The Highland Valley Copper Mine Life Extension project (HVC MLE) is one of several resource sector projects that the province wants to “speed up” so that they can quickly employ workers and help B.C. leverage its “incredible natural strengths” in the face of economic uncertainty.
Premier David Eby made the announcement on Feb. 4, the day after the United States had agreed to pause threatened tariffs on Canadian goods for 30 days. The list of projects includes critical minerals, energy, and clean energy projects which already have a business case developed and need some type of permit or approval from government.
"We believe we have identified projects that we believe can be moved along quite quickly and get shovels in the ground, get people hired around construction," Eby said, adding that the preliminary list represents "just a fraction" of the identified projects. He noted that the projects are located in "smaller, rural, and remote communities that are going to be disproportionately affected by these tariffs."
The projects represent a total investment of $20 billion and will employ approximately 8,000 people across B.C. Among the projects included on the list are the Highland Valley Wind Project and the ShTSaQU Solar Project, both west of Logan Lake, and the Mount Mabel Wind Project north of Logan Lake.
The HVC MLE project would, if approved, see the life of the mine extended to the mid-2040s, via an extension to the existing infrastructure at the site. It is already in the environmental assessment phase, as required under the B.C. Environmental Assessment Act, and Jacqui Schneider — senior community affairs officer for Teck Highland Valley Copper Partnership — told the Journal in an email that they expect a decision from the EA office in mid-2025.
“Pending a final sanction decision, construction could start in 2025,” she added. “HVC MLE would allow for the continuation of social and economic benefits of the mine, including supporting an average [of] over 1,300 direct jobs and an average $490 million in annual GDP, and produce 1.95 million tonnes of copper over the life of the mine.”
Schneider said that HVC MLE has received support from the Citxw Nlaka’pamux Assembly, the Lower Nicola Band, and the Kanaka Bar Indian Band. The Skeetchestn Band and Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, who make up the Stk'emlúpsemc Te Secwépemc Nation (SSN), have said that they do not support the extension.
“We respect the perspectives of SSN and are committed to continuing to work constructively with them and other local Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities and stakeholders to extend the life of HVC,” said Schneider.
Proceeding with the extension would mean, said Schneider, capital investment of between US$1.3 and US$1.4 billion, and would create about 2,900 jobs during the construction phase of the project. She added that there would employment opportunities for local residents, noting that there are more than 80 people from Ashcroft, Spences Bridge, and Cache Creek among the 1,300 employees currently at the site. That number is expected to rise to 1,500 pending approval and construction of HVC MLE.
The province announced in December of last year that wind farm projects would no longer be subject to environmental assessments. The province has not given revised timelines for any of the projects, but Eby said that they would involve legislation.
To learn more about the Highland Valley Copper Mine Life Extension project, go to https://bit.ly/3EIZnrF.
