Underground development at N.W.T.'s Ekati mine needs Tłı̨chǫ gov't sign-off, says regulatory board
CBC
If the company that owns the Ekati diamond mine in the N.W.T. wants to proceed with an underground mining project, it has to get sign-off first from the Tłı̨chǫ government, a regulatory board has ruled.
Just north of Ekati's main camp — and 300 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife, give or take — there's already an open pit to access kimberlite, called the Sable open pit. An underground development would aim to pull out more of that diamond-containing rock.
On April 24, the Wek'èezhìı Land and Water Board deemed the proposed Sable underground development a "major mining project" and thus bound by requirements under the Tłı̨chǫ Agreement.
The definition applies to projects with capital costs of more than $50 million that will employ at least 50 people annually for the first five years.
The board decision means the Arctic Canadian Diamond Company, which owns Ekati under parent company Burgundy Diamond Mines, and the Tłı̨chǫ Government have to either negotiate an agreement or decide together that an agreement isn't needed, by May 29.
The mine's owners could also dispute the board's classification and back that up with evidence, which would need to be done before May 1.
With two of its three other kimberlite sources ending in the next couple years, the company "risks the financial viability and sustainability of the business" without the underground project, Burgundy wrote to the board on April 16.
"An interruption in diamond production at Ekati Mine resulting in temporary mine closure and furlough of employees would be very difficult from a business perspective," the company stated.
"Equally as important, it would cause hardship for northern employees and would be a potentially fatal business risk due to the loss of cashflow and costs associated with restarting operations."
Burgundy had applied for two land use permits and changes to its water licence in order to proceed with the project. The board has also ordered a routine public hearing on the land use permits.
In documents filed to the board, Burgundy described the development as a necessary one in order to secure Ekati's future.
Burgundy describes it as a critical project that would help extend the operating life of Ekati. It has to be done through underground mining, the company said, because other approaches — including underwater remote mining once pitched as the future of the mine — have "fatal flaws."
Burgundy wants to start developing the underground project this year, and start extracting ore by 2026. It would need to build an entrance, ramp and ventilation in the early stage of development, and once in operation, would haul out half a million tonnes of kimberlite ore in 2026, followed by 1.6 million tonnes annually for the next four years.
It said the project could be developed with little environmental impact.
City administration is recommending Edmonton city council backtrack on some aspects of its approach to infill and cap mid-block developments at six units instead of eight.
A longtime friend has identified the victim of a suspicious death earlier this month in Saanich, B.C., as a victim of intimate partner violence.
Toronto will provide an additional $2.6 million in funding for its rent bank this year to help residents stay housed in the city, Mayor Olivia Chow says.
Health P.E.I. is pushing back against an auditor general's report that said it is overpaying a private Ontario firm for after-hours radiology services.
Ottawa police say they arrested someone on trespassing-related charges after Iran's shuttered embassy was defaced during an anti-regime protest on Monday.
Several Canada geese were found dead in the Whitby Harbour on Monday and testing will be done to determine if avian flu is to blame, according to town officials.
City of Yellowknife officials have tested drinking water in a number of facilities and found elevated lead levels in four buildings.
Prime Minister Mark Carney is headed to China to try to move past years of diplomatic tension and make progress on a key trade irritant — Canada's steep tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and the agricultural levies China imposed in response.
A woman is recovering after an altercation with a man in Calgary’s northwest that resulted in his death in what police are calling “the most clear-cut case of self-defence.”
Alberta's chief medical officer of health says while it's far from over, the province appears to be through the worst of a bad flu season.
Durham Regional Police Services (DRPS) pushes back on some members’ PTSD claims, even if they have a medical diagnosis, a CBC News investigation has found.
After nearly 25 years, Prince Edward Island's compost system is set to be replaced and modernized.
Analysts at CIBC are forecasting a wider discount on Alberta heavy crude this year as U.S. plans to rebuild Venezuela's ailing industry dominate headlines.