Open Collections

Abstract

The Giant Nickel Mine, located near the community of Hope in southern British Columbia, Canada is a former underground mine which produced a significant amount of nickel and copper from the 1930s until operations ceased in 1974. During operations, approximately 2 million cubic meters of tailings were deposited in two tailings storage facilities (TSFs), collectively referred to as the Giant Nickel TSF. Barrick took over management of the legacy Giant Nickel site in 2001 with the acquisition of Homestake Mining Company. At that time, physical reclamation of Giant Nickel was largely complete, and the site was in a state of ‘passive closure’ with no active management required. In keeping with Barrick’s commitment to responsible tailings management and sustainable mine closure, a project was initiated in 2016 to better understand and improve the long-term geotechnical and environmental performance of the Giant Nickel TSF. A key objective of the project was to integrate stakeholder needs and concerns into project design and execution. The project was executed by local contractors and provided meaningful work to residents and economic input into the community over a two-year period. Barrick also worked collaboratively with stakeholders to provide safe access to the motocross trail network and campground adjacent to the TSF. This project demonstrates the benefits of collaborating with communities, First Nations, and other stakeholders to develop holistic mine closure plans that provide long-term value post-closure.