Major contract awarded for Faro Mine remediation

News release

North Fork Rose Creek realignment will provide employment and training opportunities for Indigenous people and Northerners

May 31, 2019 — Faro, YT — Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

The Government of Canada is committed to protecting the environment and human health and safety while bringing economic benefits to Indigenous people and Northerners.

Today, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Larry Bagnell, Member of Parliament for Yukon, announced the award of a major contract for the next phase of the North Fork Rose Creek realignment project at the Faro Mine site in Yukon. Pelly Construction Ltd. was the successful bidder on the $44.4 Million project, which is required to prevent the creek from coming into contact with contaminated water on the site. The project will create jobs, build skills, hire local businesses and employees, and bring new economic opportunities to the Yukon.

Quotes

"The work to protect the North Fork Rose Creek and clean up the Faro Mine site will not only safeguard our environment but provide employment and skills training that will benefit local First Nations and the Yukon for years to come."

The Honourable Carolyn Bennett, M.D., P.C., M.P.
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations

"As the Member of Parliament for Yukon, I appreciate that the development of this project involved Yukon First Nations and Indigenous peoples in the region. Our government values creating equal economic opportunities for all Yukoners."

Larry Bagnell
Member of Parliament for Yukon

"The Government of Yukon is pleased to see work at the Faro Mine site move forward in a way that will offer economic development opportunities for Yukon First Nations. We will continue to ensure that the site meets necessary standards to protect the land and water that are so valued by Yukoners."

Ranj Pillai
Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources, Government of Yukon

"Remediating at the Faro Mine Site is our community's top priority. Working with Yukon and Canada, as the community most affected by this contaminated site, we share the view that the remediation work must move forward as quickly as possible. Today's announcement, awarding the contract to further this remediation work, is what our community has been looking forward to for many years. Ross River Dena Council is very pleased with the progress on the Faro Mine remediation urgent work, the work that CIRNAC, Parsons and the contractors are doing in such short time. We want to see the work continue and for this to remain a top priority of Canada and Yukon."

Jack Caesar
Chief, Ross River Dena Council

Quick facts

  • The Faro Mine, located in central Yukon, is an abandoned lead–zinc mine that is one of the largest contaminated sites in Canada.

  • The realignment of North Fork Rose Creek will keep its clean water clean. It includes the construction of a new 1.9 km water channel, road construction, water management and other related works. A 1.15 km long diversion channel built earlier this year will be used to divert the existing North Fork Rose Creek from the current construction area before work begins on the new channel.

  • Targets are set for training and subcontracting with First Nations as part of the tendering process. Since 2005, an average of 57 per cent of the work on Northern Contaminated Sites Program projects has been performed by Northerners and 33 per cent by Indigenous people.

  • Contractors for Faro Mine remediation projects are generally hired and managed by Parsons Inc., the Interim Construction Manager for the site. Tenders are posted online at MERX.

Associated links

Contacts

For more information, media may contact:

Matthew Dillon-Leitch
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Carolyn Bennett
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
819-997-0002

Media Relations
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
819-934-2302
RCAANC.media.CIRNAC@canada.ca

Brigitte Parker
Communications, Energy, Mines and Resources
867-667-3183
brigitte.parker@gov.yk.ca

Stanley Noel, ICD.D, MBA, HBSW
Ross River Dena Council
867-334-9432
stanleynoel@me.com

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