Giant Mine safety notices and work notices

This page includes safety notices, work notices and important site updates for the public regarding the Giant Mine Remediation Project. For additional information or questions, email the project team.

Active safety notices and work notices:

Work starting notice: summer 2023

Our third season of remediation work started on site June 2023 and will continue throughout summer 2023.

Work planned for this season includes:

Traffic and heavy truck presence will increase on roads and highways surrounding the Giant Mine site, including at the public boat launch near the Giant Mine Site and on the Ingraham Trail (Highway 4). People travelling on the Ingraham Trail (Highway 4) should watch for trucks turning in and out of the Giant Mine site.

Boaters accessing the public boat launch should be aware of trucks travelling through the area to access the site. The boat launch will remain open for public use during this time. Please be mindful of your surroundings at all times.

Exercise caution when driving in this area or using the boat launch, and pay attention to signage.

For more information, email the project team.

Baker Creek dye tracing study begins the week of October 9, 2023:

The Giant Mine Remediation Project will conduct a dye tracing study in Baker Creek, beginning the week of October 9, 2023 to investigate the potential connection between Baker Creek and C1 Pit. The results of this study will be used to inform the remediation design for C1 Pit.

The study is proposed to be conducted using rhodamine WT in a 400 metre area of Baker Creek adjacent to C1 Pit. The study team will be monitoring the dispersion of dye using automated cameras, white plastic reference placards placed in the creek, discharge and water level measurements and underground observations.

The project team understands the public may have concerns about this work and assures the community that the following safety concerns have received careful consideration:

  1. Visual: water in Baker Creek may be visibly red/pink downstream of the study reach for 1 to 2 days and the plume may extend for a short distance past the outlet into Yellowknife Bay (in an extreme case).
  2. Aquatic life: the concentration of the dye will be very low. The Giant Mine Remediation Project does not expect the dye to pose a risk to aquatic life at the preliminary dosing concentrations proposed.
  3. Water quality: it is not anticipated that the dye will result in any appreciable change in water quality in Baker Creek; however, this will be monitored on site. An additional water quality sample collected at the downstream end of the study reach.

Further questions can be directed to the project team: giantmine@rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca

Blasting notice

The Giant Mine Remediation Project will conduct blasting activities on site throughout the duration of the 2023 work season. Blasting activities are expected to conclude by November 2023.

The contractor will provide 24-hour notice of blasting taking place, using signage located close to the site. You can email the project team to request notification of blasting and other project notices.

Please be aware of safety signage and pay special attention to the warning signals, sirens and contractor personnel in the area before each blast.

The project team reminds area residents that access to the Giant Mine site is restricted at all times. In the interests of public health and safety, please always respect site boundaries.

Blasting near the public boat launch at the Giant Mine site anticipated to resume the week of September 25, 2023

Blasting near the public boat launch at Yellowknife Bay is anticipated to resume the week of September 25. Temporary closures and delays in access to the public boat launch area will continue until the blasting is completed in that area. The contractor will establish in advance a blast exclusion zone within 100 metres of each blast. The blast exclusion zone will apply to both land and water users in the area and will need to be clear for the duration of each blast, until the "all clear" signal is sounded.

We expect 2 blasts will occur per day during the scheduled blasting period: 1 at the start of shift at 8:00 A.M., and 1 at the end of the shift at 5:30 P.M. The duration the area will be closed for each individual blast is expected to be approximately 1 hour. However, these times and durations may vary. Significant delays are not expected. Please be aware of safety signage and pay special attention to the warning signals, sirens and contractor personnel in the area. Please stay outside of the marked exclusion zones during blasting.

The contractor will ensure there is an audible warning of 12 short blasts of an air horn or siren 2 minutes in advance of each blast so users know to clear the area. An in-water captain will also patrol waterways with a megaphone to keep watercraft outside of the blast radius and guards will be posted on-land to keep the controlled area secure during blasting. Another audible "all clear" signal of 1 long air horn or siren blast will let users know it is safe to resume area activity.

Dust notice

During the spring and summer months in Yellowknife, the amount of visible dust within the environment increases. Dust at the Giant Mine site mainly comes from vehicle traffic on unpaved roads and from 4 on-site tailings ponds, with a small contribution from ongoing remediation activities.

The dust from the tailings at the Giant Mine site is non-toxic and has very low concentrations of metals. The dust from the tailings ponds on site does not contain arsenic trioxide. However, as with all dusts, the health hazards associated with the exposure is due to the particulate matter in your respiratory system.

The Giant Mine Remediation Project team regularly monitors wind forecasts and real-time wind speed and takes measures to reduce and control the dust at site year-round. Even though the project team has dust prevention measures in place at the Giant Mine site, dust can still be blown off the site on very windy days.

Do you have more questions about dust at the Giant Mine site? Visit our webpage, Information about dust at the Giant Mine site, or email the project team.

Public safety notice: stay safe near the Giant Mine site

The project team reminds land users that the Giant Mine site, including the townsite, is contaminated. For the public, access to the site is prohibited. Trespassing is not permitted at any time because of the health and safety risks. The project team monitors the site 24 hours a day, to ensure the security and protection of the public.

From now until July 2028, public access will remain unchanged with respect to the public parking area, the Yellowknife Historical Society, the Giant Mine Boat Launch and Great Slave Sailing Club. Temporary, short disruptions in access to the public boat launch area may occur due to certain remediation activities. The Giant Mine Remediation Project's goal is to maintain public access to the water at all times during the open water season.

When enjoying activities outdoors, including off-road and boating activities, please:

Work notice: bird deterrent deployment

The Giant Mine Remediation Project will be installing bird deterrents across the site and Townsite area for the 2023 work season. Various methods of bird deterrents will be used until mid-October.

Bird deterrents are deployed to prevent birds from nesting on site, especially around the townsite area that is being deconstructed. The types of bird deterrents the Project will use include:

The project is working with its Main Construction Manager, Parsons Inc., to determine the details including the number, locations and schedules for the various deterrents.

Preventing birds from nesting near areas of active remediation will help ensure they and their nests are not harmed and that the project stay on schedule.

For more information or questions about this work on site, email the project team.

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