No exploratory drilling on Catface for summer

No exploratory drilling on Catface for summer — Imperial looks to gold

Julia Prinselaar, Westerly News 2 June 2011 Link to article

A mining company that previously conducted exploratory drilling on Catface Mountain says it has no plans to move ahead with further drilling this summer.

"We don't have anything planned at this point," said Gordon Keevil, vice president of corporate development for Imperial Metals.

While Keevil was unable to state whether or not future exploration of the prospective open-pit copper mine would take place, the possibility has not been ruled out.

"That may change, but at this point there's nothing planned this year. [Imperial Metals] will decide in due course."

In 2010 a diamond drill program was completed on the property, which is near Tofino in Ahousaht traditional territory.

Curtis Dick, deputy chief of Ahousat, declined to comment on the matter but said there is an Ahousaht committee that deals with mining issues related to the nation which has been in "direct communication" with Imperial Metals.

A local environmental group opposed to industrial mining in Clayoquot Sound says the news is welcomed, but it does not mean the company's interest in the property has waned.

"I would be happy if [Imperial Metals] were not up on Catface this summer," said Dan Lewis, executive director of Friends of Clayoquot Sound. "[But] to me it would just be a temporary thing."

As of June 1, Imperial Metals has not posted its exploration results of Catface Mountain, but a mineral resource estimate provided on its website indicates the property contains 0.4 per cent copper.

Catface was acquired by Imperial through the November 2009 merger with Selkirk Metals Corp.

Falconbridge Limited worked on the property from discovery in 1960 through 1989 and included surface exploration and several phases of surface and underground diamond drilling resulting in the discovery of three zones of mineralization that are thought to reflect a larger mineral system.

Gold mine in early stages

Through Selkirk, Imperial Metals acquired a mineral property covering an historic gold prospect called Fandora, located in Tla-o-qui-aht traditional territory about 20 kilometres northeast of Tofino.

Keevil says currently there are no plans to drill at this time.

Imperial does have an approved exploration permit for the area, granted by the provincial Ministry of Energy and Mines.

"This project is at an early stage of exploration and there is no mine planned but if there is any development here the mineralization defined historically indicates the potential for an underground mine," wrote Keevil in an email to the Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News.

The application process includes a referral to interested parties, including First Nations.

The Tla-o-qui-aht band was first consulted by Imperial Metals in late December 2010/early January 2011, recalls Saya Masso, natural resource director for the nation.

However he says there was a lack of thorough information from Imperial with respect to the environmental implications of a gold mine.

"Unfortunately in the presentation to our community I don't think the impacts were clearly presented to our leadership," said Masso.

"I look at how high our standards are with other industries and how far we've made strides in practices in Clayoquot Sound, and if there's any indication of heavy chemicals and treatment [used], it's almost unfathomable that [the mine] would go forward. The stage that we're in right now...there is certainly a desire to know more about it."

One of the next steps would involve drafting a Memorandum of Understanding between involved parties, which generally include policies in operations, monitoring and employment.

"At this point it's only understood that [Tla-o-qui-aht nation] would be concluding a Memorandum of Understanding to understand what resource is there and what the opportunity is in it," said Masso.

"It hasn't been endorsed in any final stages in any way, nor have we concluded the Memorandum of Understanding with the proponent that would see them active on site."

According to Masso, Imperial has not visited the community since the initial consultation.

—reporter@westerlynews.ca

Back to News & Media page

PO Box 489, 331 Neill St., Tofino BC V0R 2Z0
250-725-4218 info@focs.ca