eldoradomountainluckyjemstory

8/3/2019 EldoradoMountainLuckyJemStory

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Britisb Columbia's exploration ind.utTxy isfaznded on a core of hard-worbing ind.iaid-uslists dedicated t0 better understandingotn' geology and how to access the uast mhz-aal weabh hz our g'otntd. TltE, arz at hwnein the wilderttess and work - often alone -under dffinth and sonrctintis dangerottsconditions. Tbey walh saftly and. leazte asrnall foatprittt, respectirrg o?.tr n&taralberitage and are perzzled by city folk wboclaim to bat do not.Mel Stewan's saga rcads like so?txethingorn of a youtb adaenture rnztel: First, hintof lturied tzasure, gleanedfi'om a strarzgel'in a bar Next, an expedition into ruggedmotmtains and a prcruiirzg disco-oery, Tb m,conf'ontation'aith a gang of aduersariesdetennhted to fl.ttstrflte his endeavours.Arul finally, sTtccess - nrcasarcd h goLl.Stewart's case bistory illustrates theendutance and tetzacity i'equired t0 oaet'-clme the forces working agaittst sttccessfulrnine deaeloprnent in B.C. inrccent decades.Let us hope tbat people ofhis charaaer donzt becorne discouraged, nansfetring th eir'fortitude to ntore welcomirtg gt ourzd.

-Ralph Suttan, P. Eng., MLA

ffiofindofountalnEtukckyffi$orf,ffi:EJART'S TENACITY PAYS OFFffi,'**?*RE THAN 40 YEARS

wtNTER 2011 MTNERAI dq,lonerioN 1.1

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f n t}e spirit of sharing resources andI respecting multiple land uses, ther Mel Stewart story is one of greathope and incredible perseverance.Stewart's Lucky Jem-Eldorado storystarts simply enough in 1956. l:[e wasa surveyor for B.C. Electric (now BCHydro), surveying the power line forthe Bralorne-Pioneer gold mine in theBridge River mining camp, an impor-tant gold producer. The area spranginto prominence in rhe late 1890s, whenthe first claims were staked at Bralorneand Pioneer.Just 30 kilometres north ofBralome, Eldorado rMountain had at onetime been the focus of intense exDlora-tion. There are numerous old woikinesknown on ttre flanls of the mountain.

Lenahan's old mine. H" ,found what was Ieft of il- :old adit, a collapsed cii:--- :house, a huge anvil tn; , :pieces of equipment.

Several years passed. L: :-:= .':- ' '* . .with gold prices risine. S:.-.!:- Jr.'::"r:.'he had better stake the g:'-,ir:',: ?i.: e:,:::back to Eldorado u'ith :i.= : r::- :'staking four Crown Gr::.:' :: --:; -. :.but he had missed his ti=.::; -:. -. ;::. .up staking adjacent nr,,,-..- :-years, he did his assessme-: ro,-E*+''-:..,'#r.'out if he really had anr'*r:::. :r,- .-:;1 r.:ciaims in good standins'.r-::: ::.: r:l;=,r-:Commissioner. Otherri is:. --.. :r-o: *.in lieu of assessment s'ort. '. ----. ,*r*-One morning, in Or:',:,1.==- :-::,

,:rpletelv c :-.:.--.--:able.ing this -:ri---. a seemingly'-ccession t,,: ::=:tings to help--.-'matter c:s;gd betrveen the

- interess ol i:rctectionists and- .rplorers. Ai the end ofseven- Lillooet land-use manage-had not reached a consensus- :omplete plan rvith a number.'ndations was sent back to the- -'rrSustainableResourceMan-

--. settle, which did nothappen.- -.irh an unresolved problem,: - -.-ernment requested the assis---. B.C. andYukon Chamberof


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signed, provided ri= .:ound rules fora discussion betn-e c:: ::;sbers of theirrespective associai:i::--. Following thisand through the e:::;:,.:r'e |oint effortsof MaryMahonJc::.sof CoTA, DanJepsen ofthe Chaml''er =d David ParkerofTeck Resources Lii the WildernessTourismfusociation :ld environmental

Rudi Durleld takes aclose look at the LuckyJem Eldorado Pr

activists agreed that the boundaries ofthe protected area u'.;-;- exclude Stew-art's claims and s::i.s-i=ent mineralexploration and poss::,- ;*relopment onthe claimsrvoulci nc: := *pposd.Based on this ri,:a: .pproach, thegovernment u-:s :i=: =;;ed for a 6nalland-use plan ,ie.:,;:.,:,, -;t t}re responservas that the =::;: -' *j not proceedrvithout approi-.:- - : : ---.: \ations. So yetagain, Sten'rrl ii-:: ::=Jtir-ely stymiedand much hopn r\':: : .i1InJune li;'.'- ---, ,.... a determinedStervart- ner-.i r ir*r: r - solicited assis-tance from D: i.--:.- ).Jtan, a formerbanker and in=.:.a .,.- :,'.-e aad current-\lLAfor\\L:'i .:.- - =-Capilano. Sul-tan pror.eti t'i :{ . :'.: -J ally, writingnumerous1c-":. : -, "...rrtof Stewart.The situaire. !:{r..:; +n for anotherfour vears: :r -:.--. . = *:ain on a pros-pector's fe={:iiii: .. .-;; there seemed

Iiale hope of a resolution. Nevertheless,the steadfast Stewart attended innumer-able meetings with government officialsandwrote letten to the ministry, to dep-uty ministers and ro cabinet membersexplaining his plight. He even enlistedthe support of the Lillooet town counciland the mayoroflyfton.

right thing and set government's courseof action to 6nd solutions in 2009.In January 2010, a key meeting washeld with Randy Hawes, Hogg's suc-cessor as Minister of State for Miningwhere Stewart and Durfeld again laidout the case and asked for assistance.Eventually, with the dogged support of

Then in late 2008, ArME BC re-dou-bled its efforts and entered its secondround ofhighJevel discussions to put anend to Stewart's saga by seeking a finaldecision on the unresolved land-useplan. AME BC arranged a special meet-ing at Roundup 2009 with Sultan andthe Minister of State forMining Gor-don Hogg, and his staff. This criticalmeeting gave Stewart and his parrnerRudi Durfeld a fair chance to shed lighton the challenging situation. Theyseized tlle opportunity to emphasize thepotential of the Lucky Jem-Eldoradoproperties and described to Hogg howthey had been rendered unmarketable,and horv the Spruce Lake protected areahad effectively and needlesslv sterilizeda huge block of highly prospective min-eral territory. Hogg was convinced thatthe matter must be resolved fairly andhe tookup the principled cause to do the

Hawes and help from Sultan, Hog& a::president of AME BC Gavin Dirou:;::many others, legislation was drafuj::..jfinalized in order to change the p!o:i:-.=:area boundary at last, excludi,rr :L-Stewartclaims and openingup i:.,hectares of land for mineral exp:ci::-,,:,and development.

July 5, 2010 was a landn:rr. ::-.'.Thirty-one years after Stervli: s::.:::the claims and after 11 years of l=:--: .:-ing and negotiating, the go'.-ei:::::=::finally made decisive adjustmc::: :: :--:protected area boundaw, v.b-ici ;ll,--,:.:Stewartto explore and derelo: :,'s .,.:-:::.On ground that had beei -:-i.-.: -: --the protected area discu-..i,.:.. :::'. ::-staked additional land. lr-;.--:..- : ' .former mi ne rvorkin gs , .: i: ; j., :. .- : :Eldorado Mountain- S::'.i :::', : -: :.-.. -. :claim acquisitions a.D.: il: j;'. =- ::-.=::work that he and Dulr-,. i.;: : .-. -


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Stewaft, theetemal optimistand gentleman,nerer asked fora handout heiust did honestwodr in thebelief he wouHbe vindicahd.

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put the-LuclyJem-Eldorado propertieson solid footing and the pairrvire able toshovrthe properties to a numberofinter-ested companies.Then in February 2011, Gold FieldsCanada Exploration signed an agreementto option LuckyJem-Eldorado. Underthat agreemeng Gold Fields can under-take an exploration program to establishthe presence ofmileral resources which.hopefully, will meet rheir decision-mak-ing threshold to develop a mine project.This process could taie a number ofyears, but will conrribute to the econ-omy of local communities and to theprovince's understaading of its mineralresources overall.Srewart, the eternal optimist andgentleman, never asked ior a hand-out; he just did honest work in thebelief he would be vindicated. Hisprincipled efforts and drive, with thesupporr of Suitan, AME BC and manvothers, ulrimateiy paid off. It took anexcessively long rime, but finally Stewartgothis justreward andwas abli m dem_onstrate to everyone that respectfullVsharing the land is the best orrt.o*.for all. r

www. aeroq uesta i rborne. com1,'t?

WINTER 2011 MrNER{LSqnronarror.r 1g

eldoradomountainluckyjemstory

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