Yukon government approves more mineral exploration in Whitehorse

Amineral exploration company fined earlier this year for mining infractions at a site just outside Whitehorse has received a new permit to pursue more exploration inthe city.

The Yukon government approved earlier this monthaclass 1 exploration permit allowing Gladiator Metals to do up to 10,000 metres of diamond drilling around the Whitehorse Copper Belt. The areas Little and Middle Chiefas well as the Arctic Chief area are within city limits,close toMount Sima and Copper Haul Road.

The approvalcame only a few months after Gladiator Metals was fined$43,700for violating its permit near Cowley Creek, another part of Whitehorse Copper Belt where the company wasdrilling to measure for copper levels. The company's work at that sitehad sparked concerns among several Whitehorse residents last spring, who complainedof a"horrific mess" being made in the area.

The Yukon government believes the fine was enough to put Gladiator Metals back in line for currentand future projects.

Todd Powell, director of mineral resources at Yukon'sDepartment of Energy, Mines and Resources, said the earlierinfractions didn't affect the government's decision to issue a new permit to the company.

"They've made some mistakes ...Of course, once you get a direction from an inspector, you comply and fix whatever you've done wrong," Powell said.

"Acompany that returns to compliance after making those mistakes is always a promising thing. And this company has done that."

Powell also said the Gladiator's new exploration area is not near any homes unlike atCowley Creekwhere the work caused concerns for local residents.He said the government also consulted with Kwanlin DnFirst Nationand Ta'anKwch'n Council, on whoselands the areasits.

Neither First Nationresponded to a request for comments.

B.C.-based Gladiator Metals is relatively new to the Yukon andhas been operating in the territory since March.

Speaking at the YukonGeoscience Forum& Trade Show in Whitehorsefor the first time on Nov. 19, company president Marcus Harden didn't mention the issues at Cowley Creek. He saidcommunity engagement is"equally as important as the exploration aspects."

"It's going to be a busybusy next six, six to eight months," Harden said.

"And by that stage, we should have all of these areas ranked in terms of what their resource potential might be, and which area is going to be cheapest to start putting resources on the books as well."

Mineralexploration inWhitehorse

City of Whitehorse administration says Gladiator will need to obtain adevelopment permit before it starts drilling within city limits. However, it says Gladiator has not applied for one yet.

"There's been no application for a development permit to do that," Mike Gau, the city's director of development services, said.

"Once we receive that application, we'll go through our technical review and apply conditions as appropriate. We'll be dealing with them the same as any other exploration company."

Meanwhile, the prospect of a potential mining project inWhitehorsehas already raisedconcerns among someresidents.

John McCleodis one of them.

He spoke to Whitehorsecity council on Monday on behalf of a group called Yukoners Concerned. It's the same group that voiced concerns over Gladiator's exploration work near Cowley Creek last spring.

NowMcCleodis warningagainst the potential repercussions of having mineralexploration in the city. He asked council what steps the city would take to prevent future conflicts between residents and mining companies, as well as managing use of the land.

"If Gladiator discovered a world-class copper mine ... A deposit of that size would require tailings dams, waste dumps, and a mill that could potentially cover Whitehorse," McCleodtold council.

"To give you a mental picture of what this might look like, imagine a hole 4.3 kilometres long, three kilometres wide and 900 meters deep. How many councillorsthink this would be a good idea?"