Gladiator Metals Corp. vows it will do better at local mining exploration this time after its previous projects raised concerns from nearby residents.

Some residents, however, continue to have reservations about Gladiator’s latest proposals.

The company is planning exploration in the copper belt within city limits, on the west side of a dense population area. It showcased its intentions at an open house Wednesday evening at the Meadow Lakes Golf Club.

The company has been working with the territorial government and the City of Whitehorse. It has obtained the necessary permits, including Class 1 notification approval for the Arctic Chief Project area, and a Class 1 Amendment request for continued drilling at the Cowley Park exploration area. 

Gladiator’s mineral claims cover a 35-kilometre by five-kilometre area. 

During the open house, company president Marcus Harden said copper is vital to the transition to clean energy. As well, the federal government is seeking to secure a domestic supply.

As such, Gladiator’s project could potentially yield billions of dollars’ worth of copper resources that could drive industry, jobs, royalties, taxes for the territory and the First Nation communities, Harden said. 

The city’s copper belt has untapped potential for high-grade, low-tonnage copper, he said. This will reduce the carbon footprint and be more economically compelling, since the ore extraction ratio is higher here than in other places. 

Though it sounds like a good deal just from looking at it, area residents have concerns. In August 2023, the company was fined $43,700 for violating its class one mining permit related to its Cowley Creek work under the Quartz Mining Act, and for excessive noise and damaging  the environment. 

“I would really like to see an economic review of mining in the territory over the last 40 to 50 years,” Glenys Baltimore, a concerned resident, said at Wednesday’s open house.

“This is not anywhere near as positive as some people would like to think. We paid for bankrupt mines, we’ve paid for the remediation, there probably is some economic benefit, but in my opinion it’s not enough to justify mines that are not well enough regulated, and in this case, this is right on top of the largest population in the Yukon,” Baltimore added.

Other concerns raised during the open house included noise control and dust control.

The June 24 heap leach pad landslide at the Eagle Gold mine north of Mayo also arose. Harden was asked if Whitehorse risks becoming a second potential victim after residents of the Mayo region following the landslide. Harden acknowledged that some impact to the environment has occurred previously, but that the company is out to minimize any effects this time. 

Not only will the exploration be highly regulated, he said, but there will be a third party regularly monitoring the site to ensure the average noise produced will not be higher than the background noise in the surrounding area 100 to 300 metres from the site. 

The company will also work with the Yukon government on water well monitoring, and will try to use existing drilling holes as much as possible. By further minimizing the contamination, attendees were told, drilling water will be captured and re-used every time, and the water will be settled in a temporary sump. 

As for toxic chemical concerns, Harden said that since the copper extraction technique is different compared to gold extraction methods, the copper extraction process uses acid, not cyanide.