B.C. on the Rise

Three mines opened in the province last year: the Trend and Wolverine-Perry Creek coal mines and the Table Mountain gold mine. At the end of 2006 there were more than 25 project submissions to government seeking mine development and environmental approvals.

These numbers fly in the face of the results of the most recent Annual Survey of Mining Companies 2006-07 released in mid-March by Fraser Institute, ranking B.C. as the least attractive mining jurisdiction among the Canadian provinces. Maybe so, but just tell that to the recruiters trying to fill hundreds of mining positions in the very tight job market, and companies trying to locate drills, steel, tires and every sort of gear for exploration and mining.

We look at two of the more promising porphyry copper-gold mine developments in British Columbia.