December 20, 2024 — Southeast Alaskan tribal groups are decrying a proposed mine in northwestern British Columbia, arguing it will have disastrous environmental repercussions for the Taku River watershed.
Vancouver-based Canagold Resources Ltd., is proposing to develop the New Polaris gold mine, an underground gold mine located 100 kilometres south of Atlin, B.C. and 60 kilometres northeast of Juneau, Alaska.
The remote, fly-in mine would produce around 1,000 tonnes of ore per day.
“The people of the Taku have subsisted, survived and stewarded the Taku River watershed for thousands of years,” said Jill Weitz, government affairs liaison for the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.
“It’s such a magical place that to even think about activity like that, for those of us downstream, it’s kind of mind boggling,” she said.
The Taku River, as well as the Stikine and Unuk rivers, flow from northwestern B.C. to southeastern Alaska.
The rivers are home to all five species of wild Alaska salmon, brown bears, moose and other wildlife and fish species.