After the Gold Rush

Northwestern British Columbia is a place of stunning scenery and abundant wildlife, including black bears, grizzly bears, moose and fox. The area contains globally significant wilderness and intact ecosystems, including the headwaters of three major salmon rivers: the Nass, Stikine and Skeena, known also as as “the Sacred Headwaters.” The area is sparsely populated, except for small First Nations communities with a long history on the land.

Northwest British Columbia also contains a wealth of minerals, including gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum and anthracite coal. The value of many of these minerals have more than doubled in the past five years, creating a rush to develop new mining projects. In the Stikine and Taku regions of Northwest British Columbia, seven new mines have been proposed, and more exploration projects are underway. How will such rapid industrial development affect local communities, including those of the Tahltan First Nation, as well as the region’s largely untouched wilderness?

The Mining Boom

Mines can bring jobs and other economic benefits to local communities. However, when mineral prices fall and mines close, communities are often left to deal with high unemployment rates and other social problems, as well as the environmental problems created by abandoned mines. The Pembina Institute primer "Boom to Bust" explains the cyclical nature of mining and why it can take a heavy toll on communities. The primer includes suggestions to help communities maximize benefits from development while minimizing risks.

Each new mining project brings its own balance of benefits and challenges for local communities. The primer "A Fortune at What Cost?" evaluates one proposed project:
Fortune Minerals' Mt. Klappan Coal Mine, which would be located in the "sacred headwaters" region. Its benefits would include jobs that could be filled by local residents. However, the project would also open pristine wilderness to new activity and substantially increase British Columbia's production of coal, one of the most concentrated sources of climate change pollution.

Powering the Boom

Mining companies, eager to capitalize on high mineral prices, are pushing the government to build a new transmission line to power development in the region. The option currently favoured by the British Columbia government, the 287-kilovolt (kV) Northwest Transmission Line, could have a dramatic impact on the pace and scale of development in the region. The primer "Sizing it Up" compares the proposed Northwest Transmission Line with two other scenarios for powering the region: a 138-kV transmission line, and development of regional renewable energy resources. The primer evaluates the potential short- and long-term impacts each option would have on Northwest British Columbia, including jobs and effects on communities and the environment.