Gladiator Metals Corp. has started to explore for copper within city limits, and has drilled a couple of more holes in the Copper Belt area, also within municipal boundaries. 

“Since the last update, Gladiator has been drilling within the municipal boundary,” company president Marcus Harden confirmed to members of city council during their Tuesday evening meeting.

The company has conducted work where there have been historical disturbances and mining at the Little Chief and Arctic Chief areas.

“We drilled five holes for 1,300 metres at Little Chief, and six holes for just over a kilometre at Arctic Chief,” said Harden. 

As the drilling occurred at the historical disturbances, there were no land alterations, he added, and no additional roads and trails clearances were in place. 

All holes were capped, Harden advised council. The work has been inspected and has met the standards of both the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources and the city’s lands and building services branch. 

There are currently no further in-city drilling plans, but mapping, sampling and geophysical assessment work continues.

As part of the company’s rehabilitation work, scrapped vehicles, bridges, and other garbage have been removed from the sites. 

Coun. Kirk Cameron said he was appreciative of the information. He said he believes such updates “need to happen” from  mining and exploration companies as they move forward. He also wanted to ensure the company has had conversations with affected First Nations. 

All the permits the company has applied for have gone through with the First Nation groups, Harden said, and  dialogue continues as the work does. 

The company held an open house on its work on July 17 as part of its community engagement plan. It vowed to do better with this project than it did with previous activities, which resulted in environment-related charges and court sanctions in 2023.

Gladiator’s mineral claims cover a 25-kilometre by five-kilometre area.