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TuesdayDecember920147INDUSTRYMININGMineraldiscoveryholdspromiseforDeneminingcorp.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGAnewmineraldiscoveryatanoldsilverminenearGreatBearLakeintheSahtuhastheNWTsDene-ownedminingexplorationcompanyex-citedaboutthesitesworld-classpotential.DenendehExplorationandMiningCo.DEMCoannouncedtheresultsofits2014explorationprogramattheCamsellRiverpropertylastweekrevealingevidenceofextensivegoldandcopperdepositsalongwithleadzinccobaltsilverandbismuth.WereveryhappyDEMCoCEODar-rellBeaulieusharedwithTheJournallastweek.WethinkitsanewdiscoveryandtherehaventbeenanynewdiscoveriesintheNorthforquiteawhile.Itsimportantthatthesenewdiscoveriescontinuebecauseallmineshaveanitelifeandifthediamondminesaregoingtocloseinsevento12yearsthenhistoricallynewminesoncetheyrediscoveredtendtotake10to12yearstobringintoproduction.Sothetimingcouldberightifourresourcedoesproveout.SamplestakenattheCamsellRiverpropertyformerlyknownastheTerramineproducedtwowideinterceptsofcopper-gold-zinc-lead-silvermineralizationshowingupto16.3gramspertonneofgoldand21.04percentcopperin-cludingadrillintersectionwith65.53metresof0.51percentcopperequivalent.Allareconsideredtobeindicationsofanextensivemineralizedsystempointingtothepossibilityofmuchlargerundiscovereddeposits.Furtherndingsshowedanaltera-tionhalo-thepresenceofrelatedmineralsthatencircleadeposit-10kmindiameteraroundtheCamsellRiversiteindicatingahighpotentialforcopperandgoldinthearea.Beaulieusaidhewassurprisedattheprom-iseshownbysomeofthesamples.Weknewgoinginthattherewasapo-tentialbutwejustdidntknowtowhatex-tenthesaid.DEMConowhasplanstocontinueonwithitsexploratoryworkatCamsellRiverstart-ingwithagravitysurveyintendedtooutlineanymagneticanomaliesassociatedwithcop-pergoldandothermetalsunderground.Ad-ditionaldrillcorere-samplingmappingandprospectingisalsoplanned.Theindicatorsthatwehavetodatearenowreallytellingusthereismuchmorepo-tentialtherebutweveyettoproveitandsoweneedtograbmoresamplesandhopefullytodoagravitysurveytobeabletodeterminetheextentofthemagneticanomalyandhowdeepthatgoesBeaulieusaid.HehopestohavethatadditionalworkcompletedinthecomingyeardependingonnancingneededtocoverthehighcostofexplorationintheNorth.WereverycondentinthepropertiesthatwehaveparticularlytheCamsellRiverprop-ertyBeaulieusaid.Butthereisalotofworktobedoneanditsgoingtotakealotofresourcessowejusthavetotakeitonestepatatime.DEMCoreceived65000fromtheterrito-rialgovernmentthroughitsMiningIncentiveProgramtocompletethe2014explorationandhopestoaccessthatfurtherifpossibleinthefuturealongwithfundingfrompo-tentialprivatenanciers.Theexplorationbusinessisattheverybe-ginningspendingmoney.Themoreproofwegetandthemorecondencewebuildforour-selvesandpotentialinvestorshopefullyitwillbeeasieraswemovethatalongBeaulieusaid.DEMCosrstexplorationrstdiscoveryTheCamsellRiversiteisjustoneofveprop-ertiesownedbyDEMCointheNWTwhichholdsminingclaimscoveringthreediamondprospectsandonehistoricgoldprospect.BeaulieusaidDEMCowhichwasjustin-corporatedin2013madeititsstrategytotakeoveroldmineswherethepotentialwaswell-knownbutwhosejuniorownersneededtocallitquitsandhaschosentotargetCamsellRivertostartwithbeforemovingontoanyofitsotherpropertiespayingcloseattentiontocommod-itypricesandfocusingitslimitedresources.Ourrstobjectivewastoacquiresomestra-tegicproperties.Ithinkintheindustryagoodpossibilityofndingamineisintheareaofoldminesthatoperated20304050yearsagobecausewithtodaystechnologytherecouldhavebeendataorinformationmissedfromtheworkthatwasdone50yearsagoBeaulieusaid.Intermsoftheotherpropertieswehaventdoneanythingwiththemyet.Wewanttobefo-cusedinsteadofscatteredalloverandspread-ingresources.Thelimitedresourcesyouhaveyouhavetokindofstrategicallyutilize.Butitdoesntmeanthoseotherpropertiesareanylessvaluableorhavealackofinterestinthem.DEMCobasedinYellowknifeisafullyAb-original-ownedbusinessheldonbehalfofalltheFirstNationsintheNWTandisasub-sidiaryofDenendehInvestmentsInc.DDI.BeaulieusaidDDIdecidedtobranchintomineralexplorationinordertogivetheter-ritorysFirstNationsmorecontroloverNWTresources.HeaddedthatAboriginalbusinessescurrentlyservicingthediamondmineswillbewelcomedwithopenarmsshouldtheDEMCopropertiesbecomeoperationalmines.AsanAboriginalbusinessthecommuni-tiesandFirstNationshavealwayssaidtheyretheownersofthelandandtheyshouldbetheownersofsomeoftheresourcesBeau-lieusaid.Sothisisastepinthatdirection.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGThedecadesoflifespentrevolvingaroundthecycleoftheMackenzieRiveranditstenu-ousicebridgeandferrycrossingswereputtoanendinDecember2012withthehistoricopen-ingoftheDehChoBridgetherstpermanentcrossingconnectingtheNorthSlavetotherestofthecontinent.Afteryearsofhurdlesthatdelayedthecon-structionandpushedthepricemuchhigherthanoriginallyanticipatedthechallengingandprestigiousbridgeprojectisthelatestchapterintheevolutionoftransportationintheNorthwestTerritories-aprocesscapturedinanewbookbyformerMLAjournalistandphotographerBillBradencommissionedbythedepartmentofTransportation.TheoriginalintentwastotellthestoryofthecrossingBradensaysofBridgingtheDehchoataleofthehistorythepeopleandthecrossingofthemightyMackenziereleasedlastweek.BradenwhowasanMLAuntil2007whenthebridgeprojectgotunderwaysaidhewasinitiallyhesitanttosupporttheplanduetoitsestimatedcostthenataboutaquarterofthenalpricetag.Butaftercomingacrossthephotoofafueltankerhalfsubmergedintheicywaterbelowthefragilewinterbridgein2000BradensaidhewasconvincedtheNWTneededasafertrans-portationsolution.HowmuchwouldwehavespenttocleanthatupIfthatfuelerhadgoneintothewaterandifithadburstandifhehadevenarelativelysmallamountofdieselfuellteredoutallthewaydowntheMackenzieValleyhowmanycom-munitywatersystemswouldhavebeencom-promisedThedamagetothenaturalenviron-mentThatiswhatsaidformepersonallywearetakingfarfartoomuchofariskbyputtingthisamountoftrafcoverthatbridgeitstoofragileBradenshared.Itwasridiculousforustodothisanylonger.Spendingthreeyearscompilinginterviewsandphotosforthebookprojectfurthersolidiedhisfaithinthebridgeanditsvisionarieswhodespitebrutalconditionsandsignicantde-laysneverlostsightoftheendgoal.Itdidnotgothewayanybodyhadoriginallyenvisioneditasarealcommunityinfrastruc-turearealeconomybuilderfortheregion.AndthatsveryregrettablebutitiswhatitisBradensaid.Itispartofthewayabigprojectlikethis-andinfactbigprojectslikethisallovertheworld-nevergoasplannedcompletelyfromstarttonish.Therearealwaysdifcultieswithnanceoradministrationorengineer-ing.Overtimeitwasovercomeinthisproject.SoIhavealotofrespectfortheengineersforthevisionthatpeoplebroughttotheprojectbecausewithoutthatoriginalvisionthecom-munitycameforwardwithwemightnothaveabridgeeventoday.ThrougharchivalphotosandthosetakenbyBradenhimselfduringtheconstructionpro-cessthebookprolesnotjusttheconstructionprocessbutthehistoryandevolutionofFortProvidenceanditsrelationshiptotherivertheroughthebuildingofthehighwayandthemanyyearsoficeandferrycrossingsinclud-ingthepeoplewhokeptthesystemrunningandthemanyperilsfacedwhenatthemercyofarivertoobigtobeariver.Everyonewholivednorthofthecrossingourannualcyclesrevolvedaroundwhetherornottheferriesoricebridgeswereinorout.So52yearsourseasonalrhythmifyouwilldependedverymuchonthatcrossingBradenrecounted.Itsmemories.Everybodyhasaferrystoryofsomekind.Thiswillhelpkeepthosememo-riesofthatkindoflifestylealive.Ithinkatleastafewpeoplegetalittlebitnostalgicabouttheferrycrossinghesaid.WheneverIgotontheferryitdidntmat-terwhattimeofyearitwas-sometimesitwasahotsmokysummerdayandthebugswereoutorinthedeadofwintergoingacrossonadarkcoldnightandtheboatisbouncingofftheedgesoftheicechannelandyouresee-ingeverythingswirlingaroundintheicefog-thosetomeweregreatsignalsofthepoweroftheriver.ItsCanadaslongestriveritsahugepieceofourgeographyandaverysignicantwater-wayandwhenyoureontheboatyourejustacoupleofmetresfromthesurfaceofthatriver.Youfeltitspower.Youwereabletosmellandseeandunderstandjusthowremarkableapieceofourgeographythisisandhowsig-nicantitwasasapieceofourhistoryoftheNorthtoNortherners.Peopletalkabouttheriverastheirlife-linetheirhighwayandindeeditwasforusforawhileandforalotofcommunitiesdownriveritstillis.ThebooklaunchedlastWednesdayinFortProvidenceandisnowavailableattheNorth-ernFrontierVisitorsCentreandtheBookCel-larinYellowknife.DehChoBridgebookcelebratesNWTtransportationvisionariesBridgingtheDehchocommemorateshurdlesvictoriesbehindMackenzieRivercrossingARTSCULTUREBOOKSPhotoMetaAntolinAuthorBillBradensignsacopyofBridgingtheDehchoforJimThomacouncillorfortheDehGahGotieFirstNationatthebookslaunchinFortProvidencelastWednesday.OneofthreeabandonedsilverminesitesonDEMCosCamsellRiverpropertysouthofGreatBearLakewherethecompanysnewdiscoveryindicatesextensivemineralreserves.PhotocourtesyofDEMCo