A small Canadian mining company, Canagold, is seeking permits and approvals to renew gold mining operations at a remote site in northwestern British Columbia (B.C.). Called the New Polaris Mine, it faces opposition from First Nations, environmental nonprofits and downstream Alaskan communities.
A small Canadian mining company, Canagold, is seeking permits and approvals to renew gold mining operations at a remote site in northwestern British Columbia (B.C.). Called the New Polaris Mine, it faces opposition from First Nations, environmental nonprofits and downstream Alaskan communities.
In 1957, the Tulsequah Chief Mine stopped production of gold, copper, lead and zinc after a short-lived six years of operations. Its legacy has since made it infamous: for the past seven decades, the Tulsequah Chief Mine has leaked a rust-red, mineral-laden runoff called acid mine drainage into the glacial waters of the Tulsequah River. Despite repeated calls from locals and environmentalists and government promises, the acid mine drainage has yet to be cleaned up. Amid this ongoing environmental contamination, the New Polaris Mine is entering the picture.
Like the now-abandoned Tulsequah Chief Mine, the New Polaris Mine sits on the Tulsequah River, which then flows into the Taku River, crosses the Alaska border near Juneau, and eventually drains into the Pacific Ocean. The Taku watershed stretches over 18,000 square kilometers of undeveloped wilderness, an area roughly the size of New Jersey. It is home to all five species of Pacific salmon, which sustain the watershed’s rich ecosystem and have long formed a key part of the livelihood of the Taku River Tlingit peoples.
Canagold first announced its plans to renew operations at New Polaris in March 2023. It has since created project descriptions and received approval to proceed with the environmental assessment process from the B.C. provincial government. Since January 2025, it has been preparing its application for a B.C. environmental assessment—a process that can take months or even years.
Consultation with participating Indigenous nations is built into this assessment process. For the New Polaris Mine, this entails bi-weekly conferences and meetings with the Taku River Tlingit First Nation peoples. Because it is sited on their territory, the mine cannot operate without their free and prior consent. The Taku River Tlingit are „leading the way with mining company relationships. Consent agreements are beginning with our nation and our people“, remarked Jíník, a spokesperson for the Taku River Tlingit First Nation, in a March 2023 press release.
But while Canagold and the Taku River Tlingit have been engaged in discussions, other communities, located further downstream and across an international border, have not had the same voice.