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"The lack of infrastructure makes it an
expensive place to operate," said Robin
Goad, President and CEO of Fortune
Minerals Ltd., which is working to
develop the NICO Project in the Northwest
Territories. "You also have a challenging
regulatory environment with compounded
authorizations coming from review boards
controlled by aboriginal groups as well as
territorial governments and the Canadian
government."
That is why alliances between indi-
vidual mining companies, various levels
of government and local First Nations are
needed to drive projects across key devel-
opment thresholds towards the commercial
production stage.
In September 2017, Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau and Yukon Premier Sandy
Silver announced over $360 million in
combined federal and territorial fund-
ing to improve road access in the Dawson
Range in central Yukon and Nahanni
Range Road in southeastern Yukon. Of the
$360 million, $247.4 million is from Ottawa
and $112.8 million from the Yukon govern-
ment. The mining industry is expected to
add another $108.6 million to that amount.
The Yukon Resource Gateway Project will
help upgrade over 650 km of road, setting
the stage for long term development of the
territory's growing mining sector.
The aim is to ease the financial burden
on the mining industry by improving road
access to a number of key projects, includ-
ing Goldcorp Inc.'s [G-TSX, GG-NYSE]
Coffee gold property and Western Copper
and Gold Corp.'s [WRN-TSX, NYSE
American] Casino Project. Phase one of the
Gateway Project is expected to include the
$25 million Carmacks bypass, designed
not only to support Western Copper, but
also projects being developed by Copper
North Mining Corp. [COL-TSXV] and
Rockhaven Resources [RK-TSXV].
Not surprisingly, ATAC Resources
Ltd. [ATC-TSXV] executives are pleased
LEFT: Offloading supplies at Nighthawk
Gold's 100%-owned Indin Lake gold
property, Northwest Territories, Canada.
Photo courtesy Nighthawk Gold Corp.
FAR NORTH
Nuna Group of Companies
