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 We had a very interesting presentation from Stephanie who is a geologist with PRETIVM at the Bruce Jack Mine north of Stewart. This is an underground high grade gold mine that the company purchased in 2010. The years 2011-12 were spent in exploration activity and employees lived on site in tents.2013-14 years were spent in permitting and 2016-17 in construction both above and underground. Capital invested in the project was 1 billion, 700 thousand of which was spent for goods and services in BC. In the early days crews were flown in and out from the site until the access road was completed in 2014. Now crews fly in to Terrace and are driven to camp. The came is a "dry camp" no drugs or alcohol on site, and security is much like an airport.
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The mine employees 1150 people and 28% are local first nations. The current projection is that the mine will continue to produce for 12 more years, but exploration is always ongoing so they are hopeful to be in production for many more years into the future. | |
 Stephanie had really great photos of both the underground and above ground processes. There are two processes, one that produces gold brick and the other that produces both gold and silver concentrate. A lot of the waste rock/sand is pumped back into the spaces in the mine that rock was taken from. Some tailings do go into the lake, but the lake was a "dead lake" from the start with a PH level of 3. Nothing lived in the lake when mining operations began. | |
 Picture of four gold bricks weighing 18 kg (40 lbs) worth $3.5 million. |