Ranj Pillai: Yukon Has Strong Mining Support and Geologic Potential

Excitement was running high in Canada’s Yukon earlier this month when Victoria Gold (TSXV:VIT,OTC Pink:VITFF) poured the first gold bar at the country’s newest mine.

On the sidelines of the Denver Gold Forum, Deputy Premier Ranj Pillai spoke positively about the company and emphasized that the territory has much more potential to tap.

“Just a phenomenal example of great partnerships all around,” he said. “John McConnell and his team (at Victoria Gold) have done a really fantastic job, first of all working with the local First Nation government there, Na-Cho Nyäk Dun — it’s been a relationship that they’ve built over a number of years.”

“For us as the regulator, they’ve been again such a professional organization to deal with. And just even on the buildout they’ve done an unbelievable job of ensuring that we have local opportunities for the contractors as well as for local employment. It’s been a big driver.”

Aside from Victoria Gold, a number of other Yukon-focused companies attended the Denver Gold Forum. Pillai mentioned Alexco Resource (TSX:AXU,NYSEAMERICAN:AXU), ATAC Resources (TSXV:ATC,OTC Pink:ATADF), Western Copper and Gold (TSX:WRN,NYSEAMERICAN:WRN) and White Gold (TSXV:WGO).

“(It’s) really exciting when you look at White Gold and (Western Copper and Gold’s) Casino. Casino is such a massive project, almost 18 million ounces of gold,” he said.

“And the White Gold District — it seems every time there’s drills in the ground and their exploration teams are out, there’s something exciting happening around those projects. And ATAC continuing to put out really exciting numbers on their project.”

Pillai also pointed to projects in the later stages of development, including BMC Minerals’ Kudz Ze Kayah project and Newmont Goldcorp’s (TSX:NGT,NYSE:NEM) Kaminak project.

When asked what’s driving activity in the Yukon, Pillai said government and community support are key.

“We understand the importance of mining in the Yukon. Yukoners support mining — there’s a long, long history going back to the Klondike gold rush,” he said. “People celebrate it, and they’ve worked in the industry and they understand how positive the industry can be for our communities.”

Listen to the interview above for more from Pillai on Yukon mining, including what the recent gold price rise could mean for companies. Our full playlist for the Denver Gold Forum can be found on YouTube.

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Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Editorial Disclosure: Alexco Resource, Western Copper and Gold and White Gold are clients of the Investing News Network. This article is not paid-for content. 

The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.