The Highland Valley Copper mine southwest of Kamloops has been given new life, now expected to continue operations until 2046 with the undertaking of a major life extension project.
The project was fully permitted back in July and construction is well underway, expected to be completed in 2028. That work includes expansion of the open pit and upgrades to processing facilities to support more production, disturbing about 1,500 hectares of new land.
Once completed, the mine, owned entirely by Teck Resources Ltd., is expected to produce about 132,000 tonnes of copper each year.
In September, B.C. Premier David Eby said the government worked “overtime” to deliver permits and authorizations to get the project going, which he said was due to the “crisis and threat to our economy our biggest trading partner has delivered to us,” referring to ongoing threats and tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump.
B.C. will gain about 200 ongoing jobs as a result of the extension, bringing the mine’s total workers to 1,500. But during the three-year construction phase of the $2.4-billion project, about 2,900 additional workers will be employed.
The mine is expected to add about $500 million annually to B.C.’s GDP, and Eby said for every direct job created at a mining site means two jobs somewhere else in the province.
Eby said the mine, and the future of the company that owns it, means “prosperity for all British Columbians.”
Not long before Eby’s announcement at the mine, Teck and U.K.-based mining company Anglo American announced their plans for a “merger of equals” that would create a $70-billion behemoth with benefits for B.C.
“These two companies have committed not just to come together but to locate their headquarters in B.C.,” Eby said, appearing enthusiastic about the proposal.
“What that means is that not only do we get to benefit from keeping Teck and all the history, many generations, in B.C., but we add to that the global reach of a company like Anglo American and access to capital markets around the world to fund activities in B.C. like this project,” he continued.
But later in September, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Melanie Jolie told media the benefits to Canada were “not enough” at the moment to approve the merger, and said she would be speaking to the companies soon.
Eby, meanwhile, said the opportunities presented in B.C. are so valuable that they require companies of that size to make them happen.
“The challenge we face here in B.C., when you have $30 billion of opportunities in one region, the amount of capital required to develop those sites, you need access to international markets. You need access to international investment,” he said.
As a combined company, Teck and Anglo American have pitched $4.5 billion in projects within Canada over five years, including the HVC extension project, more processing capacity at Trail’s lead and zinc facility, new copper mines in northwestern B.C. and further exploration and training initiatives.