YUKON COULD BENEFIT FROM SCHOOL OF MINING
The Yukon government should investigate the feasibility of establishing a cutting-edge school of mining and mining technology in the territory, says New Democratic Party leader Liz Hanson.
“It looks like Yukon will be the hub of significant mining activity for years to come, and we need to make strategic, creative and leveraged investments in education to help maximize the benefits to Yukon of the current boom,” Hanson says.
“And a good place to start that process might be with a school that trains people in all aspects of mining in a northern context with a strong focus on high environmental standards and cultural awareness.”
But the response by the ministers of Energy, Mines and Resources and Economic Development to her questions Thursday on this subject in the Legislative Assembly met with lukewarm receptions. This is disappointing, and a failure on the part of a government that says it welcomes fresh ideas from the opposition.
“Whitehorse this week hosted the second annual Yukon Aboriginal Peoples Resource Opportunities Conference,” she continues.
“And one of the purposes of this event was to explore best practices in economic development and building partnerships between First Nations governments, other levels of government and the private resource sector. A school of mining and mining technology, like the one in Northern Ontario, would not only help do that, but it would also give Yukoners, as well as people from around the globe, the skills they need to participate in this ever-changing industry.”
Many of the people currently involved in mining are verging on retirement. And much of the mining activity in the future will be done in the subarctic and arctic parts of the world, which are facing a variety of political, social and environmental challenges due to global warming.
“So what better place to train the next generation of miners than in Yukon,” she says. “It has expertise, both in the private and public sectors, abandoned minesites and will soon have several operating mines. In addition, the resource sector here has lots of experience working with First Nations people.”
Hanson would like to see the government sit down with representatives from First Nations, Yukon College and the private mining sector to pursue this idea further, perhaps even commission a feasibility study to determine the costs-benefits.
“The Yukon government spent $5 million to do a railway feasibility study with Alaska a few years back. A feasibility study for a school of mining would cost much less, is a better use of public funds and makes far more sense to me.”