Giant Mine is a former gold mine, covering 872 hectares, located 12 kilometres from Yellowknife city centre.
From 1948 to 2004, Giant Mine produced 7.6 million ounces of gold. While gold mining in Yellowknife was a significant economic driver, it left a less positive legacy at the Giant Mine site. The processing of gold resulted in the production of approximately 237,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide, currently stored in rock and concrete vaults. There is also arsenic contamination on the surface.
In 1999, when the mine's owner Royal Oak Mines Inc. went into receivership, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, now known as Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC), became the overseer of care and maintenance of the site.
Giant Mine is currently under care and maintenance, co-managed by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories. AANDC has developed a remediation and clean-up plan for the Giant Mine site, which is undergoing an environmental assessment by the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board.
Care and maintenance activities at Giant Mine will continue while the Remediation Plan is undergoing regulatory review. All activities at the mine site, whether emergency, risk management, or regular care and maintenance, are conducted to protect the health and safety of on-site workers, the public and the environment.
The responsibilities of the care and maintenance contractor are as follows:
- ensure the mine remains in compliance with relevant environmental regulations
- maintains site security and public safety
- ensure facilities maintenance
- ensure the management of mine water and the treatment of effluent and effective site monitoring
Det'on Cho NUNA Joint Venture was contracted in March 2005 and again in January 2007 to provide care and maintenance services at the Giant Mine site. Public Works and Government Services (PWGSC) exercised an option year in 2010 to extend this contract for one additional year.
As care and maintenance at the Giant Mine site is required until remediation begins, PWGSC initiated a new tender process for care and maintenance. This is in keeping with the Government of Canada's commitment to ensuring best value for Canadians through fair, open, transparent procurement practices.
Through the tender process, the contractor commits to maximizing Aboriginal employment opportunities, sub-contracting opportunities, and on-the-job training opportunities that involve local, regional, and Aboriginal citizens and businesses, in carrying out the work identified for this project.
The 21-month care and maintenance contract provides for the supply of all labour, equipment and materials necessary for the continued care and maintenance at the Giant Mine site. Work includes maintaining the mine in a dewatered and environmentally compliant state, operating the effluent treatment plant, protecting the public, and securing the property.
