GUEST COLUMN — Yellowknife indebted to mining

Throughout Canada’s history, hundreds of communities have grown and prospered because of mining developments. While we all applaud these mines for the jobs they create, we often overlook the other important social and economic contributions they make.

The gold and future diamond mines near the city of Yellowknife do far more than fill local residents’ wallets. They are integral to our community’s well-being, and are one of the primary reasons our residents enjoy infrastructure, health and educational facilities equal to, or better than, those found in many larger cities to our south.

Yellowknife was built by gold mines. From recreational services to health care facilities to community halls, the Giant mine of Royal Oak and the Con mine of Miramar have helped us develop all the fundamentals of a strong community. When Yellowknife’s first arena burned to the ground in 1953, the Giant mine halted plans for a recreational facility at its site and, instead, guaranteed all of the materials to rebuild the city’s arena. Until the Stanton Yellowknife Hospital opened in 1948, the Con mine provided all of the medical services for Yellowknife and much of the Northwest Territories.

In addition to indirectly bolstering the economic well-being of Yellowknife through their weighty contribution to municipal taxes, our gold mines provide a number of facilities that make Yellowknife a great place to live.

Organizations across the city enjoy the use of the rec hall at the Con mine, while the Great Slave Cruising Club at the Giant mine provides a valuable recreational facility.

While gold mines gave Yellowknife a strong past and laid the foundation for a vibrant and healthy community, diamond mines promise Yellowknife an even more prosperous future. Construction of one diamond mine will provide jobs for more than 1,000 workers, and the operation of the mine will create an additional 630 jobs. The financial and social benefits for the people of Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories will be astounding.

Mining is the engine that drives the economy of the Northwest Territories and provides a major part of Yellowknife’s economic and community base.

Without new mining developments, there would be no future for many of our youth. Without the direct and indirect employment generated by this industry, the North would have risked losing many of its best and brightest; longtime residents and established businesses would have quickly followed.

Yellowknife is just one of hundreds of Canadian communities that are thriving because of mining.

The author is the mayor of Yellowknife. He wrote this column at the request of Mining Works for Canada, an organization designed to increase awareness of the importance of mining in this country.