Here's an article in the local paper about the mine being shut down.
By CAM FORTEMS
Daily News Staff Reporter
A mining company searching for gold in the Bonaparte Plateau using an old-fashioned dig-and-sell method has run afoul of provincial regulatory agencies for safety and financial practices.
Work at Encore Renaissance Resources Corp.’s Bonaparte gold project is halted while the infractions described as relatively minor by safety officials are rectified. The company is also under a cease-trade order for failing to file timely financial documents.
The mine was employing about 10 people this winter in an underground sampling project. The exploration differs from commonplace methods that see millions spent on drilling and engineering studies before a tunnel is constructed.
Instead, Encore Renaissance started digging a tunnel last year – called a decline in the industry – and was shipping tonnes of ore to a smelter in the United States for assaying and to keep funds coming in.
A representative from the provincial mines branch said operations stopped recently so the company could meet provincial safety regulations. The project is located about a 45 minutes drive from Westsyde.
Roger McClay, president of related company BCT, said he wants to see work resume within a month. The mines branch wants the company to set up a camp for workers as well as conduct a hydrogeological study, he said.
“Personally I think we can get it done in the next 30 days. It depends on work we need to do to support our runoff study.”
B.C. Securities Commission slapped a cease-trade order on company’s shares in March for failure to file audited financial statements. McClay said he expects financial information to soon be filed in order to satisfy regulators.
The company’s shares are traded on the TSX.V exchange.
McClay said economics of the project remain strong and have improved with a recent record-setting gold price. He said even with safety and financial clearances, the company could not operate right now due to break up conditions in the high country.