By Canadian Press

Yukon minister says there’s still ‘hope’ for gold mining to continue at disaster site

Aug 16, 2024 | 11:40 AM

WHITEHORSE — Yukon Justice Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee says the territory’s government is still hopeful that mining can eventually restart at the site of the Eagle Gold mine disaster after its owner was ordered into receivership this week.

McPhee says mining remains an important part of Yukon’s economy, but “it must be done safely.”

McPhee and other government officials held a technical briefing to provide an update on what has been happening at the site now that Victoria Gold is in court-ordered receivership.

She says the receivership process provides a “pathway” to dig into the company’s finances and assets to be used to cover the environment mitigation work, but the Yukon government is advancing funds to cover “urgent work” in the meantime.

McPhee says the decision to go to court to ask that a receiver assume the company’s work was not to put the company out of business, and the decision of Victoria Gold’s board of directors to resign was made “on their own.”

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The minister says public safety and environmental concerns were not “being properly addressed by the company,” necessitating a receiver to step in and take control after the mine’s heap leach pad failed, causing a torrent of cyanide-contaminated material to escape the site in June.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2024.

The Canadian Press