Inside
● ●
COUNTERFEIT CURRENCY P. 3 EDITORIAL P. 6
● ●
WELCOMING COMMUNITY P. 4 ROPING RESULTS P. 5
E xpress OMINECA
Publications Mail Contract # 40007840
$1.30 Inc. GST Vol. 37 No. 3
Serving Vanderhoof ● Fort Fraser ● Fraser Lake & Area www.ominecaexpress.com
New Gold update
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Sleigh Ride
Ruth Lloyd
Caledonia Courier New Gold’s Blackwater Project is still on target, but metal prices have left the construction date in limbo. The new Community Manager for the proposed gold mine, Claudette Gouger, updated mayor and council on Mar. 12. Gouger said the results of the feasibility study which came out last December and led to the deferral of the Blackwater project in favour of the Rainy River Project, a proposed gold mine near Fort Frances in Ontario, are due of lower gold prices and a lower exchange rate. However, she also said Blackwater “still remains a flagship for the company, just because the size of the deposit is so large.” She said while Blackwater will still be a priority for the company, because the Rainy River Project is further along in the development process and will cost about half of what Blackwater would to build and would therefore have a faster rate of return on investment, it will take priority for construction. The Rainy River Project will cost an estimated $900 million to build, while the Blackwater Project would be around $1.85 billion. “The idea is to get Rainy River up and running and have those assets in to the company and then looking at and moving those forward to be able to develop Blackwater,” said Gouger. The biggest fluctuation in terms of the project’s feasibility over time has been the price of gold, so the company wants to continue to move the project through the permitting process but will wait for the price of gold to rebound to begin the construction phase. At this point the project still is on the original planned timelines and with environmental assessment and exploration continuing as planned in 2014. Exploration will begin again in the spring, with 23,000 hectares in new acquisitions in the area which the company will drill more thoroughly this year. “So we’re still looking in our region,” said Gouger.
Thank-you to all who attended the Sleigh ride fundraiser for Ryleigh Johns-Crampain. We raised $1,500.00! Special thanks to Ronald and Darlene Fawcett, Pat Fawcett, Levi and Jessica Walker, Daniel Somerville and Monica Weaver.
Continued on page 3
n tio 2013 a c Va ner an Pl
the d explore Come an chako Area Stuart Ne
in: e Co ver ageser Fra ser Laka are t Fra hoo f Forand sur rou ndi ng Jam es
Van der St. For t
Vacation Planner for the Stuart/Nechako This colourful booklet features a guide to exploring Vanderhoof, Fort Fraser, Fraser Lake and Fort St. James area. Readers are locals, tourists, business people and those considering moving to, or investing in our area. Added Bonus - the 2014 Vacation Planner will be online.
For more information call the Omineca Express: 250-567-9258