October 2009

The Honourable Randy Hawes
Minister of State for Mining

Minister's Message

Welcome to the October edition of the Mining Report.

I wrapped up the summer by getting back out on the road, this time visiting the incredibly busy mining communities in the southeast. I also managed to catch some of the ninth Western Regional Mine Rescue Competition in Fernie. The competition was fierce and exciting and B.C. once again fared well.

September brought an announcement by the Federal Government pledging $130 million to B.C.’s Northwest Transmission Line, which of course is wonderful news as it will bring new developments and opportunities to the northwest.

This month my colleague Blair Lekstrom, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, paid a visit to the Community Coal Forum in Tumbler Ridge. The event brought together mine operators, developers, and government. It was an informative, collaborative meeting focusing on the importance coal has played, and of course continues to play in B.C.’s north east and across the province. I was sorry to have missed it.

The months ahead will no doubt be busy heading into January and the Mineral Exploration Round Up, and I look forward to continuing my work on this dynamic and exciting portfolio.

Randy Hawes
Minister of State for Mining

View from a mine in southeastern B.C.

NTL Gets a Boost from Green Infrastructure Fund

The Northwest Transmission Line (NTL), which will support the development of a number of new mines and take advantage of the vast mineral potential of the province’s northwest region, received a $130 million boost from the Federal Government in September.

The money came from the Green Infrastructure Fund and is an important step towards building a power line that has the potential to generate billions in capital investment, create thousands of jobs and open economic opportunities for the Northwest.

NTL will support economic diversification of the area by providing access to the electricity grid for customers, clean and renewable electricity generators, and communities.

The Province has already invested $10 million to support the environmental assessment and First Nations consultation process. The new 287-kilovolt line will extend 335 km from Terrace to Meziadin Junction and north to Bob Quinn Lake.

B.C. is recognized as a clean energy powerhouse and this project will help British Columbia to reach its goal of curbing greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2020.
 

Premier Gordon Campbell helps unveil the gold, silver and bronze medals for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Metals for the Medals

Winning Olympians at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will be sporting B.C. metal in their medals.

Vancouver-based Teck Resources is the exclusive supplier of the metals used in the production of more than 1,000 medals for the Games. They will be providing 2.05 kilograms of gold, 1,950 kg of silver and 903 kilograms of copper, sourced from operations around the world - including British Columbia.

The medals feature West Coast First Nations artwork of the Orca and Raven, designed by Aboriginal artist Corinne Hunt. As well, the 2010 medals are making history as the first to contain metals recovered from processing the circuit boards from electronics otherwise destined for landfills.

Minister Randy Hawes, left, and Nick Burk of Teck Operations look out over the Coal Mountain Operations near Sparwood B.C. during a tour of the area on September 12, 2009.

Mine Visit to Southeastern B.C.

Minister Hawes paid a late summer visit to mines in southeastern B.C. including Coal Mountain, Elkview Mine, and Line Creek Operations.

The Minister gets hands-on at the Elkview Mine near Sparwood B.C. during a visit to the mine site on September 11, 2009.

Minister Hawes, with Lyle Douglas of Teck Operations and Ricci Berdusco of the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, looks over the Line Creek Operations outside of Sparwood B.C. on September 11, 2009.

Nineteen teams from across western Canada and the United States participated in this year's Western Regional Mine Rescue Competition.

Safety First in B.C. Mines

Mines from British Columbia had a strong showing at this year’s ninth Western Regional Mine Rescue Competition, held Sept. 11-12 in Fernie.

B.C. teams took six of the eight trophies in the Surface Competition. Teck Coal’s Greenhills Operations in Elkford took the fire and written portions while Teck’s Highland Valley Copper, located in Logan Lake, took the ropes, smoke and extrication events and were awarded best overall winner. 

Complete list of winners here.

Recognizing Mine Reclamation Achievement

Bob Hamaguchi (right) and Jaimie Dickson (middle) of Teck Highland Valley Copper Partnership, accept the 2009 BC Jake McDonald Mine Reclamation Award from Todd Wambolt (left); Chair of the Technical and Research Committee on Reclamation, for outstanding mine reclamation achievement at the Highland Valley Copper Mine. The British Columbia Mine Reclamation Award and several citations for excellence in mine reclamation are presented annually. Citations are provided for the reclamation of exploration sites, metal mines, coal mines, placer operations, sand and gravel operations, and industrial mineral operations.