2023
1257+:(67 7(55,725,(6
The future is
golden
The portal into the underground at the Goose gold mine in the Kitikmeot region. The first gold is expected to be poured during the first quarter of 2025. Photo courtesy of B2Gold
Ekati diamond mine prepares to test remote underwater vehicles
Self-belief propelled Gahcho Kue superintendent’s career
Agnico Eagle delivers gold, donations in Kivalliq
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Extending the reach: Going underwater to mine Ekati diamonds with vehicles
Burgundy Diamond Mines is an Australian-based company that purchased the former Ekati mine in July. The Indian diamond manufacturer The Choron Group, which also owns a significant number of shares in the mine, will manufacture a portion of Burgundy’s production. Photo supplied.
Burgundy Diamond Mines to test new equipment in the NWT by Jill Westerman Northern News Services
With approximately 165 million carats of diamonds still underground at the former Ekati diamond mine, its new owner, Burgundy Diamonds, is looking to extend the mine’s life by implementing a never-before tried method of kimberlite extraction. “Not all of those (carats) will be recoverable. But even if we did get a big chunk of those carats, it potentially could extend the life of the asset for many, many years to come,” said Kim Truter, CEO of Burgundy Diamond Mines. Considering the mine has the third largest endowment of diamonds on the planet, and is anticipated to become the seventh largest producer of diamonds in the world, Truter said finding new extraction techniques will be a strategic move in ensuring the longevity of the mine. That method will involve a pilot project using underwater remote mining (URM) technology with an underwater remote vehicle to go beneath the surface of lakes and extract hard-to-reach kimberlite that might otherwise be cost prohibitive or difficult to obtain. Truter said the process involves first smoothing out the underwater floor of the open pit and then implementing the three-part system of deploying the vehicle, or crawler, which will cut down into the kimberlite, then hydraulically pumping the kimberlite up to a floating platform on the surface. From there, the ore material will be transported to a dewatering/processing plant. Hard challenges The benefits of that method are multifold in comparison, Truter said. “If you mine them using those conventional open pit underground methods, sometimes the water is a challenge, because from an environmental point of view, you’ve got to pump the water out or you’ve got to handle the water or do something about the water — so water can be a challenge,” he said. “The second thing is the surrounding rock that typically, in the Northwest Territories, is granite. Now that is positive from an open pit point of view because it’s a very competent rock., which means that you can have very steep slope angles in a pit.” “But it’s also hard work because you’ve got to obviously mine one of the hardest rocks on the planet to get at the pipe. So those are two challenges.” The third challenge is access to energy, he said, as they must transport millions of litres of diesel fuel to power the site and the fleet of equipment. Game changer “When you put all those factors into the mix, a
way of mining only the kimberlite pipe and not having to mine all the surrounding waste is a game changer,” said Truter. “Because what it would mean is you could only mine the kimberlite pipe, which is a couple of hundred meters in diameter.” “It means your environmental footprint is dramatically reduced.” As a result, while an open pit a kilometre wide must be dug for traditional kimberlite mining, the URM technology could reduce the size of the extraction area in a previously mined and flooded pit to as small as 150-metres wide. “So, it’s a huge reduction in the environmental footprint. And potentially it might mean that you can lower the cost of extracting, which might mean that kimberlite pipes that could not be mined using the conventional way of doing it, suddenly become economic,” Truter explained. “In the North, it could be a real game changer, because it means you might be able to go and mine whole other kimberlite pipes that you couldn’t mine using conventional methods,” he noted. Testing innovation But while the use of the submersible crawler technology is new to the diamond mining industry, many of its elements are already in use in different applications, such as seabed mining around the world, Truter said of the equipment developed by IHC Mining, a company based in the Netherlands. Before the equipment becomes a permanent fixture on the NWT diamond mining landscape, however, many questions have to be answered about its suitability in the harsh Northern climate, he said of the process that will be implemented in two stages. “As we answer those questions, we’ll slowly but surely get knowledge and then once we have, we might have multiple of these (underwater vehicles),” he said. “The first thing we want to do is to prove that the technology would work in our environment.” The floor of the Lynx pit will be prepared by smoothing its underwater surface in 2024 and in mid-2025, the crawler will be deployed. It also must be determined whether the system can operate only in warmer months or year round in the NWT. Truter was reluctant to disclose the cost of such a system, citing competitive reasons. Overall, he expressed optimism about the use of such technology in the future. “I think it’s very important for the North that we find ways to extend these mines’ lives,” he said. “We can add to that the URM solution that helps us keep these mines going, which keeps jobs going, and taxes going. “That’s just fantastic.”
An underwater remote crawler will be utilized on the floor of the previously mined Lynx pit at the Ekati mine during a trial run of the new mining method that will potentially mean a reduced environmental footprint when mining underwater. Photo supplied
Testing of a new technique in mining kimberlite underwater will begin by 2026 at Burgundy Diamond Mines’ Ekati mine. Shown is one of the three-part pieces of equipment that will extract kimberlite from previously mined flooded pits, pump it to the surface, then in a final step, dewater it. Photo supplied
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Goose gold mine plows ahead along with plans for renewable energy
The Goose mine is projected to produce around 300,000 ounces of gold per year over a 15-year period. Photo courtesy of B2Gold
Sealifts bring equipment and supplies to B2Gold’s marine laydown area, from where the goods are transported to the Goose gold mine by winter road. Photo courtesy of B2Gold Corporation
Up to 13 wind turbines, solar array panel and battery energy storage system part of strategy to reduce diesel usage By Kira Wronska Dorward Local Journalism Initiative
GIANT MINE REMEDIATION PROJECT
INDUSTRY DAY 2023
Things are bustling at B2Gold’s Goose gold mine near Bathurst Inlet. B2Gold, which acquired former Back River owner Sabina Gold and Silver Corporation in April, is constructing the Goose mine and has released its renewable energy plan, which outlines a vision to build environmentally-friendly power systems to help extract resources as part of the company’s “commitment to ongoing environmental stewardship of the project area.” The mine, which received a project certificate through the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) in 2017, has been progressing with input from the Kitikmeot Inuit Association (KIA), which signed a framework agreement in 2018. B2Gold cites its history of “industry leading and award-winning community engagement” and promises that “Kitikmeot-qualified business regulation is key to procurement.” Continued on Page 5
December 5th-6th, 2023 | 9:30AM to 4:30PM daily MST
Parsons is hosting an in-person Industry Day event to inform the local area contracting community of potential remediation activities in 2024 and 2025. Event to be held at the Quality Inn in Yellowknife, NWT. Pre-register at: Denise.Aspinall@parsons.com or for more information: www.giantminerp.ca
The view from aboard one of the sealift vessels. Photo courtesy of B2Gold
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From Page 4 B2Gold anticipate a workforce of around 500 in an open pit operation, set to produce around 300,000 ounces of gold a year over a 15-year period. The project schedule has three stages. The initial year would see components shipped to the marine laydown area and roads constructed around Goose mine. Wind turbine and battery systems would also be installed. Years 1-15 encompass the planned operation of the renewable energy system. The third phase, from years 16-22, would see the site’s shutdown and reclamation. The renewable energy plan includes up to 13 wind turbines, a solar panel array, and a battery energy storage system. Additionally, the company has taken into account caribou migration patterns, as well as atmospheric, freshwater, human, marine, and terrestrial factors in its design. The plan calculates that renewable energy technologies will reduce winter road traffic by about 700 trips, will ultimately shorten the winter ice road operating time, and will reduce diesel fuel consumption by about 10 million litres and sea lift deliveries by about 18 per cent per year. The proposed plan will also reduce carbon emissions by more than 30,000 tonnes, as well as reducing the risk of terrestrial and marine fuel spills. As of the company’s October report, the project had 713 team members. To date, there have been seven public meetings, 10 engagements with Elders groups and representatives from Bay Chimo, Bathurst Inlet,
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municipal governments, and various hunter and trapper organizations. B2Gold promises “ongoing engagements” with regulators, the Kitikmeot Inuit Association and the community. The Inuit Advisory Association is made up of seven Kitikmeot Inuit who conducted a site tour in July and engaged in a discussion surrounding the renewable energy proposal. Subsequently, a letter of support from the subcommittee was submitted to the NIRB. Concerns specifically around caribou and bird migration patterns were raised at the time. When contacted for comment, Fred Pedersen, the KIA’s executive director, released this statement to NNSL Media: “The Kitikmeot Inuit Association has promoted renewable energy to mining proponents for over a decade. The benefits of renewable energy sources at mine sites are the reduction in the amount of diesel fuel oil transported and shipped to site, and transferred at site, which in turn reduces the chances of spillage, cost of energy production, and lowers emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. “In the review of the initial submission by B2Gold Nunavut to the NIRB for the Back River Renewable Energy Centre, the KIA had identified 12 issues, 11 being related to birds and one related to caribou. These 12 issues were resolved with B2Gold Nunavut in March 2023… “With all identified issues resolved, the KIA supports the Back River Renewable Energy Centre proceeding to a public hearing in February 2024.”
An aerial view of supplies at B2Gold’s Goose mine, where construction is underway. Photo courtesy of B2Gold
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Mill construction at the Goose mine site as of September. Photo courtesy of B2Gold
Cranes on a construction site at B2Gold’s Goose gold mine, which is being built in the Kitikmeot region. Photo courtesy of B2Gold
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‘Every option needs to be put on the table’ for powering future NWT mines Gold Terra considering solar, wind and natural gas as Con Mine project advances By Tom Taylor Northern News Services Local Journalism Initiative reporter
Former Yellowknife North MLA Rylund Johnson hopes there are more mines headed to the Northwest Territories, but has From left, Ryan Bachynski, Aaron Doan, Hayden Playter and Gerald Panneton at the site of the former Con mine in Yellowknife, where Gold Terra recently completed one of the deepest exploration drill holes in NWT history. The Gold Terra team is currently weighing the options for powering a new gold mining project at the location. Photo courtesy of David Connelly, Ile Royale Enterprises Ltd.
concerns about how those mines will be powered. Johnson raised his concerns at an Oct. 6 sitting of the legislative assembly, posing a range of questions about the energy options for future mines in the territory. Some of his most notable questions surrounded longstanding plans to expand the Taltson generating station, a hydroelectric
plant. Those plans were first suggested as a way to power the territory’s diamond mines roughly 25 years ago, but today, when all of those mines are moving closer to the end of their lifespans, the expansion still hasn’t gotten off the ground. “Is Taltson the answer, Mr. Speaker?” Johnson asked. “It might be. It is clearly a billion-dollar-plus sized project, but why did it not proceed before? What were the consequences of it not proceeding? Well, for one, the three diamond mines that now have to create their own power systems are likely now facing, sooner than not, end of life because they have to instead incur the high costs of trucking diesel up the winter road. What about the future for critical minerals and metals? There’s major demand coming, but they’re expecting to be able to have green energy. Well, how are we going to supply it, Mr. Speaker?” At this point, Taltson is likely no longer an option for NWT’s diamond mines. The expansion would take years to complete, and all three mines are expected to cease operations over the next decade. Whether the Taltson expansion could be an option for powering future mines remains to be seen. Gerald Panneton, chairman and CEO of Vancouver-based gold exploration company Gold Terra, has his doubts. In 2021, Gold Terra negotiated the option to purchase Yellowknife’s former Con mine in hopes of restarting gold mining around the city, provided enough of the precious metal is found to justify the project. The company recently completed one of the deepest exploration drill holes under the workings of the old mine. Panneton was in Yellowknife for the completion of that hole, which he called a “technical success.” During his visit, the Gold Terra CEO also explored some of the energy options for this potential project, which would be able to pull some but not all of its power from Yellowknife’s existing hydroelectric grid. Taltson is far from the top of his list, as he doesn’t believe it will be expanded until there are mines in the area in need of power. “To bring energy from Taltson all the way to Yellowknife, it’s complicated and expensive, so you need customers,” he said. “You need to secure demand to be able to operate. “You can go around and see which projects are going to get built [to justify expanding Taltson], but until they’re built, you’re not sure if the customer is real. “It needs customers to support building it.” Solar and wind With Taltson seemingly off the table, Panneton and his team have been looking at other means to provide power to their potential Yellowknife project, with a specific emphasis on green solutions amid rising pressure from governments and investors to curb carbon emissions. Two oft discussed possibilities are solar and wind power. Johnson told the legislative assembly that both options “come at astonishingly high price per megawatt,” and also noted that they are “intermittent,” meaning they are dependent on local weather conditions. Panneton seems to agree as it pertains to wind. “We could consider wind, but there’s not enough wind, and when you hear what’s happening in different projects where they used wind, it’s not straightforward,” he said. “You need big towers, you have to go 90 metres in the air, so the whole project is more costly.” When it comes to solar, he appears more optimistic, as solar panels require less space than wind turbines. “For example, I can use part of the side of the Con mine to put a solar farm, which will give more power in the summer if the water reservoir is low,” he said. “There is already power, there is already a grid in place for distribution in Yellowknife. Can we supplement that grid? One of the ideas that we have is a solar farm.” There are other green power options for mines around Yellowknife and the wider NWT, according to Panneton, including liquified natural gas (LNG), which he contends is “not a big polluter.” All of available options, he maintains, are deserving of consideration. “LNG is not a bad option to go away from diesel,” he said. “I think every option needs to be put on the table when you look at [powering mines].” As far Johnson as is concerned, the best option may actually be hydro – but not in relation to the long discussed Taltson expansion. “I love hydro,” he told the legislative assembly in October. “I believe it is the future to getting to carbon net zero. I love hydro for the Northwest Territories. I am so glad for the mines that came before and built our hydro power. We need more hydro, Mr. Speaker.” “We have forgot that we actually have 10,000 megawatts of undeveloped hydro potential in this territory. We have the Bear, La Marte, Lockhart, Mackenzie, Snare, Snowdrift, Taltson, and Yellowknife rivers, Mr. Speaker, all with undeveloped hydro potential, and no one has ever even talked about those in 25 years because they got so laser focused on a project that they have repeatedly failed to build.”
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Vital Metals shifts focus to Tardiff deposit with new Chinese investment Troubled mining company’s future is unclear but critical minerals sector has ‘great potential,’ says analyst By Tom Taylor Local Journalism Initiative
Vital Metals’ future in the Northwest Territories is unclear, but the company’s plan to focus on the Tardiff deposit at Nechalacho remains promising, according to Tom Hoefer, executive director of the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines. “It’s a significant deposit, and it’s much bigger than the one they test mined,” Hoefer said. “So that’s the prize, I would say – at this point, anyway.” Australian-owned Vital Metals commenced operations at Nechalacho in 2021. The site, which sits about 100 kilometres southeast of Yellowknife, produces rare earth elements (REE), critical minerals used in electronics, green energy, automotive, aerospace, military defence and more. Until recently, Vital Metals had plans to build a processing facility in Saskatoon. Processed assets would then be sold to Norwegian firm REEtec before being further processed and moved to other parts of Europe for various uses. However, in late September, after spending millions of dollars on the construction of the Saskatoon plant, the company made a stunning revelation. “In summary we’ve demonstrated that the Saskatoon facility doesn’t make economic sense for us to operate, so we’ve decided to terminate that facility,” Vital Metals chairman Richard Crookes said in a video statement. “We’ve placed the holding company, Vital Metals Canada Ltd. into bankruptcy and we’ve terminated our offtake agreement with REEtec.” Crookes, who was listed as the point of contact in Vital Metals’ recent news releases, did not respond to three requests for an interview about the company’s current situation, or that of its subsidiary Cheetah Resources, which owns Nechalacho.
The GNWT’s department of Industry, Tourism and Investment would not comment on the status of either company, but noted that “Cheetah Resources has not attained commercial production as defined by section 68 of the NWT Mining Regulations,” which means that the company is not currently required to file a royalty return. Focus on Tardiff Vital Metals’ announcement about its Saskatoon plant coincided with its decision to focus on Tardiff, which Crookes called a “very large, high-grade, shallow” deposit and “a fantastic asset in a great jurisdiction.” Soon after the announcement was made, the company hired a new managing director in Geordie Mark, the former head of mining research at Haywood Securities, a Vancouver-based investment firm. Weeks later, in late October, Vital Metals unveiled what it called a “cornerstone investment” from a Singaporean subsidiary of Chinese REE company Shenghe Resource Holdings. The investment “will allow the company to establish a new leadership team, and to progress development of the large-scale Tardiff deposit,” stated the news release announcing the deal. The homepage of Vital Metals’ website claims that the company aims to “become the lowest cost producer of mixed rare earth oxide outside of China,” yet a Chinese firm will now share in any success the NWT project has. ‘Head-scratcher’ While Crookes did not respond to multiple requests for an interview, Hoefer noted that Shenghe likely doesn’t have enough ownership in the company to have controlling interest, but called Vital Metals’ decision to get involved with a Chinese firm “a head-scratcher.” “If you research the critical mineral strategies of
Kyle Bahya, a Sahtu Dene from Deline, speaks with reporters during a media tour at Vital Metals’ Nechalacho project site in 2021. Bayha worked as a shift supervisor and heavy equipment operator for Det’on Cho Corporation, contracted to conduct mining and crushing at the mine’s North T deposit. After placing a subsidiary into bankruptcy, Vital Metals has shifted its focus to the site’s larger Tardiff deposit. Photo courtesy of CheetahResources/billbradenphoto
places like the United States and Canada, one of the reasons for having the strategy is also because China is dominating the scene with critical minerals,” he said. “There’s a concern because critical minerals are also used in defense and other strategic things. There’s concern over monopolization of critical minerals out of China.” No matter how Vital Metals’ future unfolds, Hoefer believes prospects for the critical mineral industry in the territory are bright, and contends that the company has helped show the industry’s potential. “Certainly the world has a strong demand for rare earths as with all of these critical minerals,” he said. “That’s why these minerals are called critical. “[Vital Metals] mined the smaller deposit [at Nechalacho] so that they could do proof of concept that they could establish a supply chain of rare earth elements from Canada all the way through to final product, and they did that,” he added. “I think it’s a tremendous stride that they proved that that could happen with stuff from the Northwest
Territories.” The NWT’s critical minerals industry could become all the more critical in the coming years, with the territory’s three remaining diamond mines all nearing closure. The critical minerals industry won’t replace the diamond mines, but it can help fill the void – provided that the government can entice companies to start digging, Hoefer said. “The Northwest Territories, and Nunavut for that matter, are hugely attractive from a geological potential,” he said. “Where they suffer is from things like lack of infrastructure, or overly complex regulatory systems, or their geography, which increases the costs. That’s where governments need to start realizing that, yes, we’ve got great potential, but to unlock that potential, we’re going to have to roll up our sleeves and do something about it. “I think sometimes people think that the reason we have mines is because the mines have come and decided to do what they want to do, but the reality is it’s governments that have a responsibility.”
Savikataaq leads attack against MP’s efforts to change Nunavut mining regulations Member of Parliament says her proposed legislation is misunderstood by territorial legislators By Kira Wronska Dorward Local Journalism Initiative
Government of Nunavut legislators are speaking out against a federal bill that MP Lori Idlout is proposing to alter the territory’s mining regulations. Arviat South MLA Joe Savikataaq prodded Premier P.J. Akeeagok and Economic Development and Mines Minister David Akeeagok to express their opposition to Idlout’s private member’s bill C-326, to amend the Territorial Lands Act, which has already been introduced in the House of Commons. Savikataaq vehemently rejected Idlout’s premise that Nunavut’s mine development process is “flawed.” In the legislative assembly on Oct. 26, the pre-
mier reaffirmed his “trust the institution of pubic governments we do have, right from the impact review board to the water board, among many other institutions and public governments. I feel very confident in the systems that are in place. I am not aware of our MP’s bill, and I have not yet spoken to the member of Parliament, Ms. Idlout, specifically on her bill. She has reached out to be able to discuss what is contained in her bill, but I have yet to review the details of what has been presented.” Savikataaq noted that Idlout and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh met with the premier the week before. Akeeagok replied, “During that meeting, we didn’t cover specifically the importance mining has within our economy. However, I do commit to continuing to advocate that and meeting with the
Joe Savikataaq, MLA for Arviat south, pressed the premier and the minister for mines and economic development to speak out against Nunavut Member of Parliament Lori Idlout’s bill to change the way the territory approaches mining development. Idlout counters that the territorial legislators don’t understand her objective. NNSL file photo
member of Parliament to advocate our position, and to reaffirm the importance of finding that balance, in particular, as we go through the development of the draft land-use plan, which strives to strike a balance between the two very important fields as we move forward… “I think it is very important to ensure that we realize the opportunities and I actually just had the amazing opportunity to go to a mine side just outside of Rankin Inlet to see, directly, the impact that is very positive of the Inuit employment we see from the community, the business opportunities that comes with it, but also there is the other side that the member mentioned,” the premier added. “We must find that balance, and that is really the message that we’ve said right from the beginning since we formed government and will continue to ensure we send that message, that we support responsible development right across the territory.” Savikataaq spoke passionately in favour of responsible mining, which is a major economic driver in the Kivalliq region, where two Agnico Eagle gold mines are in production. “…responsible, sustainable mining is good for Nunavut,” he said. “I greatly respect our environment and I want our environment to be good, but we also have to provide opportunities for Nunavummiut to get employment.” David Akeeagok expressed similar sentiment. “Mines have been welcome in this territory, and we have seen the benefits of mining, and it’s through those very rigorous regulatory resumes that we do have that Nunavummiut have been able to provide input, and Nunavummiut are seeing the benefits of mining,” the minister said. “We support all sectors of any of our economy, and with mining, our gross domestic product is very high thanks to them.”
They ‘don’t understand’ When contacted for comment, Idlout told NNSL Media that her concern is that the territorial legislators “don’t understand why I tabled the bill.” She said Savikataaq never contacted her office to better inform himself or voice his concerns. “I would have been pleased if he wanted to reach out to me. I sincerely want him to reach out to me so I can alleviate his concerns. His misunderstanding is misleading other people,” she said. “What my bill is doing,” Idlout clarified, “is making sure Inuit give informed consent. Right now, the current process with the entrance system is to purchase acquisition of mining rights on lands… and hold onto them for decades. This allows [companies] to build a case to mine. Duty to consult doesn’t happen until much later. My bill is proposing a minor change to gain Inuit permission prior [to purchase]. All I’m doing is opening the door to prior and informed consent earlier in the process. I’m not trying to dictate government process.” Idlout went on to reference Canada’s commitment to respecting the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) and said that the Territorial Lands Act is “a good starting point.” She said she hopes to clarify her intent during her next meeting with Nunavut’s premier. “I am not trying to stop mining as I was accused of. It’s hard to understand something if you don’t ask,” she said. She added that she has sent a letter to all Nunavummiut broaching this issue and also provided her office’s contact information. She encouraged anyone with concerns to reach out. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there. My office is open. I just want to remind all Nunavummiut that I am here to work for them. I am here to help,” she said.
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Northern mining by the numbers Mining has fueled the gross domestic product in the Northwest Territories for close to 20 years and in Nunavut for more than a decade. Mathieu Dupuis/ Agnico Eagle photo
By Derek Neary Northern News Services
Although metals and minerals are the raison d’etre for mining and exploration companies, they also produce a wealth of figures. Here are some interesting numbers from NWT and Nunavut mining projects. The NWT’s diamond mines contributed $26.6 billion to the territory’s gross domestic product between 1999-2022, according to the GNWT. In 2022 alone, that impact was $1.2 billion, outpacing any other industry, including the territorial government’s public administration, which represented $800 million in GDP. Construction amounted to $328 million, retail trade registered at $162.5 million and transportation contributed $160.4 million. *
NWT businesses reaped an estimated $754.7 million from the territory’s mining activity in 2022. Diavik spent $319.6 million with NWT businesses in 2022 while Ekati came in at $222.4 million and Gahcho Kue stood at $212.7 million. * From 1996 to 2022, the mining industry in the NWT has provided 16,769 person years of employment for Indigenous workers in the territory and 16,855 person years of employment for non-Indigenous residents. Person years is defined as the number of hours equivalent to working a full-time job over a year (between 2,080 and 2,184, depending on the mine), but the work may have been completed by multiple individuals. In 2022, the number of person years of employment in the NWT mining industry fill by local employees added up to 1,094. Of
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those 565 were filled by Indigenous workers from the territory and 529 went to non-Indigenous NWT residents. Among the three diamond mines, Diavik led the way with 42.1 per cent of its workforce coming from the NWT in 2022. Gahcho Kue was next at 39.4 per cent. Ekati totalled 30.2 per cent NWT workers. Entry-level positions at NWT mines are filled by 75.5 per cent NWT residents; semi-skilled positions comprise 44.7 per cent NWT workers; 22.4 per cent of skilled positions went to NWT residents; professional and management positions were occupied by 42.1 per cent NWT hires. Women made up 15.3 per cent of the NWT mining workforce in 2022 compared to the Canadian average of 16 per cent. * The NWT’s three maturing diamond mines combined employ an estimated 2,960 people. The Nechalacho rare earths mine, along with the proposed Pine Point, NICO and Prairie Creek mines, would provide work for approximately 1,090 people. * In August, Rio Tinto, owner of the Diavik diamond mine, donated $250,000 to the NWT United Way in response to severe wildfires affecting the southern NWT. The De Beers Group, majority owner of the Gahcho Kue diamond mine, committed $50,000 to the same cause. * Indigenous governments who are signatories to the NWT’s Devolution Agreement split almost $5.7 million in cash in 2022 based on resource revenue sharing. * B2Gold, which is pushing ahead with construction of the Goose gold mine in the Kitikmeot region, employed 90 Inuit project personnel as of Aug. 31, 2023. Since 2018, the project has generated $465.6 million in business expenditures with $122.7 million of that going to Kitikmeot-qualified businesses. Since 2020, $22 million in taxes has been paid to governments. * Indigenous suppliers registered with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated accounted for $600 million of Agnico Eagle’s procurement spending at the Meadowbank Complex, Meliadine Mine and Hope Bay Project in 2022. * In 2022, Agnico Eagle employed 372 Inuit at its Nunavut mine sites. The female workforce was 15 per cent. * Baffinland Iron Mines provided 233,218 hours of work to Inuit employees and contractors between Oct. 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023. That resulted in an Inuit payroll of $12 million. Another 26,457 hours were devoted to training Inuit hires during that same period. Also within that six-month time frame, $76.2 million was spent on Inuit contracts. In 2022, payments to the Qikiqtani Inuit Association amounted to $22 million while $16.3 million went to the Government of Nunavut, not including income taxes paid by employees. Almost $1.1 million was disbursed to hunters and trappers organizations. * Agnico Eagle reported net income of $507 million from its Meliadine mine and $616.5 million from the Meadowbank complex (where Amaruq ore is processed) for the first nine months of 2023. That represents a 26.2 per cent improvement in net income for Meadowbank compared to the same period for 2022 and a 1.1 per cent increase at Meliadine. The total cash cost per ounce of gold produced (on a co-product basis) was $1,180 at the Meadowbank Complex — up from $1,145 during the same nine months in 2022 — and $977 per ounce at Meliadine, which is up from $869 the year prior. The average total cash cost per ounce at Agnico Eagle’s global operations (including mines in Ontario, Quebec, Australia, Mexico and Finland) is $885.
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Updates on Mary River, Diavik and Gahcho Kue Shipping limits retained for Baffinland; diamond production figures for NWT mines By Derek Neary Northern News Services
Baffinland Iron Mines got its wish to ship up to 6.9 million tonnes of iron ore in 2023 and 2024. Written approval came from Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal on Oct. 17 after he conferred with four other federal ministers. They sided with the Nunavut Impact Review Board, which recommended that a maximum of 6.9 million tonnes be permitted. That represents a continuation of Baffinland’s increased shipping limit of six million tonnes per year — up from 4.2 million tonnes annually since 2018 — and an additional sum that Baffinland refers to as “stranded ore,” which accumulated due to shipping shortfalls and a labour disruption in past years. However, Baffinland has committed to using no more than 84 ore carriers per year. Vandal also endorsed NIRB’s recommended revisions to Baffinland’s “mitigation, adaptive management and monitoring programs.” In addition, the minister reiterated that the Government of Canada supports the request of various parties in Nunavut for a “robust” assessment of cumulative effects from the Mary River mine, 160 km southwest of Pond Inlet. “New information resulting from project monitoring and other studies occurring in the region has increased Inuit and others’ concerns about the cumulative impacts of the Mary River project as a whole,” Vandal wrote. “In consideration of these concerns, we believe there is an important opportunity to increase collective understanding of cumulative May River project impacts, along with other factors that may have changed over time, such as the impacts of climate change.”
Vandal encouraged NIRB to host a multi-party workshop to determine the parameters for a comprehensive cumulative effects assessment of the iron mine. The workshop should include Baffinland officials, representatives of designated Inuit organizations, hunters and trappers organizations, delegates from impacted communities and the territorial and federal governments, he suggested. The minister also noted ongoing concern expressed by the Qikiqtani Inuit Association relating to Baffinland’s “continued pattern” of shortterm applications with requests for expedited decisions. “Ensuring fulsome participation of Inuit is crucial to this process and future project assessments in Nunavut,” Vandal wrote. “In recognition of this, the responsible ministers encourage Baffinland, as they plan further applications, to consider the importance of engagement with community members and intervenors. It is integral impacted communities have adequate time for meaningful participation in the board’s assessment process, as envisioned in the Nunavut Agreement.” He added that the responsible federal ministers commit to consulting with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association on “process expectations” for future NIRB reconsiderations of the Mary River project. In late July, Baffinland and German steelmaker thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG (“thyssenkrupp”) announced a memorandum of understanding to use Mary River high-grade iron ore towards thyssenkrupp’s “green and low-carbon steel production.” The German company is replacing its coalbased furnaces with ones that run on hydrogen. “Baffinland’s high grade, direct shipping ores
Baffinland can ship up to 6.9 million tonnes of iron ore in 2023 and 2024 from its Mary River mine, 160 km southwest of Pond Inlet. Photo courtesy of Baffinland Iron Mines have superior chemistry and first-rate metallurgical properties and are extracted and shipped without generating wet tailings,” the announcement reads. Diavik production falls The third quarter of 2023 was not a banner one at the Diavik diamond mine, 300 km northeast of Yellowknife. The mine yielded 757,000 carats, which was a 36 per cent reduction from the third quarter of 2022 and 22 per cent shy of the carats extracted in the second quarter of 2023. Rio Tinto’s explanation for this was because of the completion of an underground pipe and an area of the open pit. Over the first nine months of 2023, Diavik produced 2.68 million carats, which was 20 per cent less than the same period in 2022. In February, Rio Tinto announced a $40 million underground project below its A21 open pit. That initiative is expected to result in 1.4 million carats with an additional phase anticipated to produce 800,000 carats. Fewer carats, rising costs for Mountain Province Mountain Province Diamonds recovered 1.33 million carats during the third quarter of 2023 at Gahcho Kue, 280 km northeast of Yellowknife.
That was nine per cent less than the third quarter of 2022. The average grade per tonne was down 15 per cent year over year, falling to 1.51 carats. The tonnage of ore mined tumbled by 34 per cent compared to a year earlier. The company, which is the minority owner of Gahcho Kue at 49 per cent compared to De Beers’ 51 per cent, sold 478,653 carats during the third quarter for total proceeds of $60.3 million. That was a major decline from the third quarter of 2022 when Mountain Province sold 805,227 carats for a total of $110.6 million. The average price per carat was $126 in Q3 of 2023 compared to $137 per carat during the same time frame the previous year. The company cited labour pressure due to wildfire evacuations and “very low levels of demand” in the diamond market globally since the August long weekend as reasons for the weakening figures. “Production is trending to the lower end of the range and production costs trending to the mid/ upper end of the range,” stated Mark Wall, Mountain Province Diamonds’ president and CEO. Mountain Province’s partner De Beers, which isn’t a publicly-traded company, does not disclose its diamond production or sales figures.
Solid numbers and charitable contributions drive Agnico Eagle’s Nunavut mines $5 million for Inunnguiniq Project bolsters local efforts By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services
Representatives gather at the Kivalliq Trade Show’s gala night late September in Rankin Inlet. From left, Sandi Vincent, member of the Ilitaqsiniq board; Ulrike Komaksiutiksak, executive director of The Arctic Rose Foundation; Judith Barry, co-founder of the Breakfast Club of Quebec; and Martin Plante, vice-president of Nunavut operations at Agnico Eagle. Photo courtesy of Agnico Eagle
An aerial shot of Agnico Eagle’s Amaruq deposit near its Meadowbank processing facility. Photo courtesy of Agnico Eagle Mines
Along with strong performance for Agnico Eagle’s Nunavut mines, the company is investing in several philanthropic causes for the communities it works with. Martin Plante, vice-president of Nunavut operations at Agnico Eagle, told NNSL Media that the Covid years were hectic, but both of the company’s Kivalliq gold mines have now returned to a more normal setting. “Our two operations are now much more mature and they’re achieving stable production figures,” said Plante. He’s also pleased with improvements in health and safety, calculated based on a reduction in the frequency of incidents per hours worked. “We’re very proud of what is happening in our two mines,” said Plante. At the 2023 Kivalliq Trade Show in Rankin Inlet, Plante was on hand to announce $5 million in charitable contributions through the Inunnguiniq Project. The project involves a partnership between Agnico Eagle and the Arctic Rose Foundation, Ilitaqsiniq and Breakfast Club of Canada, each receiving $250,000, $2.25 million and $2.5 million, respectively. “We would like to thank everyone in the communities, individuals, organizations, and partners who generously and genuinely shared their time and knowledge to help us get a better understanding of the needs and challenges that led to Inunnguiniq,” Plante stated at the time. “Your support has allowed us to build a project that, we hope, will directly and positively impact Nunavut for generations to come.” The announcement was a follow-up on a pledge that Sean Boyd, Agnico Eagle’s executive chairman of the board, made toward mine training and mental health programs in Nunavut in 2020.
Through consultations since then, including with the Kivalliq Elders Advisory Committee, the mining company created the Inunnguiniq Project, allocating resources to three areas: promotion of an active lifestyle through the support of traditional activities; food security; and support for Inuit-led non-profits that can have important and long-lasting positive impacts in their communities. The Inuktitut name of the program means “creating a whole being.” ‘Solid’ third quarter of gold production The company as a whole reported solid gold production and cost performance in its third quarter results for 2023. Payable gold production was 850,429 ounces at a production cost per ounce of $893, with total cash costs per ounce of $898 and an all-in sustaining cost of $1,210. Net income was $0.36 per share for the third quarter, and adjusted net income was $0.44 per share. Strong production in the third quarter was led by the Canadian Malartic mine in Quebec, the Kivalliq’s Meadowbank complex and the Kittila mine in Finland, offsetting lower production at the Detour Lake mine in Ontario and the Fosterville mine in Australia. Expected payable gold production in 2023 for all operations remains at approximately 3.24 to 3.44 million ounces, stated the company in a news release. “Agnico Eagle had another solid quarter with production and costs coming in as expected. The Canadian Malartic and Meadowbank complexes delivered strong results in the quarter, offsetting unscheduled mill downtime at Detour Lake and highlighting the benefit of our diverse portfolio of mines,” stated Ammar Al-Joundi, president and chief executive officer of the company, in a news release accompanying the results. “We are expecting a strong finish to the year and based on our year-to-date performance, we are well positioned to achieve our cost guidance and expect gold production to come in above the mid-point of our annual production guidance,” Al-Joundi added.
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Trust in his own abilities leads to rewarding career path for Fort Smith resident ‘If you think you can do it, you can do it. Don’t let nobody say you can’t,’ says Darcy Sinclair By Jill Westerman Northern News Services
If you think you can do a job, trust in yourself that you can do it, says the mobile maintenance superintendent at the Gahcho Kue diamond mine, located 280 km northeast of Yellowknife. “You are the only one who can set limitations on yourself. Growing up in Fort Smith, not knowing what was going on in mining and taking that step, I always had trust in my abilities and what I wanted,” says Darcy Sinclair, who offers sage advice after working for 25 years in various roles in the mining industry. “If you think you can do it, you can do it. Don’t let nobody say you can’t.” And it is that same common sense attitude that Sinclair maintains and conveys while helping apprentices and students succeed in various roles in the industry. Furthermore, he said it was his belief in his own abilities that gave him the confidence to undergo additional training and create subsequent advancement opportunities from the time he began his career. After eventually being laid off from one of his first jobs, he said it was his uncle who told him of a place called Lac de Gras and the Diavik diamond mine, which was looking to hire mechanics. A new career path “So, 25 years ago, I made that call, and within 10 days, I was sitting at Diavik Diamond Mines as a runner repair mechanic,” said Sinclair, who possesses a heavy equipment ticket. “First time I have ever seen those big trucks,” he said of the larger-than-life equipment and new working environment in which he found himself. “The first thing that was in my head was, ‘How am I going to change those tires?’ “What I also thought about at first was that I
Darcy Sinclair, right, stands with a colleague at the Gahcho Kue diamond mine as they examine the tracks of one of the PC5500 shovels undergoing annual maintenance recently. Photo supplied got scared, thinking I bit off more than I could chew, but I knew that I was skilled enough that I could handle it,” he said. “I was already an automotive mechanic red seal journeyman and I said well, I would take this on as a challenge and that is what I have been doing my whole career, and mining is challenging myself.” After gaining valuable experience at the mine, he temporarily switched gears to work as the runner repair mechanic automotive at Kingland Ford until he had another opportunity to work at Diavik, where, in 2005, he was able to enter the Aboriginal Leadership Program through the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). That path led Sinclair to becoming a service supervisor and eventually a maintenance superintendent.
Dream job opportunity It was in 2010 that Sinclair said he had the opportunity to work someplace he had always wanted to as a young mechanic. “I always wanted to work for Finning. As a young mechanic, you look at them and see the great coveralls and they pull out their laptop and you wanted to be that guy. So that was one of my dreams as a young mechanic to work with Finning,” he said. “So, I applied and I got the job as a service supervisor and it was a bit of a drop step but it was something I was prepared to take and I went underground,” he said of the job that brought him to Ekati with Finning as a contractor. Sinclair went on to attain various positions within the industry — he even took a break from mining to become the regional airport manager
in Fort Smith for a stint. But it was inevitably the challenging mining environment that drew him back into its fold and less than two years later, he started the position of mobile maintenance superintendent at the Gahcho Kue mine. “I arrived on site in 2017 and I have been here ever since — just past six years and loving every minute of it. “Throughout my career I have been taking on challenges, and I am born and raised in the NWT and worked hard to get where I am at now to prove to myself that I can do this,” Sinclair said of his quarter of a century of work experience. Helping hand Not only does he enjoy the challenge each new job brings, where safety is always paramount to him for his team, Sinclair said he also finds rewards in giving back and helping the people of the North. “I am hiring people from the North and I have over 10 to 12 or more apprentices that are on my ticket that achieved their automotive heavy duty ticket themselves. They are licensed, so I have assisted with that and currently I have two heavy duty technicians that are under my current ticket right now working towards their heavy duty technician ticket,” he said. “It is just a great position and a great role and I am so happy for the NWT diamond mines to give me this opportunity to succeed in the North,” he continued. “And they are going to be here for a while, so other people starting as wash bay attendants, labourers in the plant, or small equipment operators for the operation, the next thing you know, in five years, you can be running a shovel and be the top dog there. “Or you can start an apprenticeship and in four years, you have your ticket and nobody can take that away from you. Once you have that experience, nobody can take that from you. And that is an achievement in itself.”
Building bridges and careers through NAPEG Engineers from Northern association have assisted in numerous mining projects over decades By Jill Westerman Northern News Services
A Canada-wide initiative to increase the number of women in the underrepresented geoscience and engineer profession is gaining traction, says the president of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Association of Professional Engineers (NAPEG). “I think one of the big pushes that we’re seeing for engineering and geoscientists across Canada actually is promoting females in that industry,” Melanie Williams, president of NAPEG said. “There was a Canadian-wide initiative called 30 by 30. So, they want 30 per cent of females in the industry by 2030.” Williams indicated that approximately 350 current members are women. “NAPEG continues to grow each year with a current membership of 296 resident professionals, 2,500 non-resident members, and 630 permits to practice for firms. I am very happy to see the number of women in the engineering and geoscience field increasing.” Diverse paths Williams said many diverse paths lead from the geoscience and engineering profession. “It can go anywhere from (being) a mine manager of a huge industrial mining company, to someone who’s in the field looking at rocks… it’s such a versatile industry, engineering and geosciences.” In the North, Williams said membership is solid overall, with new licensees registering on a regular basis. “So, we are doing quite well. Our membership is pretty strong,” she said. Long history According to the NAPEG website, a group of engineers and geologists formed the Society of Professional Engineers of the Northwest Territories in 1969, leading to legislation in 1979 that established the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists
NAPEG president Melanie Williams presents the 2023 Engineering Award of Merit to WSP Canada Inc., with Ian Moran, EIT, accepting the honour. Photo supplied
and Geophysicists of the Northwest Territories (NAPEGG). When Nunavut was designated a territory in 1999, NAPEGG was given authority to expand to include the authority to regulate engineering, geology and geophysics there. Today, NAPEG continues its goal “to protect the public by ensuring that all registrants meet high standards of competence, learning and professional ethical conduct” in the practices of professional engineering, geoscience and applied science technology. A notable achievement for the association came in October of this year with the passing of Bill 93 - Practice of Engineering Geoscience and Applied Science Technology Act. This new legislation replaced and repealed the former Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act. “The new act will require significant work drafting bylaws and new policies over the next year or two. This will concentrate on the new legislated requirements for continuing professional development, the publishing of the disciplinary findings and the new ability to issue limited licences for engineers and geoscientists, along with the registration of engineering and geoscience applied science technologists,” Williams stated. Ongoing projects In 2001, to connect with students and to highlight the type of work they do, NAPEG held its first annual bridge building contest. Bridge building kits were sent to every school in the NWT and Nunavut and once built by the students, there were sent back to NAPEG to be tested for their strength and design, Williams noted. Also each year, NAPEG presents 11 awards at a banquet recognizing outstanding engineering and geoscience projects. “It is truly great to recognize projects designed with innovative solutions for challenges you only see in the North,” Williams stated. “Engineers and geoscientists in other parts of Canada do not have to deal with the fun part of doing work in the North, such as working in remote locations or permafrost.”
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In pursuit of metals and minerals Exploration projects abound in NWT and Nunavut By Derek Neary Northern News Services
The 2023 field season was rewarding for some metal and mineral exploration companies, but the extensive wildfires in the Northwest Territories forced the postponement of other planned prospecting and drilling activities. The summaries below are for companies that released news this year. There are numerous other projects in the NWT and Nunavut that didn’t advance over the past several months. NUNAVUT Project: Chidliak Owner: De Beers Resource: Diamonds Location: Hall Peninsula, 120 km northeast of Iqaluit Status: Chidliak is working its way through the regulatory system. De Beers is proposing to use a “FutureSmart Mining approach for the development and operation of the proposed mine, allowing for kimberlite pipes to be mined using traditional and remote mining techniques and mobile camps to reduce potential environmental impacts. De Beers expects the proposed project to begin in March 2028 and for decommissioning to be completed by December 2051.” Up to 35 kimberlite pipes will be mined through open pits and underground. Project: Back River Owner: B2Gold Resource: Gold Location: 364 km southwest of Cambridge Bay Status: The Goose mine remains on schedule for its first gold pour during the first quarter of 2025, according to a Sept. 18 update from B2Gold. The company says mine construction expenses are still estimated at $800 million, with an additional $90 million designated for accelerating
underground development. That acceleration is expected to yield more than 300,000 ounces of gold annually during the first five years of production. B2Gold imported 24 million litres of diesel fuel for use during the 2024 construction season. Project: Storm/Seal Owner: Aston Bay Holdings Resource: Copper, zinc, silver Location: 120 km south of Resolute Bay Status: American West Metals Limited, which is operating the property, turned up numerous high-grade intersections during a productive summer drilling season at the Lightning Ridge prospect, including 7.6 per cent copper over 1.5 metres from a depth of 77.7 metres and 2.3 per cent copper over 15.2 metres at a depth of 30.5 metres, Aston Bay Holdings announced on Oct. 11. “The prospective structures that host the highgrade copper mineralization newly discovered at the Thunder and Lightning Ridge prospects extend laterally for more than 10 km and remain largely untested by drilling,” the company stated. “The successful exploration and resource definition drilling of the near-surface copper mineralization, together with regional targets within a dominant landholding of more than 2,200 sq km, underscore the camp-scale copper mining opportunity emerging at Storm.” Project: Angilak Owner: Latitude Uranium Resource: Uranium Location: 350 km west of Rankin Inlet Status: Labrador Uranium changed its name to Latitude Uranium in June. In September, the company announced the completion of its phase two drilling program, consisting of three holes and 889 metres. That followed on the heels of phase one and its 4,776 metres over 15 holes. Phase two highlights included the discovery
Aston Bay Holdings CEO Thomas Ullrich gives a tour of the Storm copper project to Resolute Bay hamlet councillors, from left, Mark Amarualik, Tabitha Mullin, Susan Salluviniq and Jazlin Salluviniq. Photo courtesy of Aston Bay Holdings of two new wide intercepts of 41 metres and 21 metres with radioactivity up to 6,200 counts per second below historical drilling. Hole 18 intersected a similar interval of close to 200 metres of intermittent uranium-bearing structures up to 8,000 counts per second. Assays were expected in November. Latitude is planning a follow-up drill program for 2024. Project: Ferguson Lake Owner: Canadian North Resources Inc. Resource: Nickel, copper, cobalt and platinum group metals Location: 250 km west of Rankin Inlet Status: With results from 39,270 metres of drilling over 145 holes into September 2023, Canadian North Resources Inc. is working on updating its NI43-101 mineral resources estimate for the Ferguson Lake project. “We expect the results of the remodeling will continue to demonstrate the Ferguson Lake Proj-
ect has tremendous potential for containing a significant nickel, copper, cobalt, palladium and platinum mineral deposit in North America,” said Kaihui Yang, the company’s president and CEO. The original NI43-101 compliant mineral resources estimate, including indicated mineral resources, showed 24.3 million tonnes containing 455 million pounds of copper at 0.85 per cent, 321 million pounds of nickel at 0.6 per cent, 37.5 million pounds of cobalt at 0.07 per cent, 1.08 million ounces of palladium at 1.38 grams per tonne and 0.18 million ounces of platinum at 0.23 grams per tonne; inferred mineral resources of 47.2 million tonnes containing 947 million pounds of copper at 0.91 per cent, 551.5 million pounds of nickel at 0.53 per cent, 62.4 million pounds of cobalt at 0.06 per cent, 2.12 million ounces of palladium at 1.4 grams per tonne and 0.38 million ounces of platinum at 0.25 grams per tonne. Continued on Page 13
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Geologists Rachel Milligan and Byron Yeung in the core shack at Aston Bay Holdings’ Storm copper project, 120 km south of Resolute Bay. Photo courtesy of Aston Bay Holdings From Page 12 Project: Ulu, Hood River, Roma Owner: Blue Star Gold Corp. Resource: Gold Location: 125 km west of Bathurst Inlet Status: Blue Star Gold carried out ground-based geophysical surveys, ground-truthing pipeline targets, mapping, lithogeochemical sampling, and prospecting at its Ulu property in 2023 in preparation for a 2024 drill program. The Auma prospect returned 47.6 grams of gold per tonne from a sample with visible gold, the company reported. It also discovered the Mikigon prospect, a structure covering more than 500 metres with a surface sample of 47.1 grams of gold per tonne. “The discovery of the Mikigon prospect this year, and the high sample grades returned from numerous other areas highlight the exceptional new discovery potential at the company’s projects,” said Blue Star CEO Grant Ewing. Project: North Thelon Owner: Forum Energy Metals Corp. Resource: Uranium Location: 100 km west of Baker Lake Status: Assay results from the company’s 2023 summer drill program at the Tatiggaq zone revealed continuity of high-grade uranium mineralization along a 250-metre trend with intercepts of 2.25 per cent triuranium octaoxide (U308, a compound of uranium) over 11.1 metres, 0.4 per cent over 12.8 metres and 1.01 per cent over 6.2 metres. “Our interpretation from this summer’s drill program at Tatiggaq is that each hole intersected near vertical, high-grade lenses of uranium ranging from 18 metres to 24 metres in width over a length of 250 metres,” said Rebecca Hunter, Forum’s vice-president of exploration. “In total, this near surface, structurally controlled deposit is a minimum of 50 metres wide and we have over one kilometre of the anomaly to drill test. In addition, there are multiple sub-parallel trends within the Tatiggaq anomaly that have intersected
extreme clay alteration and uranium values up to 900 ppm, suggesting that additional mineralization could be present. I am very excited to drill this target in 2024 and build on this exceptional discovery.” Projects: Turner Lake, McGregor Lake, Gela Lake, McAvoy Lake, Speers Lake Owner: Bathurst Metals Resources: Gold, silver, copper, nickel, platinum, palladium Location: Field crews spent three weeks working on the company’s Nunavut properties in 2023, Bathurst Metals stated in an Aug. 21 letter to shareholders that was signed by CEO Harold Forzley. Geologists performed detailed mapping and rock sampling while technical crews conducted soil sampling surveys. “This summers’ successful field programs will further the technical understanding of our properties and will improve our focus on maximizing successful exploration activities and shareholder return,” Forzley stated. In March, SPC Nickel announced it entered into an option agreement with Bathurst Metals for the potential to earn 100 per cent interest in the McGregor Lake and Speers Lake sites with an aim of controlling 650 square km of the Muskox intrusion and its nickel, copper and platinum prospects. Project: Bathurst Inlet lithium Owner: North Arrow Minerals Resource: Lithium Location: 80 southwest of the Doris gold mine Status: North Arrow acquired 100 per cent interest in a Bathurst Inlet lithium property in late February. The site, formerly held by Panarc Resources, is within nine kilometres of tidewater and 12 km from Sabina (now B2Gold’s) port. “With the help of recent satellite imagery, we’ve been able to prioritize target areas for follow up detailed mapping and prospecting for lithium mineralization in early summer 2023,” said Ken Armstrong, President and CEO of North
Arrow. NWT Project: Colomac Gold Owner: Nighthawk Gold Corp. Resource: Gold Location: 200 km north of Yellowknife Nighthawk Gold Corp. announced its first Environmental, Social and Governance Report on Oct. 23. “We have a duty to protect the environment surrounding the Colomac Gold Project, collaborate with the Tlicho Nation and other Aboriginal neighbours, and ensure that our organization continues to be diverse and empowered,” said Nighthawk president and CEO Keyvan Salehi. In September, Nighthawk revealed that drill results from its 24/27 deposit, located two kilometres northeast of the Colomac Main Deposit,
turned up 16.14 ounces of gold per tonne over 0.5 metres and 10.22 ounces of gold per tonne over 0.4 metres. Salehi described these as “excellent results” that would make the 24/27 deposit a priority for future drill programs. Project: Yellowknife City Gold Owner: Gold Terra Resource: Gold Location: 10 km northeast of Yellowknife Status: Drill hole GTCM23-055 intersected the upper portion of the high-grade gold-bearing Campbell Shear at a downhole depth of 2,080 metres from surface to test for gold mineralization below the Con Mine underground workings on the Con Mine option property, Gold Terra announced on Oct. 16. Drilling was to continue at the time. Continued on Page 14
NATURE’S TREASURES
Tiny berries and diamonds are treasures of nature. As the world’s leading diamond company, and in partnership with the communities where we operate, it is our responsibility to protect the natural world and improve the lives of people along a diamond’s journey. This is why ‘Building Forever’ is at the heart of everything we do, from exploration, through operations and closure. This is where Li-FT has been actively looking for lithium, 60 km east of the NWT capital. Drill results were still coming in from the Yellowknife lithium project as of late October. Photo courtesy of Li-FT
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A geologist at work at a Bathurst Metals Corp property in Nunavut this past summer. The company has been exploring for gold, silver, copper, nickel, platinum and palladium. Photo courtesy of Bathurst Metals Corp.
From “ Page 13 A long-awaited moment for all Gold Terra shareholders to intersect the beginning of the prolific Campbell Shear below the former Con Mine underground workings and approximately 250 metres away from existing infrastructure and the Robertson shaft,” said chairman and CEO Gerald Panneton. “The presence of alteration and veining in the core at the start of the Campbell Shear intersection in hole GTCM23-055 confirms the potential to delineate additional ounces beneath the former Con Mine. Once this hole is completed some 50-100 metres past the Campbell shear, additional wedge holes will allow us to further evaluate the Campbell Shear structure.” Con mine historically produced 5.1 million ounces of gold at an average grade of 16 grams of gold per tonne. Project: Pine Point Owner: Osisko Metals Resource: Lead, zinc Location: 42 km east of Hay River Status: Osisko’s 2023 drill program “met expectations when compared to previous drilling and the continuity between the M67 and L65 deposits has been confirmed and is welcomed news,” according to Robert Wares, CEO and chairman of the board, said on Oct. 12. “This new data will be incorporated into the mineral resource update planned for later this year. We also look forward to launching the feasibility study in the new year.” In a Sept. 5 news release, Wares stated, “We are also happy to report our progress towards permitting initiatives and potential construction of a mine at Pine Point with our JV partners Appian Capital Advisory LLP. Meetings with local communities and regulators are ongoing to keep everyone up to date regarding the permitting process as we advance the Pine Point Project.” The Pine Point mine could produce 329 million pounds of zinc and 141 million pounds of lead per year over its 12-year mine
life, according to an updated preliminary economic assessment (PEA) that Osisko Metals released in 2022. The estimated cost to build the mine is $653.3 million, while the overall gross revenue from the project is pegged at $5.6 billion, after royalties. Projects: DeStaffany, LDG and MacKay Owner: North Arrow Minerals Resource: Lithium Location: Approximately 115 km east of Yellowknife, on the shore of Great Slave Lake; within 5 km of the winter road infrastructure connecting Yellowknife with the Lac de Gras region; and 15 km south of Lac de Gras, north of McKay Lake, respectively Status: North Arrow Minerals is among numerous companies that are part of a rush to find viable NWT lithium deposits, which is a critical metal used in making rechargeable batteries. New spodumene mineralized pegmatites were found at North Arrow’s LDG and MacKay lithium projects, an Oct. 12 news release stated. “Recent exploration of North Arrow’s LDG and MacKay lithium projects has resulted in the discovery of new spodumene mineralization at both properties and increased our confidence in the size potential of this new spodumene-bearing lithium pegmatite field,” said Ken Armstrong, the company’s president and CEO. “Ground magnetic, high-resolution drone imagery and bedrock mapping surveys will significantly aid in ongoing interpretation and modelling of priority pegmatites, including planning for exploration drilling in 2024.” In August, assay results from channel samples at North Arrow’s DeStaffany lithium property included 1.81 per cent Li2O over four metres and 1.42 per cent Li2O over four metres from channels MS1-1 and MS1-2, respectively. Project: Yellowknife Lithium Owner: Li-FT Resource: Lithium
Northern lights dance above the Angilak Project’s Nutaaq camp, approximately 350 km west of Rankin Inlet. Photo courtesy of Latitude Uranium Inc. Location: 60 km east of Yellowknife Status: Assays from five drill holes at the Big East and Shorty pegmatites intersected significant intervals of spodumene mineralization the company announced on Oct. 24. Highlights included 1.79 per cent Li2O over 18 metres and 1.58 per cent Li2O over seven metres. Francis MacDonald, CEO of Li-FT, said, “Big East has delivered the highest grade intersects from across the project to date in hole YLP0092 across excellent width. Our expectations from Big East in terms of grades and widths continue to be exceeded.” Project: Yellowknife Lithium Owner: Gold Terra Resource Corp. Resource: Lithium Location: East/northeast of Yellowknife Status: Midas Minerals can earn up to 80 per cent of the 718-square-km Yellowknife lithium project, which it has optioned from Gold Terra Resource Corp. In August, Midas announced results from 147 assays with approximately two-thirds showing “strong fractionation of pegmatites,” including 4.65 per cent Li2O and 4.12 per cent Li2O. Seeking further upside, Midas announced in October that it staked 15 claims totalling 157-square-km, known as the Reid-Aylmer Lithium Project, 180-300 km northeast of its Yellowknife lithium project. Project: Hidden Lake Owner: Loyal Lithium/Patriot Battery Metals Resource: Lithium Location: 45 km east of Yellowknife Status: Loyal Lithium took a 60 per cent stake in Hidden Lake, the company revealed on April 12. Patriot Battery Metals and Far Resources hold 40 per cent ownership in the project. Continued on Page 15
Scores of exploration sites in the NWT and Nunavut were advanced through field work in 2023, but others lagged because of the extreme wildfire season that plagued the southern NWT. Photo courtesy of Bathurst Metals Corp.
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A plane is unloaded in July at North Arrow Minerals’ LDG lithium exploration site, which is less than five kilometres from of the winter road infrastructure connecting Yellowknife with the Lac de Gras region. Photo courtesy of North Arrow Minerals
Samples are taken from a channel at North Arrow Minerals’ new MK3 discovery at the company’s MacKay lithium project, near MacKay Lake in the NWT. Photo courtesy of North Arrow Minerals
From “ Page 14 The acquisition includes a 2,500-hectare land position across six contiguous claims containing 14 mapped lithium spodumene bearing pegmatite outcrops, with four drill tested spanning a cumulative strike length of 2,250 metres,” Loyal Lithium stated. In an Oct. 19 update, the company stated that its summer field program assay results extended the cumulative pegmatite surface mineralization by approximately 1,000 metres to 3,250 metres - a 44 per cent increase. As well, samples from the property contained up to 3.31 per cent lithium oxide. Project: Bliss Lake Owner: ION Energy Location: 30 km east of Yellowknife Resource: Lithium Status: ION Energy gained a foothold in the NWT’s lithium race by acquiring the 5,798-hectare Bliss Lake property in May. Numerous lithium bearing pegmatites in the area have been identified and sampled over one per cent Li2O, according to the company. In August, ION Energy took over the Little Nahanni claims, which encompass 900 hectares near the NWT/Yukon border, 39 km northwest of the Canada Tungsten mine. “The company believes the Little Nahanni claims are underexplored for lithium and represent opportunity for lithium discovery and positive partnerships with regional stakeholders, and will complement ION’s current lithium exploration activities in Northwest Territories,” ION Energy stated in August. Project: Muskox Owner: Gama Explorations Resource: Lithium Location: 40 km east of Yellowknife Status: Wildfires postponed some of Gama Explorations’ planned exploration activities but the company managed to complete LiDAR and orthophoto survey by flying over the property in August. “The company intends to re-commence work on the Muskox project as soon as conditions become favourable,” Game Explorations stated. The Muskox property spans 50 square km in the centre of the Yellowknife Pegmatite Province. Project: Mon Owner: Sixty North Gold Mining Resource: Gold Location: 40 km north of Yellowknife Status: Planned underground activities were scuttled by wildfires over the summer, as one of the blazes reached the Mon property. “Crews were on standby until late June when it became apparent that wildfires were rapidly approaching the mine site. The ZF012-23 wildfire swept through the property in August,” Sixty North Gold Mining sated on Oct. 3. “Fortunately, all mining equipment, plus shops, generators, compressors, fuel tanks and explosives magazines survived untouched. However, the camp and some ancillary pieces of equipment were damaged. In September 2023 Dave Webb, CEO, and an insurance adjuster visited the site to appraise the damage, documenting items for replacement and matching these against our policy. “We are now preparing for a temporary camp to be installed to allow for a clean-up using our mine truck, loaders and bulldozer, and to prepare the camp site for replacement units to come in. We have examined and received proposals for five
commented Orogen CEO Paddy Nicol. “We are also encouraged by Rackla’s efforts in the capital markets to secure funding for additional work at Astro in 2024.” Project: O’Connor Lake Resource: Zinc Owner: Slave Lake Zinc Corp. Location: 185 km west of Yellowknife Status: Slave Lake Zinc acknowledged the bind that southern NWT wildfires created in the latter half of August, not only for the O’Connor Lake project but for all involved in combatting the crisis. “As much as we want to get on the ground and advance our project, we support and sympathize with the efforts to contain the devastation that our friends are subjected to in the communities that we are associated with in the South Slave,” the company stated on Aug. 21. “Hay River, Fort Smith and Yellowknife are integral to our partners and our ongoing advancement of our mutually beneficial project to combat the obvious climate change challenges that we all face,” Slave Lake Zinc added. “Our focus is
different camp alternatives and have provided this information to the insurance adjuster. We are planning to use our temporary camp once the clean-up is complete for subsequent work until a replacement camp is brought in,” the company stated. A diamond drill program is being planned. Project: Gayna and Mactung Owner: Fireweed Metals Corp. Resource: Zinc, lead, silver, gallium, germanium, tungsten Location: Mackenzie Mountains, within the Gwich’in and Sahtu settlement areas Status: Fireweed Metals announced completion of a geophysical survey at its Gayna project in October. A gravity survey aimed to identify new anomalies and refine known anomalies for drill testing in the future. “We are very excited to continue work on Gayna; the new interpretations of historical data combined with our geophysical and geochemical surveys show that the project has significant potential to host a similar style of mineralization to the world-class Kipushi deposit (in the Congo),” said CEO Brandon Macdonald. “With recent surface samples showing high-grade zinc and lead, the 2023 survey work will allow higher resolution definition of targets in preparation for future drill testing.” In late July, Fireweed Metals declared its Mactung deposit as the world’s largest high-grade tungsten deposit. Mineral resources amount to 41.5 million tonnes of indicated resource at 0.73 per cent tungsten trioxide and 12.2 million tonnes of inferred resource at .59 per cent tungsten trioxide. “We are continuing to advance the Mactung project towards development and this worldclass resource will be the foundation for detailed engineering studies of this unique critical mineral project,” Macdonald said. Project: NICO Owner: Fortune Minerals Resource: Gold, bismuth, cobalt, copper Location: 50 km northeast of Whati Status: In late July, Fortune Minerals announced that it once again negotiated an extension to the option to purchase JFSL Field Services’ brownfield industrial site in Lamont County, Alta., for $5.5 million. In the meantime, the company is paying $15,000 monthly to keep the door open to a possible real estate deal. The former steel fabrication plant on JFSL’s property is located on 77 acres outside of Edmonton. Fortune plans to construct a hydrometallurgical refinery at the Alberta site to process concentrates from its NICO cobalt-gold-bismuth-copper deposit. Project: Astro Owner: Orogen Royalties Resource: Gold Location: Along the Canol Road, near the Yukon border Status: Rackla Metals, the operator of the property, executed 3,039 metres of drilling over 17 holes at the 288-square km Astro complex over the summer. On Oct. 10, Orogen announced that Rackla Metals exercised its option on the Astro gold project. “Rackla’s team have been busy over the past year and invested over $1.9 million in drilling and exploration on the Astro property, with a focus on reduced intrusion-related gold systems,”
the development of a sustainable project that benefits all our partners and creates sustainable, environmentally-friendly advances in climate friendly materials that will make all of our efforts more fulfilling and sustainable for the future — for our children and their children in kind. It has never been more apparent, I believe, to everyone how important projects like ours are if we are to combat the scourge of climate change and protect the planet going forward.” Project: Prairie Creek Owner: NorZinc Resource: Zinc, lead, silver Location: 90 km northwest of Nahanni Butte Status: NorZinc completed construction of the first phase of its all-season access road to the Prairie Creek mine, the company announced on April 20. The full route runs 170 km from Highway 7 and will “ultimately consist of a five-metre wide, single lane road to support the resupply of the Prairie Creek Mine and for concentrate transportation,” the company stated. Last December, an entity known as RCF VI CAD LLC acquired NorZinc.
Captivating fall colours set the backdrop at the Nutaaq camp on Latitude Uranium’s Angilak uranium property prior to the drilling season concluding in 2023. Photo courtesy of Latitude Uranium Inc.
A helicopter with drill core from a Bathurst Metals Corp. exploration site in Nunavut during the summer of 2023. Photo courtesy of Bathurst Metals Corp.
16 Monday, November 13, 2023
NWT News North
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