Let there be no doubt – for several major reasons, the Sheslay district eruption in northwest B.C. is very much in the middle of the radar screen for the 5,000-member Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia (click on the arrow at the bottom of our report to listen to a very revealing 1st excerpt from an exclusive BMR audio interview).
That can only be good news for Doubleview Capital (DBV, TSX-V), Garibaldi Resources (GGI, TSX-V), Prosper Gold (PGX, TSX-V) and others caught up in a firestorm that started in late May after Tahltan Central Government President Chad Day issued a controversial open letter regarding Sheslay district exploration and potential future mining activities.
The DBV, GGI and PGX geological teams have the credentials and enough technical information based on 2 years of intense exploration (plus historical databases) to make the claim that this district has a growing probability of hosting a string of world class deposits across a minimum 30-km long NE/SW trending mineralized corridor that stretches north-south for at least 15 km.
AME BC – Standing Up For Mineral Exploration In B.C. & The Sheslay District
AME BC, whose roots go back a full century when it was known as the Chamber of Mines, is funded entirely by its membership (no government subsidies) and advocates strongly and effectively for the industry, especially when the “B.C. brand” could be at stake.
Significantly, AME BC was one of the many stakeholders involved in the creation of the critical Atlin-Taku Land Use Plan signed in 2011 between the Taku River Tlingit First Nation and the provincial government, a groundbreaking deal that Premier Christy Clark declared would bring “certainty” for investors. The Land Use Plan, allowing for exploration and potential resource development throughout large portions of the Sheslay district, covers Doubleview’s entire Hat Property where recent important drilling, stepping out 1 km from the Lisle Zone Discovery, was halted by a blockade led by a group of Tahltan protesters.
“I recognize we’re at a sensitive point here and I have a high degree of respect for the Tahltan Nation,” emphasized Glen Wonders, AME BC Vice-President – Technical and Government Affairs, in an exclusive interview with BMR. “I believe there are ways to find common ground…shared land interests are nothing new in B.C.,” he added.
Click on the arrow below for the 1st excerpt (just over 2 minutes) of a fascinating interview with Wonders that gives AME BC’s important views on the district, the Land Use Plan and the “B.C. brand” (more in the coming days):
Note: Both John and Jon hold share positions in DBV and GGI.
If we can solve the Tahltan problem, we will have a very nice ride !
Comment by Guy Delisle — August 3, 2015 @ 6:32 am
Not a matter of “if”, Guy. The kind of noise we’re seeing here is consistent with opposition witnessed with major deposits in the province that have turned into producing mines over the last couple of decades. In that sense, we should all take comfort in this controversy. As AME BC confirms, the Sheslay district is the #1 greenfield discovery project in B.C. right now.
Comment by Jon - BMR — August 3, 2015 @ 7:14 am
More waste of time by another journalist based on the one sided facts of Chris Day. Too bad they don’t have the real facts behind all this. Although BMR has done an excellent job in reporting the real facts, the nation and market doesn’t fully understand the issue at play and the lies being said.
http://juneauempire.com/local/2015-08-03/first-nation-elders-blockade-taku-tributary-mine-exploration
Comment by D4 — August 3, 2015 @ 9:42 am
This article, D4, from another U.S. source, is from an “outdoors writer”. Contains factual errors and omissions, the biggest omission being of course that there’s no mention whatsoever of the Atlin-Taku Land Use Plan, or the fact there’s an overlap claim here. So, yet again, the Taku are being disrespected and a legal agreement signed between a First Nation group and a provincial government is being ignored and disrespected by (in this case) an American writer, who probably had good intentions but just wasn’t aware of the district or all the facts.
lol American “interference” in the Hat Project – awesome! Now we know how big this really is and is going to become.
Comment by Jon - BMR — August 3, 2015 @ 9:59 am
Jon, you mentioned that you believe drills will turn again soon…your due diligence and investigative journalism has been nothing short of fantastic, but this seems to really boil down to what the government has to say/do about the situation – and we’ve yet to hear from them. Based on what you know now, what are your thoughts of the drills turning in the near future?
Comment by Steve A. — August 3, 2015 @ 12:52 pm
Jon I have great confidence in the deposit for a major discovery but must first resolve the blockade of Tahltan !
Comment by Guy Delisle — August 3, 2015 @ 2:37 pm
Anyhow, we have another bombshell to drop very shortly that will show yet again who’s really on top of this story.This is June 29 post 9
Jon is yesterday your Bombshell?
Who is really on the top of this story?
Comment by Guy Delisle — August 3, 2015 @ 3:37 pm
No, Guy, yesterday was NOT. Stay tuned. Things get even more interesting.
Comment by Jon - BMR — August 3, 2015 @ 3:45 pm
Now. All we need to see before the Canadian markets open tomorrow is a news release from DBV indicating that they are on to their next drill hole starting Tuesday.
Comment by Andrew — August 3, 2015 @ 4:14 pm
Good Thank you Jon !
Comment by Guy Delisle — August 3, 2015 @ 5:17 pm
I think Andrew that we have a better chance to have a news sign by DBV and government about Sheslay is not in the Jurisdiction of the Tahltan !
Comment by Guy Delisle — August 3, 2015 @ 5:29 pm
Guy, the facts are that the Tahltan do have legitimate interests in the Sheslay district and they do claim this as their traditional territory; however, the Taku River Tlingits also claim much of the district as their traditional territory and they are in a stage 4 treaty process (the Tahltan are not part of the treaty process), so they have what’s called a “comprehensive claim” which is important (the odds of the Tahltan ever getting aboriginal title and rights to the Sheslay district are virtually nil according to the experts we’ve spoken to, which is perhaps unfortunate for the Day family ranch near the Sheslay airstrip).
Of course, all of the Hat, all of Prosper’s ground, and virtually all of Garibaldi’s ground (all the important Grizzly areas) fall within the 2011 Land Use Plan signed between the Tlingits and the provincial government. The whole point of a land use plan, especially an historic one such as Atlin-Taku, is to outline what the appropriate land use is for an area. This took a few years to put together and involved numerous stakeholders. It’s a robust plan also approved by a First Nation – the Tlingits were intimately involved in every step of the co-managed process. That’s why that article D4 found today is so bizarre – the reporter likely had no idea of the Land Use Plan or even the overlap claim, much less the exact location of the Hat. But she had Chad’s misinformation pieces.
The Land Use Plan makes the Hat Project (and the Grizzly, and the Star) that much more valuable, in our view. There’s a very recent, comprehensive, robust Land Use Agreement covering all these properties. It’s a critical legal document and has been virtually entirely implemented. The Premier is on record, in a government video, stating this agreement will bring “certainty” to investors.
For a group like Borders Without Rivers, for example, to jump up now and claim DBV should not be exploring at the Hat or looking at a mine at the Hat, they are way off-side because the Land Use Plan allows for exactly that. Of course there are regulatory processes to go through when it comes to actual development, but the Land Use Plan has already approved very broad parts of the Sheslay district for exploration and potential resource development within the regulatory system. Those are the facts.
Borders Without Rivers has no more right to say Doubleview can’t explore or look at developing a mine at the Hat than Farshad has of saying he wants to stake a bunch of claims and start drilling some holes to the north in the Sheslay River Valley Protected Area. It’s impossible for Farshad to do that. The Land Use Plan says so. Likewise, the Land Use Plan backs up his work and intentions at the Hat, and of course he’s also armed with a multi-year exploration and drilling permit from the Ministry of Energy & Mines.
Unless the provincial government wants to give Doubleview, Garibaldi and Prosper TENS OF MILLIONS of dollars to walk away from these properties, it’s time to get back to the business, entirely within the laws of B.C., of exploration and drilling in the Sheslay district – the #1 greenfield project in B.C.
Comment by Jon - BMR — August 3, 2015 @ 6:06 pm
I agree Guy – I just worry anytime the Gov’t has to get involved…they typically have a major case of “analysis paralysis” before anything gets done. The Tahltan have definitely put us behind and we can’t afford to sit and wait for agreements and Gov’t intervention for too long.
Comment by Steve A. — August 3, 2015 @ 6:07 pm
Well said Jon.
Comment by D4 — August 3, 2015 @ 6:14 pm
Thank you Jon !
Comment by Guy Delisle — August 3, 2015 @ 7:07 pm
I’m also concerned as to whether the government drags it’s feet because they don’t want to ruffle the Tahltan’s feathers. I also believe the government wants this project to proceed as it would be an enormous boon for the the slow economy. Best scenario would be that DBV be allowed to go back drilling while all parties continue to resolve these issues. The next couple of weeks should tell the tale ,anything beyond that would indicate the government is being wishy washy.
Comment by Les — August 3, 2015 @ 7:17 pm
good morning bmrboys I bring you the latest press release from HERON RESOURCES(HER TEXCH) dated aug.3 2015 “WIDE KATE LENS UP-DIP INTERCEPT:[email protected]%ZNEQ(1) regards walter emond
Comment by walter emond — August 4, 2015 @ 12:20 am
This dispute will get resolved to everyone’s satisfaction.But I disagree with many who think this will be cleared up anytime soon. I doubt drills will turn until 2016. One thing I am certain of is that Doubleview will not re-commence drilling until Chad day and the Tahltan are in agreement. I am a little concerned that the Alaskan based first nations are getting involved in support of the Tahltan. All this serves is to slow down the process of finding a resolution.
Comment by Ted — August 4, 2015 @ 2:48 am
Personally, Ted, I believe we’ll see the drills turning much, much sooner than that.
But what is your evidence behind your statement that Alaska-based First Nations are getting involved in support of the Tahltan? Because 2 reporters in Alaska write a story about this, 1 reporter from public radio and an outdoors writer? Do you think they represent First Nations?
Comment by Jon - BMR — August 4, 2015 @ 3:57 am
PE on fire this morning. News out today also.
Comment by D4 — August 4, 2015 @ 5:43 am
disclaimer…..I bought some shares last week (PE)
Comment by D4 — August 4, 2015 @ 5:44 am
Nice move by PE this morning, according to script so far. Touched Fib. resistance at 47 cents.
Comment by Jon - BMR — August 4, 2015 @ 6:03 am
Ted, Red Chris continous to work after the blockade and the deal was sign only April 21 2015 !
Comment by Guy Delisle — August 4, 2015 @ 6:35 am
Jon…I have no evidence other than connecting the dots. On Stockhouse there is much talk about the assay results for hole 23. Do you know why it hasn’t been released? Any chance you can ask DBV?
Comment by Ted — August 4, 2015 @ 6:45 am
What dots are you trying to connect, Ted? With regard to hole 23, one can argue that’s how this whole controversy erupted with the Tahltan in the first place. Strategically, this is just a wild guess, but perhaps the lab has been instructed to hold results for a few holes starting with the balance of 23, so DBV reports in a batch at a later date once things cool down and drilling resumes.
Comment by Jon - BMR — August 4, 2015 @ 6:54 am
I agree Jon I think Farshad knew there would be a blockade but did not know the date he did not give any result for not precipitate blockade but Day decide to make the blockade on July 7 a few days after drilling resume !
Comment by Guy Delisle — August 4, 2015 @ 7:20 am
Yes, that’s my best guess, as well, Guy…if you study the timeline, the May 21 letter from Chad Day came at a time of important discussions between the Tahltan and the provincial government, and exactly 1 month after DBV publicly reported it believed the Hat may host a world class Gold-rich Copper porphyry deposit…after initial results for hole 23 and other additional info…that’s when the Tahltan got aggressive…so I wouldn’t get concerned about the rest of hole 23…it’s tied up too in politics I suspect…don’t forget, too, Tahltan saw that drill core…
Comment by Jon - BMR — August 4, 2015 @ 7:26 am