Con Mine's Robertson headframe could be demolished by 2016

The Robertson headframe, a Yellowknife landmark, could be completely gone by the fall of 2016, according to the owners of the contaminated Con Mine gold site.

Miramar Northern Mining Ltd., a subsidiary of Newmont Mining, had been delaying the demolition while the City of Yellowknife decided whether to take ownership of the building.

The city recently decided it can't do that, which means the headframe remains destined for demolition.

"We must move forward with completing the closure and reclamation plan for the site, which includes demolition of the Robertson headframe," said Scott Stringer, the project's general manager.

The timing will depend on how quickly Miramar can get a company to do the work, he said.

"It’s possible work could begin late this year, with completion in the fall of 2016," he said.

The headframe is one of only two buildings left to be torn down, according to the reclamation plan.  

At 76 metres, the Robertson headframe is the tallest structure in the Northwest Territories.

Dave Ritchie, a veteran local mine worker who worked at the Con Mine when that site's C-1 headframe was removed in 2010, said he wishes the Robertson headframe could be saved.

"It's a landmark for all the boaters and snowmobilers and everything else," he said. "It is also in good shape. It has a better foundation than any other building in town."

Some remnants of Yellowknife's gold mining past will remain standing at the site. Among them: the building where mine site movie screenings once took place — a site now used for meetings by Yellowknife Masonic Lodge #162.