Newsletter BMC - Kudz Ze Kayah · 2018. 10. 10. · Newsletter. BMC. September 2018, 12. th. Edition. Exploration. Throughout the summer BMC has continued to explore the Kudz Ze Kayah

1 BMC Minerals (No. 1) Ltd. (No. 636056) | 530-1130 West Pender Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 4A4 | + 1-778-379-9262 | http://kudzzekayah.com

NewsletterBMC

September 2018, 12th Edition

Exploration Throughout the summer BMC has continued to explore the Kudz Ze Kayah claim areas. Ongoing activities include: drilling, ground geophysics, surface mapping, and soil sampling.

Kelvin Magun has been hired as Mentor and Council Liaison. Kelvin is Kaska Dena from Liard First Nation in Watson Lake, Yukon Territory.

Kelvin is a part of the Tsi`yone (wolf) clan and had a very traditional upbringing. He was raised to always have respect for everyone and everything as all life is sacred, in his traditional language this principle is called “Dene ā’́ nehzen”. He actively participates in many traditional activities like fish harvesting, drum dance, and hand games.

Kelvin is committed to promoting healthy relationships between the resource sector and First Nations while taking the land into special consideration.

Congratulations Dorothy on 20 years working at KZK!

Dorothy and representative from Teck Cominco undertaking reclamation activities in the late 1990s Dorothy managing the gate at the entrance to the KZK Tote Road in 2018

BMC is excited to introduce a new addition to our team:

Transnorth Helicopters are supporting the 2018 exploration field programs

BMC Minerals (No. 1) Ltd. (No. 636056) | 750 - 789 West Pender Street, Vancouver BC V6C 1H2 | + 1-778-379-9262 | http://kudzzekayah/com

2BMC Minerals (No. 1) Ltd. (No. 636056) | 530-1130 West Pender Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 4A4 | + 1-778-379-9262 | http://kudzzekayah.com

Environmental StudiesEnvironmental Studies are ongoing at KZK. Since our last newsletter the following was completed:

• Surface water sampling took place for 5 weeks in a row and ended in early June.

• Monthly surface water sampling, quarterly ground water sampling and biweekly field bin sampling.

• A fish fence was installed in Finlayson Creek in late May until the end of June for arctic grayling assessments.

• Five air quality samplers were installed in June and were sampled monthly.

• A post calving caribou survey of the Finlayson herd occurred in July.

• Reclamation research.

Dorothy collecting Arctic grayling at Finalyson Creek in June 2018

Jay Cherian (Obsidian Environmental) and Jody Inkster (BMC) collecting groundwater

Scott MacNeill collecting water samples

Air quality sampler near weather station



Kudz Ze Kayah Project ProposalBMC’s Proposal to develop the KZK Project is now in the Screening stage of YESAB’s environmental assessment process. Since being in the Screening stage of the assessment, YESAB has sent BMC two sets of information requests that require responses prior to them preparing the Draft Screening Report. BMC submitted responses to the majority of the information requests in late June and will submit the remainder of the responses this fall.

Public comments on the Project can be submitted at any stage of the process through the YESAB Online Registry http://www.yesabregistry.ca

Environmental and Socio-cultural Review RRDC’s environmental consultant (Dena Cho, in collaboration with Kaska Elders and Lands Stewards) is currently conducting an independent environmental and socio-cultural review of the proposed KZK Project. In June the Dena Cho team spent the weekend touring the site and learning more about BMC’s proposed plans. The review is expected to be complete this fall at which point they will submit information requests to us for our consideration and response.

Testloa Smith from Dena Cho near a snow patch

Dena Cho site tour with Jody Inkster, Stuart VanBibber, Grady Sterriah,Tesloa Smith, and Dorothy Smith

Testloa Smith drumming a prayer song

Robert Burke giving the Dena Cho team a tour at coreland

Testloa Smith and Stuart VanBibber at Dena Cho taking a helicopter tour of KZK



Elders Site Tours BMC hosted site tours for Kaska elders from Ross River and Watson Lake on July 25th and 26th. 21 elders attended. The tours were a valuable opportunity for BMC staff and Kaska elders to have informal conversations about the Project, out on the site where we propose to develop a mine. Our guests learned more about the Project, and we learned more about Kaska priorities. Informal get-togethers like these will help support and inform our more formal consultation efforts.

On both days Jim Newton (BMC) gave Project overview presentations to the Elders

Tour of the climate station. From left to right: Phoebe Lewis, KatelyneWolftail-Magun, Mary Caesar, Kelli Bergh, Mary Porter, Jim Newton, and Christine Sempleh

Tour group resting in the shade: From left to right: Phoebe Lewis, Mary Charlie, Dennis Menacho, Aggie Magun, and Kelli Bergh



The terrestrial component of Yukon College’s environmental monitoring course took place on site from August 7th-13th. Course attendees include six First Nations students from across the Yukon. Students obtained field experience in soil and ecosystem classifications, learned about the KZK project, ecology, and plant identification and helped BMC collect seeds for reclamation purposes. Two RRDC Elders (Dorothy

Yukon College Environmental Monitoring Course

RRDC Elders, Dorothy Smith teachingthe students about culturally importantplants

Community Benefits

BMC has purchased three apartment complexes in Faro and will be renovating them in collaboration with Kaska for BMC staff housing. BMC continues to be committed to utilizing Kaska businesses, suppliers and people from our Yukon based activities.

Three complexes in Faro purchased by BMC Minerals Ltd.

Smith and Nora Ladue) and two LFN Elders (Mary Caesar and Mary Porter) participated in the course. The Elders provided the students and instructors with culturally important information related to the terrestrial studies.

Students from the environmental monitoring courselearning about soil characteristics



On May 11th, BMC Minerals sponsored the Boys and Girls Club’s BBQ lunch at the Yukon Mining Week’s Discovery Camp Day. Youth and families participated in educational mining and exploration activities. Over 300 people partook in the activities.

On May 15th, BMC Minerals held a community open house in Faro. About 30 people attended the presentation and dinner. The following day on May 16th, another community open house in Whitehorse was held with 12 people in attendance.

During the first week of June, BMC hosted a community BBQ for the grade 12 graduates approximately 45 people at-tended. BMC would like to congratulate the four high school graduates from Ross River: Kayla Acklack (RRDC), Albert Bob (RRDC) Randall Bruneau, and Dennis Itsi-chitzeh.

Jody attending Yukon Mining week in Whitehorse Open house with attendees in Faro, followed by BMC presentations

Community Events

Photos of Community BBQ

Photos of Community BBQ



Mothers of the Land Conference In May 2018 the Mothers of the Land conference was held in Watson Lake that covered topics such as Indigenous stewardship, Traditional Knowledge, wind energy, solar energy, climate change, history of Kaska people, Elder panel and youth panels. The key note speaker for the conference was David Suzuki presenting his concerns for the environment and the importance of Indigenous leadership within Canada. BMC employees (Cassia Jakesta, Kelli Bergh, and Dorothy Dick) were able to participate in group discussions, meet new people and listen to various environmental issues within the territory.

BMC Scholarship ProgramJody & Cassia are past recipients of the Kaska-BMC Scholarship program, a collaboration between Kaska and BMC to ensure that Kaska are in a position to take leadership roles at KZK. Jody and Cassia have been hired into BMC’s Graduate Training Program.

BMC has received several applications for the 2018-2019 BMC-Kaska Scholarship Program and will be contacting applicants in the coming weeks regarding award.

David Suzuki starting off the conference in Watson Lake

Jody Inkster at graduation Cassia Jakesta at graduation

Kaska drummers ended the conference with a round dance


Documents

Newsletter BMC - Kudz Ze Kayah · 2018. 10. 10. · Newsletter. BMC. September 2018, 12. th. Edition. Exploration. Throughout the summer BMC has continued to explore the Kudz Ze Kayah