Date: February 28, 2025
Whitehorse, Yukon – The Klondike Placer Miners’ Association (KPMA) is reaching out to the Yukon community to address a growing concern regarding significant delays in the regulatory renewal process for placer miners’ water licenses and mining land use plans (our industry’s permits to operate). These delays pose an immediate threat not only to our local placer mining industry—an essential part of Yukon’s heritage and economy—but also to the broader economic stability of our region at a time when it also faces ongoing global challenges.
As Canadians navigate a landscape increasingly affected by international tariffs, which create uncertainty, the stability and relative low risk of family-based placer mining (which does not use chemicals in the process) is important to the Yukon economy and communities. The KPMA recognizes that a strong regulatory framework is vital to maintaining environmental and social standards in mining; however, the current backlog in processing the renewal applications has reached a critical point, leaving many established placer operations vulnerable to the expiration of their licenses, despite having submitting their applications well in advance of the expiry date. In some cases, placer miners are waiting years for decisions. Those applications are bottlenecked at various regulatory levels, both before the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB), and the Yukon Water Board.
In light of these delays, we are urging Yukon Government to take immediate executive action to address this regulatory backlog, including by granting temporary extensions for the existing water licenses and mining land use plans that are set to expire in the coming years during what we’re calling “the placer bubble”, to allow for the assessment process to be duly completed with the attention and care it needs without putting the mines out of business during this time. By facilitating these temporary extensions, our industry can stabilize at a time where global economic stability is at issue.
We would like to note, again, that we need relief from renewing licenses only – we are not looking to push any new license through outside of the regulatory assessment process. We only want to see the families that have faithfully applied for their water licenses since the inception of YESAB 20 years ago to have a shot at maintaining their livelihoods.
The impact of this delay is not just a concern for individual miners – it resonates deeply within our entire community. Placer mining contributes significantly to local economies like Dawson City, accounting for over 45% of total business revenue and a crucial share of employment during the pandemic. If placer licenses expire while under regulatory review, due only to the fault of processing timelines, it will lead to business closures, employee layoffs, and widespread economic decline. This is entirely preventable by granting temporary extensions in order to process the backlog of applications.
We want to acknowledge the ongoing efforts of the government and regulators, especially during challenging times marked by staffing shortages and evolving policies. However, this situation demands immediate and decisive action to ensure the survival of the placer mining industry and the protection of the livelihoods that depend upon it.
The KPMA is committed to open communication and collaboration with the government, regulators, and the community. We believe that a clearer path forward that supports both regulatory and environmental integrity as well as economic health is possible; but it will take action, and we need it now.
We invite all Yukoners to join us in advocating for swift action to ensure the resilience of our industry and community in these challenging times.
Respectfully, from the Board of the Klondike Placer Miners’ Association
Will Fellers, President, 3rd generation placer miner
Neil Loveless, Vice President, 3rd generation placer miner
Lisa Favron, Secretary / Treasurer, 4th generation placer miner
Liam Ferguson, Director, 3rd generation placer miner
Pascal McBurney, Director, 2nd generation placer miner
Mike McDougall, Director, 2nd generation placer miner
Harold Schmidt, Director, 4th generation placer miner
Stuart Schmidt, Director, 3rd generation placer miner