Exploration and mining in the Thompson-Okanagan-Cariboo Region, British Columbia

1. Introduction Thompson-Okanagan-Cariboo is an administrative region in south-central BC, established after the province reorganized its natural resource agencies in 2010. Mining predates Confederation and today, the region is home to fi ve of BC's largest metal mines, several industrial mineral mines, and many small placer operations, gravel pits, and rock quarries. power), and skilled workers sustain the search for new deposits. In 2014, the region saw one new gold mine open (Bonanza Ledge), one mine placed on care and maintenance after a breach in a tailings dam (Mount Polley), the installation of a new crusher (Copper Mountain), and the commissioning of a new mill (Highland Valley). Most projects in the pre-application stage of environmental review made progress. One project (New Prosperity) was rejected a second time by a Federal review panel. A Supreme Court of Canada decision in favour of the Tsilhqot'in Nation created Canada's fi rst Aboriginal title area. Subsequently, Tsilhqot'in Nation declared a Tribal Park over a large area in the centre of the region and released a draft mining policy intended to address present and future exploration and mining activities. Exploration focused on defi ning or expanding porphyry and porphyry-related deposits (copper-gold; copper-molybdenum), gold deposits of various types, and stratiform base-metal deposits. The pace of exploration slowed in 2014, continuing a decline that started in late 2011. Many projects were inactive because operators were unable to raise venture capital or unwilling to spend it in the region. Exploration expenditures for the region were included in the provincial total (Clarke et al., 2015) but for confi dentiality reasons, specifi c expenditures are not presented herein.