ENVIRONMENT: Federal government pledges $2.2B for mine cleanup in North

The aurora borealis over Great Bear Lake where several old mine sites on the eastern shore are to be remediated. (Image: Reuters)

YELLOWKNIFE, NWT - The federal government has announced it will invest $2.2 billion over the next 15 years for the cleanup of various mine sites in the Yukon and Northwest Territories.

The announcement was made by the Hon. Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, in this city on Aug. 19. The new Northern Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program includes eight abandoned mine properties.

The Yukon sites are the Faro, United Keno Hill, Mount Nansen, Ketza River, and Clinton Creek. In the Northwest Territories the list includes the Giant, Cantung and Great Bear Lake projects, the last of which includes several small sites located near each other.

The federal government plans to engage with the Indigenous and northern communities so that they have access to employment and business opportunities associated with the cleanup.

Click here for additional information about the mine sites.