Gold mine expansion west of Prince George could add 1,500 local jobs

“That’s huge for the region,” said Dale Andres, Artemis Gold’s CEO.

Right now, the mine employs about 900 workers and contractors. After the expansion, that number should rise to around 1,200. Andres said the company plans to keep most of those jobs local.

“We currently have 75 percent of our employees come from British Columbia,” he said. “40 percent of those are from the local region. And, importantly, 25 percent identify as Indigenous.”

Andres said the company aims to keep those percentages steady as it hires more people for the expansion, including construction workers.

Many of the new workers could come from a familiar field. With forestry struggling, Andres said skilled tradespeople are looking for steady jobs, and their skills can be used in mining. “A good mill operator running a forest mill can become a very good mill operator for a mining mill,” he said.

Andres said the company offers its own training and employee development programs. These programs can help people with no experience or those coming from forestry get started.

“Mining is making a resurgence at a time when another industry is unfortunately faced with a downturn,” he said. “I think that helps provide some stability for the region.”

The benefits are reaching beyond the mine itself. Neil Godbout, executive director of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, said this project is one of several bringing new optimism to the local economy.

“Between the Artemis project and all of these other projects coming online, all of this is creating consumer confidence and business confidence that things are looking pretty good,” Godbout said.

He said this new confidence is leading local business owners to make real decisions.

“That entrepreneurial spirit is certainly alive and well in Prince George,” he said. “We’re seeing businesses say, maybe I am ready to expand the business and to hire more staff.”

Godbout said companies like Artemis consider the global market when making big investments, and they are choosing this region and looking at the overall landscape and going, “This is a good investment in B.C. and in Canada,” he said. “This is a stable place to do business.”

Andres said the size of the project is a big milestone for both the company and the region. When the expansion is done, he said, Blackwater will be one of Canada’s largest gold mines.

“We’re in our first year of operation and already have two expansion projects underway,” he said. “We’ve got a great team. We’re ready for the challenge.”

For local workers and businesses, both men have the same message: the growth is real, and it is happening right here.

by Dave Branco

Gold mine expansion west of Prince George could add 1,500 local jobs ​

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Gold mine expansion west of Prince George could add 1,500 local jobs