Yukon government approves more mineral exploration in Whitehorse

A mineral exploration company fined earlier this year for mining infractions at a site just outside Whitehorse has received a new permit to pursue more exploration in the city.     

The Yukon government approved earlier this month a class 1 exploration permit allowing Gladiator Metals to do up to 10,000 metres of diamond drilling around the Whitehorse Copper Belt. The areas — Little and Middle Chief as well as the Arctic Chief area — are within city limits, close to Mount Sima and Copper Haul Road. 

The approval came only a few months after Gladiator Metals was fined $43,700 for violating its permit near Cowley Creek, another part of Whitehorse Copper Belt where the company was drilling to measure for copper levels. The company's work at that site had sparked concerns among several Whitehorse residents last spring, who complained of a "horrific mess" being made in the area. 

The Yukon government believes the fine was enough to put Gladiator Metals back in line for current and future projects. 

Todd Powell, director of mineral resources at Yukon's Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, said the earlier infractions didn't affect the government's decision to issue a new permit to the company. 

"They've made some mistakes ... Of course, once you get a direction from an inspector, you comply and fix whatever you've done wrong," Powell said. 

"A company that returns to compliance after making those mistakes is always a promising thing. And this company has done that."

Powell also said the Gladiator's new exploration area is not near any homes unlike at Cowley Creek where the work caused concerns for local residents. He said the government also consulted with Kwanlin Dün First Nation and Ta'an Kwäch'än Council, on whose lands the area sits.

Neither First Nation responded to a request for comments. 

B.C.-based Gladiator Metals is relatively new to the Yukon and has been operating in the territory since March. 

Speaking at the Yukon Geoscience Forum & Trade Show in Whitehorse for the first time on Nov. 19, company president Marcus Harden didn't mention the issues at Cowley Creek. He said community engagement is "equally as important as the exploration aspects." 

"It's going to be a busy busy next six, six to eight months," Harden said.

"And by that stage, we should have all of these areas ranked in terms of what their resource potential might be, and which area is going to be cheapest to start putting resources on the books as well."

Mineral exploration in Whitehorse

City of Whitehorse administration says Gladiator will need to obtain a development permit before it starts drilling within city limits. However, it says Gladiator has not applied for one yet.

"There's been no application for a development permit to do that," Mike Gau, the city's director of development services, said. 

"Once we receive that application, we'll go through our technical review and apply conditions as appropriate. We'll be dealing with them the same as any other exploration company."

Meanwhile, the prospect of a potential mining project in Whitehorse has already raised concerns among some residents. 

John McCleod is one of them.

He spoke to Whitehorse city council on Monday on behalf of a group called Yukoners Concerned. It's the same group that voiced concerns over Gladiator's exploration work near Cowley Creek last spring. 

Now McCleod is warning against the potential repercussions of having mineral exploration in the city. He asked council what steps the city would take to prevent future conflicts between residents and mining companies, as well as managing use of the land. 

"If Gladiator discovered a world-class copper mine ... A deposit of that size would require tailings dams, waste dumps, and a mill that could potentially cover Whitehorse," McCleod told council.

"To give you a mental picture of what this might look like, imagine a hole 4.3 kilometres long, three kilometres wide and 900 meters deep. How many councillors think this would be a good idea?"