34 www.resourceworld.com
A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7
FIELD REPORT
"SWITZERLAND WITHOUT THE COW-
BELLS" is how one observer described
the landscape around a Yukon mining
property that is currently being explored
by Atac Resources Ltd. [ATC-TSXV] and
strategic partner Barrick Gold Corp.
[ABX-TSX, NYSE]. It was a remark that
neatly summed up the benefits and chal-
lenges that go hand in hand with exploring
in a territory that is known for its sweep-
ing mountain vistas, endless boreal forest,
and placer gold mines.
While the scenic backdrops can be visu-
ally stunning, the mining camps often have
no road access, meaning that getting in and
out requires a trip in either a plane or a heli-
copter. "When you have to use a helicopter,
money disappears very quickly,'' said John
McConnell, President and CEO of Victoria
Gold Corp. which has a gold mine under
development in the Yukon.
Lack of access to the power grid is also
a key challenge for Yukon mineral explor-
ers. Many are using diesel to keep the
lights on. It explains why in spite of an
unparalleled mining tradition (this is, after
all, where the Klondike Gold Rush took
place), there is currently only one hard
rock mine in operation in the Canadian
territory. That one is Capstone Mining
Corp.'s [CS-TSX] Minto Mine, where the
primary product is copper. Hopes that this
will soon change have been fueled by an
ongoing exploration boom and the influx
of some of the world's leading gold miners.
Goldcorp Inc. [G-TSX, GG-NYSE], Barrick
Gold Corp. and even Newmont Mining
Corp. [NEM-NYSE] have gained a toe hold
in the region, either by optioning projects
Yukon Exploration
and Mining Tour
by Peter Kennedy
