Mount Polley to Continue Constructing TSF Raise

Courtesy of Imperial Metals:

Imperial Metals Corporation (the “Company” or “Imperial”) (TSX:III) announces that the Supreme Court of British Columbia today has dismissed the application of the Xatśūll First Nation (“Xatśūll“) for an injunction and judicial review of two provincial approvals authorizing construction of a four-metre lift on the tailings storage facility (“TSF”) at the Mount Polley Mine (“Mount Polley”).

The Court found the decisions of the two provincial authorities allowing Mount Polley to construct the TSF lift were reasonable and were made fairly, and that the Government sufficiently consulted with the Xatśūll before making those decisions. The Court’s decision cited the extensive consultation record and actions taken in support of Xatśūll’s review of the approvals.  

Imperial and Mount Polley are committed to transparent engagement with Indigenous communities and environmental responsibility. Maintaining a meaningful relationship with Xatśūll and Williams Lake First Nation is important to the Company, including supporting sustainable development through meaningful dialogue.

Mount Polley Mine employs over 390 employees, making it a significant economic driver in the region.

Although the mine can continue to construct the TSF raise and may now deposit tailings that rely on that raise, without receipt of our pending Mines permit amendment which allows Mount Polley to continue to mine, the mine may again be put in jeopardy of significantly revising operational plans or ceasing operation if the Mines permit amendment process is not expedited.

“We support and hold up the Court’s decision to dismiss the petition,” said Kukpi7 (Chief) Willie Sellars of the Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN). "Mount Polley is a vital part of our regional economy, offering stable jobs and contributing to programs that benefit both WLFN members and the wider community. This outcome brings certainty for our region and local businesses, and we look forward to the province continuing to support the mine’s operations through timely permit approvals."

“There are significant challenges facing project advancement in British Columbia today. Well-considered decisions made by expert regulatory authorities following extensive consultations are frequently contested, at great expense, increasing risk to projects through permitting delays and causing uncertainty for operators and their employees and contractors. We hope that today’s decision helps to reduce this risk and uncertainty, especially for our workforce and their families. In the meantime, we will continue to follow regulatory processes and respectfully engage with Williams Lake First Nation and Xatśūll First Nation, as we have in the past,” said Brian Kynoch, President of Imperial.

Mineral Exploration for Central Interior Copper-Gold Deposits Boosted with New Maps

Courtesy of Geoscience BC:

Six sets of three maps from Geoscience BC can be used by industry, governments, communities and Indigenous groups to ‘see through’ glacial sediments and better understand mineral exploration potential between Prince George and Quesnel, British Columbia. They cover the map sheets 093A/13; and 093G/01, 07, 09, 10, 16.

The surficial geology, drift thickness and till sampling suitability maps for six new areas, are part of the Central Interior Copper-Gold Research (CICGR) series’ Surficial Exploration Project. The Surficial Exploration Project is generating new maps, reports and data to help trace geochemical anomalies back to their bedrock source between Quesnel and Mackenzie.

The new maps are an essential part of the Surficial Exploration Project. They inform the collection and interpretation of new geochemical and mineralogical data from glacial deposits to improve understanding of the rocks below. Initial reanalysis results and map sheets for the northern part of the project were published in 2021, and final research results and reports are expected to be available later in 2022.

Geoscience BC Vice President, Minerals, Christa Pellett said: "The Central Interior Copper-Gold Research projects play a vital role focusing mineral exploration in BC. The new maps are central to this research and will support the CICGR goal to improve understanding of surficial geology of central British Columbia."

CICGR is a major multi-year Geoscience BC series of collaborative minerals earth science projects between Quesnel and Mackenzie. It is designed to highlight potential mineral deposits buried under glacial deposits in order to focus mineral exploration, attract investment and assist more informed natural resource decisions.

The CICGR program also includes the Identification of New Porphyry Potential Under Cover in Central British Columbia project. Results from that project were published in January 2022.

Upcoming Events: Kamloops Exploration Group and online community open house

There will be a technical talk on the research from project researcher Dave Sacco of Palmer at the Kamloops Exploration Group (KEG) conference on April 13, 2022. A PDF of the presentation from the in-person conference will then be available on the Geoscience BC website. 

Geoscience BC will also host a non-technical community open house webinar on April 21 at 12:00 PM Pacific to provide an update on the CICGR series. Register for the webinar here: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85977729106?pwd=WWJONGpzVGtjYVZLSkRkVWZJZ2RUdz09

About Geoscience BC

Geoscience BC generates independent, public geoscience research and data about British Columbia’s minerals, energy and water resources. This advances knowledge, informs responsible development, encourages investment and stimulates innovation.

Our collaboration with the resource sectors, academia, communities, Indigenous groups and government develops and shares unbiased and credible earth science research and data.

Geoscience BC is a not for profit society incorporated under the BC Societies Act.

Visit www.geosciencebc.com or follow us @GeoscienceBC on Twitter to find out more

New GeoScience BC Research Identifies Potential Mineral Targets in Central British Columbia

Courtesy of Geoscience BC:

Editor's Note -- YouTube presentation here

New research from Geoscience BC and the University of British Columbia’s Mineral Deposit Research Unit (MDRU) identifies potential copper-gold porphyry host rocks hidden beneath glacial overburden in British Columbia’s Central Interior.

Published at the AME Roundup 2022 conference today, the report and models from the Identification of New Porphyry Potential Under Cover in Central British Columbia project forms part of Geoscience BC’s Central Interior Copper Gold Research (CICGR) series. The project covers an area between the Mount Polley (Quesnel), Gibraltar (Williams Lake) and Mount Milligan (Mackenzie) mines, which includes part of a belt of rocks known to geologists as the Quesnel terrane. The other part of the CICGR series, the Surficial Exploration Project, is generating new surficial maps, reanalyzing archived till samples and conducting new till geochemical and mineralogical surveys.

Dianne Mitchinson, Research Associate at MDRU and Dave Sacco, Surficial Exploration Manager at Palmer, will provide updates on their CICGR projects at AME Roundup on Tuesday, February 1st at 9:00 am as part of the Additions to the Geoscience Toolbox technical session.

Geoscience BC Vice President, Minerals Christa Pellett said: “Geoscience BC’s Central Interior Copper Gold Research projects are providing valuable data that focus and encourage mineral exploration and investment for metals like copper, which play an important role in meeting demands resulting from a transition to a net zero emissions economy.”

Dianne Mitchinson, Mineral Deposit Research Unit said: “These models and targets are the result of careful integration of public geological knowledge and geophysical data from central British Columbia. We hope that the work will spur exploration activity within this prospective part of B.C., and that it will provide useful guidance for explorers to make decisions with more confidence.”

In central BC, sediments deposited by receding glaciers (“overburden”) obscure rocks of the Quesnel terrane. As the Quesnel terrane is known to host significant mineral occurrences elsewhere in the province, it is believed that undiscovered mineral deposits may lie beneath this overburden.

The project built an overburden thickness model and, through geophysical characterization and modelling, identified potential copper-gold porphyry host rocks. Geophysical modelling that sees ‘through’ the overburden can help to increase the efficiency and focus of mineral exploration, while reducing costs. The public information from this project can also be used by communities, Indigenous groups, governments and others.

The public information from this project has been shared with communities and Indigenous groups in the project area. Geoscience BC encourages anyone planning mineral exploration work to first contact local Indigenous communities.

Accessing Data
Information about the Identification of New Porphyry Potential Under Cover in Central British Columbia project is available from the Geoscience BC Booth at the AME Roundup 2022 conference (booth #312), from the Geoscience BC project pages and the Mineral Deposit Research Unit website.

View project page          View project in Earth Science Viewer

About Geoscience BC
Geoscience BC generates independent, public geoscience research and data about British Columbia’s minerals, energy and water resources. This advances knowledge, informs responsible development, encourages investment and stimulates innovation.

Our collaboration with the resource sectors, academia, communities, Indigenous groups and government develops and shares unbiased and credible earth science research and data.

Geoscience BC is a not for profit society incorporated under the BC Societies Act.

Visit www.geosciencebc.com or follow us @GeoscienceBC to find out more.

For more information, please contact:
Richard Truman
Geoscience BC
604-662-4147/778-929-1662
truman@geosciencebc.com

Barkerville Gold Mines consults Xat'sull on new Mine Proposal

 Courtesy of Xat'sull First Nation (Soda Creek Indian Band):

On August 26, Barkerville Gold Mines (BGM) Ltd visited The Soda Creek Indian Band (Xat'sull First Nation) for a community meeting and discussion. We did a question and answer with them afterwards for those community members who were unable to attend: 

1) What is Barkerville Gold Mines proposing and where will the Project take place? 

BGM is proposing the development and operation of the Cariboo Gold Project (the Project), which includes: The Cariboo Gold Mine, an underground mine producing an average of 4,750 tonnes per day of ore located in the District of Wells, including underground crushing, a surface concentrator and paste backfill plant, a waste rock storage facility, access roads, and associated mine infrastructure; BGM’s existing Quesnel River Mill (QR Mill) and associated infrastructure and construction of a new dry stack tailings storage facility; Supporting Transportation Routes: Transportation of ore between the Mine Site and QR Mill along 56 kilometres (km) of Highway 26 and 59 km of the 500 Nyland Lake Forest Service Road, a forest service road maintained by West Fraser Mills Ltd; Transportation of workers and goods to Wells from Quesnel along Highway 26; Transportation of workers and goods to QR Mill from Quesnel along Highway 26 and the 500 Nyland Lake Road, and along the Quesnel Hydraulic Road to the 2700 Road and the 500 Nyland Lake Road; and Transmission Line: a new 69 kV transmission line, approximately 72 km in length, that follows a corridor along forest service roads north of Highway 26 from the Barlow Substation near Quesnel to the Mine Site near Wells. 

2) What will happen to any waste products? 

Depending on the type of waste, it will be directed into the appropriate waste program for its disposal. For example, hazardous waste is safely contained on site until an external contractor, specializing in waste removal, can take it for disposal at a certified facility. 

3) What is the timeline for the project? 

The Project entered the Environmental Assessment process in May 2020. The Early Engagement Phase completed on September 1, 2020, and BGM is currently working to finalize the Detailed Project Description for submission in Fall 2020. The current timeline projects that the Environmental Assessment Certificate will be issued in July 2022 with permitting and construction to follow in early 2023. 

4) What will happen to the project after the mining is done? 

Once the project is complete, BGM will reclaim all sites and remove all associated infrastructure. The reclamation and closure plan will be developed as the Project progress through the Environmental Assessment and will take into account input received from Indigenous nations, local communities and technical advisors. 

5) What assurances are there in place to make sure the project is safe and will be cleaned up? 

BGM is committed to operating a safe and environmentally progressive mine that uses previously disturbed sites where possible. BGM also completes progressive reclamation and cleans up as they go. In addition, in order to receive a Mines Act permit from the Chief Inspector of Mines, BGM (along with all other mining companies in the province) must submit a reclamation and closure plan and cost estimate that will inform the amount of security bonding to be put in place. This bond is held in trust by the province until such time the Chief Inspector of Mines deems the property reclaimed. Currently, the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources holds over $17M in bonding for BGM properties. 

6) How will Xat’sull members benefit? 

BGM is committed to providing training and employment opportunities to all of our Indigenous nations partners. BGM will work with Xat’sull to develop training programs that will benefit those community members looking to join the mining team. In addition, joint venture and contracting opportunities will be available throughout project construction and operation. 

7) Anything else you think Xat’sull members should know? 

BGM is committed to a long term ongoing, meaningful, collaborative relationship with Xat’sull. BGM is also committed to the environment, cleaning up legacy mining sites and leaving the environment better than we found it.