Latest news with #YukonTerritory
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Yukon gov't temporarily extends some placer mining licences while working through permit backlog
The Yukon government is issuing temporary licence extensions to placer miners in the queue for licence renewals as staff work through the backlog of permit approvals and licence renewal applications. On Thursday, the territory made "temporary" amendments to the Placer Mining Land Use Regulation and the Quartz Mining Land Use Regulation to approve extensions to eligible operators — and temporary additions to the Waters Regulation to authorize eligible operators to use water consistent with the terms of their existing licence while seeking a licence renewal. "We feel this will help alleviate the pressure on the overall system," said John Streicker, Yukon's minister of energy, mines and resources. The decision comes after placer miners and advocates went public about delays that were costing them their ability to work. Some had been in limbo for over a year waiting for their approvals. Streicker said extensions will be given to operators whose licences are close to expiring, including 19 operators whose licences recently expired while in queue for renewal. Extensions will also be given to "previously approved projects that have been through the First Nations consultation process and are within the temporal, spatial and activity scope of the decision documents already in place." "The way we're looking at this is because those mines have already been operating, already did consultation and engagement on them, we can allow them to continue in a temporary way while we work through the backlog," Streicker told CBC News. Streicker said this doesn't change the licence renewal or permitting approval process, but it's a temporary way to keep people working while still following regulations. He added that his department has already begun contacting placer miners to notify them of the extension. Will Fellers is the president of the Klondike Placer Miners Association. He said he was very glad to hear about new changes, but he wants to speak with the Minister before he gets too excited about anything just yet. "We know the government's been working on this behind the scenes and I'm glad to see something finally has came out of it," Fellers told CBC News. "I haven't been briefed on it yet. This is just new, so it will be interesting to hear from John [Streicker] exactly what the specifics are of this but if its the case it's a great step in getting the operators back being able to go out on the land and back to work again. "That makes me happy to hear."
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Yukon gov't temporarily extends some placer mining licenses while working through permit backlog
The Yukon Government is issuing temporary license extensions to placer miners in the queue for license renewals as staff work through the backlog of permit approvals and license renewal applications. On Thursday, the territory made "temporary" amendments to the Placer Mining Land Use Regulation and the Quartz Mining Land Use Regulation to approve extensions to eligible operators — and temporary additions to the Waters Regulation to authorize eligible operators to use water consistent with the terms of their existing licence while seeking a licence renewal. "We feel this will help alleviate the pressure on the overall system," said John Streicker, Yukon's minister of energy, mines, and resources. Streicker said extensions will be given to operators who's licenses are close to expiring, including the 19 operators whose licenses recently expired while in queue for renewal. Extensions will also be given to "previously-approved projects that have been through the First Nations consultation process and are within the temporal, spatial and activity scope of the decision documents already in place." "The way we're looking at this is because those mines have already been operating," Streicker told CBC News. "Already did consultation and engagement on them, we can allow them to continue in a temporary way while we work through the backlog." Streicker said this doesn't change the license renewal or permitting approval process, but it's a temporary way to keep people working while still following regulations. He added that his department has already begun contacting placer miners to notify them of the extension. Will Fellers is the president of the Klondike Placer Miners Association. He said he was very glad to hear about new changes, but he wants to speak with the Minister before he gets too excited about anything just yet. "We know the government's been working on this behind the scenes and I'm glad to see something finally has came out of it," Fellers told CBC News. "I haven't been briefed on it yet. This is just new, so it will be interesting to hear from John [Streicker] exactly what the specifics are of this but if its the case it's a great step in getting the operators back being able to go out on the land and back to work again.
CBC
4 days ago
- General
- CBC
Whitehorse eyes fix for derelict train tracks cited as safety hazard
A Whitehorse city councillor says it's time, after decades of waiting for trains to return to the Yukon capital, to do something about rail crossings on downtown streets. Coun. Dan Boyd says he's gotten complaints from cyclists and others about the tracks that cross 4th Avenue near Robert Service Way. "I'd want to be very careful crossing that with a motorbike or bicycle or even a small vehicle," he said. Mobility advocate Darryl Tait, who uses a wheelchair, said the crossing is a hazard. He said wheelchair users effectively have to pop a wheelie to get over the rails. "Falling into the crack at any kind of momentum could cause you to grab the front caster wheel and they'll just like eject out of the front of your chair," he said. The tracks are part of the White Pass and Yukon Route railway, which hasn't run revenue service into downtown Whitehorse since the early 1980s. Despite occasional rumblings that the railway might try to restart service, Boyd said there's no point waiting any longer, especially because tracks south of downtown were buried by repeated mudslides on the clay cliffs. Boyd said city crews have already done some work to patch up the 4th Avenue crossing, but called for a permanent fix. The tracks also intersect 2nd Avenue, but there's no crosswalk there. "The long term solution I think is just to put the road through properly and deal with the right of way of the railroad tracks later, if it comes to be that for some reason the train is going to run into downtown Whitehorse again sometime in the future," Boyd said.
CTV News
7 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Experts say linking Yukon, B.C. power grids a ‘game-changer' but will take time
Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai, left, and British Columbia Premier David Eby during a media availability at the 2024 Western Premiers' Conference in Whitehorse, Monday, June 10, 2024. CANADIAN PRESS/Crystal Schick Experts say the potential linking of British Columbia's power grid with Yukon would be a game-changer for the territory's quality of life and economy, but realization would likely take more than a decade. University of Calgary professor Jason Donev says Canada's north generally lacks the electricity infrastructure taken for granted in the south, and the lack of cheap, reliable power in many communities weighs on development. Donev says the remote locations and long distances involved in linking the B.C. and Yukon power grids would present 'significant engineering and technical challenges.' B.C. Premier David Eby and Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai last week signed a memorandum of understanding to explore connecting the grids. Rosa Brown with clean-energy think tank the Pembina Institute says similar projects have shown it would take 'a decade-plus' to progress from a memorandum of understanding to an actual power link. Brown says a feasibility study a decade ago determined the link was too costly, but fresh factors ranging from Ottawa's higher interest in nation-building projects and increased demand in Yukon for electric heating and vehicles have likely shifted the calculation. The B.C. government says the signing of the memorandum — which took place at the Western premiers conference — would mean opportunities for the province to connect its clean electricity to critical resource mining and other projects in Yukon. The University of Calgary's Energy Education website says the closest point where Yukon's grid could connect to B.C. would require at least 900 kilometres of transmission lines as well as a number of intermediate substations. This report by Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press, was first published May 26, 2025.
CTV News
7 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Experts say linking Yukon, B.C. power grids a ‘game-changer' but will take time
Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai, left, and British Columbia Premier David Eby during a media availability at the 2024 Western Premiers' Conference in Whitehorse, Monday, June 10, 2024. CANADIAN PRESS/Crystal Schick Experts say the potential linking of British Columbia's power grid with Yukon would be a game-changer for the territory's quality of life and economy, but realization would likely take more than a decade. University of Calgary professor Jason Donev says Canada's north generally lacks the electricity infrastructure taken for granted in the south, and the lack of cheap, reliable power in many communities weighs on development. Donev says the remote locations and long distances involved in linking the B.C. and Yukon power grids would present 'significant engineering and technical challenges.' B.C. Premier David Eby and Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai last week signed a memorandum of understanding to explore connecting the grids. Rosa Brown with clean-energy think tank the Pembina Institute says similar projects have shown it would take 'a decade-plus' to progress from a memorandum of understanding to an actual power link. Brown says a feasibility study a decade ago determined the link was too costly, but fresh factors ranging from Ottawa's higher interest in nation-building projects and increased demand in Yukon for electric heating and vehicles have likely shifted the calculation. The B.C. government says the signing of the memorandum — which took place at the Western premiers conference — would mean opportunities for the province to connect its clean electricity to critical resource mining and other projects in Yukon. The University of Calgary's Energy Education website says the closest point where Yukon's grid could connect to B.C. would require at least 900 kilometres of transmission lines as well as a number of intermediate substations. This report by Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press, was first published May 26, 2025.
