’s and Hali Duncan’s dancers are hard at work in preparation the Kootenays can learn for their annual Robbie Burns Night, to be held this year on Burns’ actual birthday of January 25 at the Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort in Cranbrook. about Qat’muk. TOWNSMAN STAFF