The Yellowknives Dene First Nation says it “welcomes” the appointment of a ministerial special representative for Giant Mine.
Gary Anandasangaree, minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, announced last week the appointment of Murray Rankin, previously BC’s minister of Indigenous relations and reconciliation as his ministerial special representative for the former gold mine in Yellowknife.
In a press release, the Canadian government said Rankin would be responsible for “assessing the impacts of the legacy of the Giant Mine on historical Treaty rights and exploring potential pathways to resolution.” Rankin is expected to produce a final report in 2026 including recommendations.
In its own press release on Monday, the Yellowknives Dene First Nation said it was “hopeful” the appointment would lead to a resolution regarding Giant Mine’s toxic legacy.
The First Nation has long called for an apology and compensation for the mine’s long-lasting impacts.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
“For decades we have advocated for an apology and compensation for the harms that our people have suffered as a result of Canada’s authorization and administration of Giant Mine. We are hoping for a resolution for our claim before more of our Elders pass away that were alive when the mine was imposed,” Dettah Chief Ernest Bestina said in a statement.
“It is our hope that Mr Rankin’s report will pave the way to a resolution to advance the path toward reconciliation and healing.”
The First Nation has said Giant Mine was built within a core harvesting area of ecological, cultural and spiritual importance where Yellowknives Dene hunted, trapped, fished, camped and gathered.
“We no longer trust it as a safe place to harvest,” stated Ndılǫ Chief Fred Sangris. “We will share our peoples’ message with Mr Rankin that the damage is still felt today and will be felt for generations. We hope that Mr Rankin can find a path forward toward resolution.”
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
Giant Mine began operations in 1948. Its gold processing operations emitted a highly toxic form of arsenic known as arsenic trioxide dust. According to research on the abandoned mine, emissions from Giant and the neighbouring Con mine totalled an estimated 9,979 kg per day in the early 1950s. Today, 237,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide dust remains stored in chambers underground.
While Canada knew about the dangerous emissions, pollution control equipment was not installed at Giant Mine until the end of 1951. That was only after many Yellowknives Dene people reported illnesses and a two-year-old boy died after drinking contaminated water.
Remediation of the former mine site, which began in 2021, is expected to cost more than $4 billion.
