New mining push takes root west of Prince George

“We’re at a really interesting moment in time,” Vis said. “Logging is suffering. People are concerned about the future, and mining can provide some support in that regard.”

Vis, who grew up in Prince George, said his team has spent the last two years on surface work such as soil sampling, rock sampling, and mapping. Crews just finished a geophysics program. Next, they plan to drill about 2,000 metres with a diamond-coring drill to see what is underground.

“We have an idea of what’s going on, and that there could be something of interest below the surface, but we really have to test it,” Vis said.

He said the work has a small impact on the land and will be finished in a few months, before crews restore the site. It also helps the local economy by creating jobs and using local services.

“The act of mineral exploration is beneficial,” Vis said. “The ultimate goal for us is to be able to put a mine in, but that’s pretty far down the road.”

Vis said Prince George is well positioned to support this growth. The area has skilled workers, good road access, a rail line, and many people who want to leave struggling industries.

“We’ve got a lot of highly skilled people in the area,” he said. “It’s close to infrastructure. You’ve got the rail line right there. You’ve got people who can work on these jobs.”

The effects of this activity are already reaching beyond the exploration sites. Charles Scott, a senior instructor at the University of Northern British Columbia’s School of Business, said local service companies are seeing more demand.

“There are companies that get involved right from day one, and they are struggling to keep up with demand,” Scott said. “The mining sector is demanding more and more activity from the early-stage services around environmental and engineering than before.”

Scott said the province has large proven reserves and more areas to explore for important minerals like copper, molybdenum, and nickel. He said these metals are essential for the clean energy transition. Rising prices have made mining more profitable, and global politics have made a secure local supply more important.

He argued the bigger opportunity is keeping more of the value at home.

“The next step is not just digging things out of the ground and then shipping them to be processed, but the processing itself,” Scott said. “We have to add the value to the resources.”

Vis said permitting timelines in the province have been getting shorter, and government support for critical mineral exploration has grown.

For now, the Fishpot drill program is expected to start in the next few months. Both men said the growth is real for workers and businesses in the region, and it is happening close to home.

by Dave Branco

New mining push takes root west of Prince George

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