Premier Ranj Pillai didn’t hold much back Tuesday as he spoke to the Council of Yukon First Nations’ General Assembly about the impact of mining in the territory.

“Yukoners are upset and angry about what is happening at the Eagle Gold Mine,” Pillai said during a lengthy speech at the 44th annual assembly, being held at the Ta’an Kwäch’än fish camp north of Whitehorse. “We find ourselves dealing with the consequences of decisions made in the past.”

A major heap leach pad landslide occurred at the site on June 24.

Earlier in his remarks, Pillai did expound on how important mining is to the territorial economy. The industry “allows Yukoners to feed their families, gas up their vehicles, and pay their bills,” he pointed out. 

“Through taxation, mining helps to pay for our schools and our hospitals and supports businesses that help keep our tourism and hospitality sectors operating.”

The premier conceded, however, there’s a downside and cost to relying on mining. That’s when his tone turned outright feisty, in a way unlike any other Yukon premier has talked about the industry in the last four decades.

“However, I do not say this to suggest that mining does not have a cost associated with it as well. The mining sector has had its fair share of bad actors, unfair practices, and the inherent desire – driven by the greed of corporate executives and shareholders – to cut corners, shirk responsibilities, and break the law,” Pillai said.

“I will not stand before you and paint a rosy picture of mining – we must do better, and we will do better.  I will not do so when we see corporations cut their losses and run at the suggestion of financial loss. Not when our people are facing the loss of the safe use of their lands. Not when we are left with a giant mess to clean up.”

Pillai’s tone grew stronger as he continued.

“We have seen this play out firsthand here in the territory, far too many times.  We saw it at Clinton Creek and in Faro.  We saw it at the Wolverine Mine, and more recently with Minto Metals. We saw it at Mount Nansen. We saw it at Wellgreen and Venus Mine.

“And now we see it at the Eagle Mine, with corporate executives refusing to speak to the media and shareholders cutting and running the moment that profits are in question.

“Nearly every major mine closure, in fact, has left us holding the bag. Clinton Creek was an example of a worst-case-scenario: a closed mine, a bankrupt company, millions in unpaid bills, and catastrophic environmental ruin that even today the public must avoid.

“It proved what everyone in this room already knows: while we have stringent safety and environmental regulations, more can be done to protect public health and the environment in the context of mining and exploration activities.”

He said his comments were not meant “to beat up on mining. As I said, mining has its economic benefits. I do raise these failures to let you all know that the Yukon government recognizes that there needs to be a better way.”

The premier also chose to focus on the future of mining in the territory by starting in the past.

“Since the Klondike Gold Rush in the 1890s, mining has been a vital industry fuelling our territory’s economic development and Yukon First Nations peoples have played a pivotal role in the territory’s mining sector,” he said.

Yukoners have come “a long way” since the Gold Rush, the premier added.

“The impacts of mining and exploration have been seen as positive and impactful on one hand, but harmful and challenging on the other. In recent years, large-scale mining operations have become the backbone of our territorial economy.

“We are committed to ensuring that mining in the Yukon benefits everyone, while preserving the natural beauty and cultural heritage of our land and upholding the rights and traditional ways of life of Yukon First Nations citizens.”

Since 2020, mining has accounted for roughly 14 per cent of the territory’s GDP, or approximately $350 million each year, he said. Twenty-one per cent of the private sector in the Yukon is connected to the industry. 

“With mining as the dominant industry in rural Yukon, the mining sector helps to sustain local stores and services, including grocery stores, hotel accommodations, and air services, and the mining sector provides employment to a significant percentage of Yukoners outside of Whitehorse,” the premier told the assembly delegates.

Pillai went on to add that Yukon First Nations benefit from the economic impacts of mining as well. According to the 2019 Yukon Business Survey, he said businesses that are partially or wholly owned by Yukon First Nations earned 18 per cent of their revenues from the mining sector. 

Many First Nations development corporations have significant business interests in the mining sector and its associated supply chains, he added.

The General Assembly will end Thursday.