Image: Kent Simmonds / CFJC Today

By Dylana Kneeshaw

TASEKO MINES

North Thompson plans for population swell, as Yellowhead Copper Mine Project enters environmental assessment process

Jul 10, 2025 | 4:49 PM

VAVENBY, B.C. — Taseko Mines, a Canadian-based mining company, has just entered the federal and provincial environmental assessment process for its plan to build an open-pit copper mine near Vavenby.

The Yellowhead Project is expected to be able to produce nearly 180 million pounds of copper each year, and it would be one of the largest open-pit copper mines in the country.

If environmental assessments and permitting goes through, Taseko Mines would only be a few years out from opening the mine.

“The construction period is estimated at two to three years,” says Yellowhead project manager Korah De Walt-Gagnon, “So once the environmental certificates and permitting are in place, that’s when we could begin construction.”

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Taseko estimates the building stage would bring 2,000 jobs, and 1,000 spin off jobs. While the fully operational site would have nearly 600 employees for the initial mine life of 25 years.

“That provides a great opportunity because the deposit is located near infrastructure that’s already in place. Rail, road, as well as the communities that surround it,” explains De Walt-Gagnon.

The District of Clearwater is a 20-minute drive down the highway from the proposed site, and the Mayor says the mine would likely add thousands more residents to the area.

“We could see a doubling of the population of this town,” says Clearwater’s Mayor, Merlin Blackwell, “We’re estimating between half again, so taking us from 2,500 into the 4,000-5,000 population range over ten or 12 years. That would mean an increase in businesses in town, the need for more schools, for more doctors, for more nurses, and all those extra businesses around town just to service that new population to town.”

Blackwell notes that Clearwater will need to speak to the provincial government about building infrastructure capacity.

“We need, realistically, if this is the starting gun, we need $8 to $15 million worth of assistance from the province,” he notes, “Especially with changes to the housing policy that have said development cost charges are 25 per cent down, and the rest is occupation. We can’t handle that. That’s way beyond our financial means and and our ability to borrow.”

Simpcw First Nation leadership wasn’t available for an interview by our broadcast deadline, however Taseko Mines says it has entered the next phase of the Simpcw’s Environmental Assessment process.

“So we’re currently in step two of their process,” De Walt-Gagnon explains, “And we’re committed to working with Simpcw First Nation on a collaborative, meaningful relationship that is transparent.”

Planning is well underway but the Yellowhead Copper Mine hasn’t been given the green light yet, with three different environmental assessments to complete still, along with a public comment period.