Mining equals opportunity. As we celebrate BC Mining Month, it’s worth reflecting on our province’s long history of mining and the many benefits it brings to communities like ours.
Here in Telkwa, coal mining dates back more than 100 years. The coal industry has been a constant presence throughout the region and an ongoing source of opportunity.
For us, it is not just about the 160 new local jobs that Telkwa Coal will provide during full production. And it’s not just that these will be good-paying, secure, long-term positions. It’s about the many spinoff benefits that will also fuel our local economy.
These are jobs that are staying in our community. This includes equipment operators, environmental technicians, administration and managers, labourers and trades technicians.
Our employees will go to work each day and return to their families each night. Their pay checks will be spent and reinvested right here, at home. Not to mention the many goods and services we will need in our daily operations.
This activity creates opportunities for supporting other businesses and spurring further investment. We estimate the indirect local benefit to equal more than 240 jobs.
In addition, the Tenas Project will amount to $368 million in tax revenues for municipal, provincial and federal governments during its lifecycle that will contribute to funding social services, healthcare and education.
Steelmaking coal is a necessary ingredient in the production of steel. And, if you look around your home or workplace, you’ll notice that steel goes into almost everything we use each day, from our cellphones and furnaces to our fridges and vehicles. Steelmaking coal also plays a critical role in green energy technology, including wind turbines and solar panels.
To put things in perspective, the steelmaking coal we would mine here in Telkwa on an annual basis would produce enough steel for approximately 5,000 wind turbines. That’s enormous reach and benefit extending well beyond northern B.C.
Over the next month, we can celebrate the many opportunities that mining creates throughout B.C. Safe, responsible mining is about ensuring we meet or exceed all regulatory requirements, minimizing the potential effects of our operations, and creating lasting benefits for communities near and far. It supports thousands of families, and by investing in communities like Telkwa, we’re also supporting their future.