MINING
Settlement in the Kootenay Region is originally tied to the resource sector, and development of the railway. Gold was discovered near Fort Steele in the early 1860s. Shortly after, there were major mineral discoveries, especially silver, zinc, and lead near Kimberley, and huge coal reserves in the Sparwood area.
Coal is the region’s leading mineral resource product, and accounts for almost all of the coal produced in British Columbia. Teck Coal has five mines in the Elk Valley; all have significant reserves, and should ensure steady employment for years to come. The coal produced in the region is the highly sought after metallurgical coal. It’s exported to Asia for steel-making and industrial purposes. It is low in sulphur and burns clean.
British Petroleum is looking at the extraction of coal bed methane in the Elk and Flathead Valleys. The company is undertaking environmental studies. Cline Mining is also looking at an underground coal mine in the Lodgepole area.
Cominco’s Sullivan Mine in Kimberley contained the largest known lead/zinc ore body in the world. The life of the mine lasted 100 years. It was shut down in 2001. It contributed $55 billion to the B.C. economy in its lifetime. However, many junior exploration companies are looking for similar deposits nearby.
“B.C. is earning a world-wide reputation as a favourable jurisdiction for mining investment. Our flow through share program, tax incentives, and motivated workforce provide the right tools for conducting business in B.C.”
– Hon. Kevin Krueger, BC Minister of State for Mining, 2007.
B.C. is home to over 800 mining companies and is a world centre of mining expertise and investment. That’s the world’s largest concentration of exploration companies and mining professionals. There were 78 exploration projects in southeastern B.C. in 2007, accounting for $43 million in investment.
After government, the mining industry is the largest employer of aboriginals in Canada.
Non-metallic minerals of commercial significance include sand and gravel found and extracted throughout the region, and gypsum and magnesite that are found in the Columbia Valley region.
Source: AMEBC
Source: KPMG 2008 report on BC mining competitiveness
Source: MABC
Photos: Diana Scott