The Wells-Barkerville area is once again the site of golden opportunities just like in the 1860s.
A modern gold rush looks significantly different, compared to the blizzard of claim stakings and rough-and-tumble influx of prospectors in the 19th century. This new mining venture is led primarily by Osisko Development Corp., a Montreal-based company already working in its Bonanza Ledge operation southeast of the village of Wells.
The new Cariboo Gold Project aims to be an underground mine right at the village.
Company officials told The Observer that, “2023 was a monumental year for Osisko Development, with the hard work of our staff, partners and stakeholders culminating in the Cariboo Gold Project receiving its Environmental Assessment (EA) Certificate.”
The company’s leaders explained that the EA process “was substantial” taking three years of expert assessment to plan the project out, and undergoing 15 months of EA certificate application review.
“During this time, we responded to and closed nearly 2,000 comments from the province’s Technical Advisory Committee, in addition to comments from the Community Advisory Committee, and the general public,” said company officials. “Throughout the process, experts examined our work, our plans, and the level of engagement we’ve had with the community in Wells, B.C. and the Cariboo region.”
One of Osisko’s senior vice-presidents, François Vézina, said, “This is an exciting moment for the project, but more than that, it’s setting a new standard for mining in Canada, and throughout the world. The project will use Osisko’s vast technical innovation and clean technology to extract resources in an environmentally safe manner. Ours was the first project awarded a certificate under B.C.’s new Environmental Assessment Act; and we aim to be a fully electric mine, which could be a first in the world. We’ll mine cleaner, greener, and quieter than any project underway in Canada – and we’re proud of that.”
The company’s officials added that the EA Certificate, in their view, “also demonstrates B.C.’s confidence that the project will be a major win for the economy in the region, and province.”
The Cariboo Gold Project will provide roughly 500 people with “good, well-paying jobs in an industry with a valued legacy in the region,” the company said. “Our project will inject millions into B.C.’s economy through collaboration with regional suppliers and Indigenous stakeholders.”
The EA certificate was issued in October, and came with 22 conditions Osisko must abide by. These conditions stipulate ways to minimize disruptions to the community, establishing a new clean drinking water supply for the District of Wells, and other specified requirements.
“But we see them as commitments, not conditions,” said the company’s statement to The Observer.
The mine’s presence in the community is not without local contention. Some people living in the Wells area are displeased with some aspects of the proposed project. Consultations are ongoing.
“Osisko Development is committed to building on our relationship with the community and region,” the company’s statement said. “We will continue putting environmental sustainability at the forefront of everything we do at the Cariboo Gold Project, and are excited for all that 2024 will bring, including beginning construction on the mine itself.”
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