CanNor: $83,400
Yukon Government: $35,000
Ross River Dena Council: $25,600
North American Tungsten Corporation Ltd.: $25,000
Total: $169,000
The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) is investing $83,400 to support employment and business opportunities for Ross River Dena Council and Liard First Nation citizens.
Funding will be used to develop a protocol agreement and Socio-Economic Partnership Agreement (SEPA) between the Ross River Dena Council (RRDC), the Liard First Nation and North American Tungsten Corporation Ltd., related to their Mactung mining project in the Selwyn Mountains, 250 kilometres northeast of Ross River, Yukon. The SEPA will formalize the working relationship between the parties and will set out the employment, training and business opportunities for RRDC and Liard First Nation citizens during construction and operation of the mine. The agreement aims to ensure meaningful participation and economic benefits for RRDC and LFN citizens. The community of Ross River is the closest community accessible to the mining project by road.
The North American Tungsten project is a tungsten mine with an estimated 11 years life as an underground mine and possible extension to 17 years with an open pit. Capital expenditure for the project is estimated at more than $400 million. The mine would employ about 190 people.
The RRDC and the Liard First Nation are the governing bodies for First Nation residents located in eastern Yukon in the Ross River and Watson Lake areas. RRDC and LFN members are Kaska, of Athabascan descent.
Investment in this project is made possible through CanNor's Community Economic Opportunities Program (CEOP), part of the Aboriginal Economic Development (AED) suite of programs. The CEOP provides project-based support to First Nation and Inuit communities for community economic development. At CanNor, both the Northern Projects Management Office and its regional economic development arm work with industry, northern governments, communities and other partners to promote responsible resource development in the North to support economic growth and long-term prosperity for Northerners and all Canadians.
