Backgrounder - Tundra Mine

The Tundra Mine site is a former gold mine located approximately 240 km northeast of Yellowknife. The site was operated as an underground gold mine from 1962 to 1968. Ore from Salmita Mine, located 6 km to the North, was also processed at the Tundra mill from 1982 to 1987. It is one of three mines in the Northwest Territories that reverted to the Crown in April 1999 when the mine's owner at the time, Royal Oak Mines Inc., went into receivership. Phase 1 of the remediation work was completed in 2007.

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada is the custodian of the site and project lead for the site remediation, while Public Works and Government Services Canada is the contracting authority. The Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board is the regulatory authority responsible for issuing land use permits and water licenses.

Following a competitive process by Public Works and Government Services Canada, the contract for Phase 2 of the remediation was awarded to a joint venture between Tlicho Environmental Engineering Services Ltd. and Aboriginal Engineering Ltd. which submitted the best technical proposal at the lowest overall cost.

In its bid, the joint venture committed to an Aboriginal Opportunities and Considerations (AOC) Package to maximize local involvement in the project. Tlicho Environmental Engineering Services Ltd. and Aboriginal Engineering Ltd. must meet a target percentage for Aboriginal employment and carry out training plans for Aboriginal employees.

Elders have visited the site to examine site remediation progress and provide traditional knowledge related to future remediation plans. The concerns and suggestions raised by the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, the North Slave Métis Alliance and the Tlicho Government have been used to develop the Phase 2 remediation plan for the Tundra Mine site.

Remediation activities at Tundra Mine will ensure the protection of health, public safety and the environment. The remaining challenges at the site include treating water in the tailings containment area, treating hydrocarbon impacted soils, covering tailings and waste rock, and decommissioning dams. In 2010 water treatment will begin to remove arsenic from the tailings water and full scale mobilization of equipment and fuel to the site will occur using the winter road in 2011.

Remediation work will take four to five years to complete and following site closure, long-term monitoring will begin. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada has developed a monitoring plan for the site which includes monitoring fish health and the water quality onsite and downstream of the Tailings Containment Area. Once all remediation work is complete the long-term monitoring requirements for the site will be finalized.

Date: June 2010