Just Scraping The Surface

Digging a hole always draws attention. It doesn’t matter if it’s for a tree, a fence post, or for something more interesting like a basement for a house or high rise, people will inevitably ask the question “Why,” or “What’s it for?”

And holding true to form, that’s exactly what Polaris Minerals Corp of Vancouver encountered when it announced plans in 2001 to build a quarry on the northeast shore of Vancouver Island.

Even before a shovel went into the ground, questions about the project came from all directions. Federal, provincial, and local authorities demanded detailed reports, neighbours wanted assurances against noise and other pollutants, and because the site is on land deemed as part of the traditional territories, the Kwakiutl and Namgis First Nations wanted agreements and understandings, particularly about the environment and any possible future work.

After more than six years of answering questions and securing all of the necessary permits, Polaris Minerals fi-nally began production in 2007 on the 350 ha site and since then, its Orca Sand & Gravel Quarry has become one of the brightest lights on the entire Canadian mining scene.

Located adjacent to Highway 19 (but set back at least 100 m from the roadway) and 4 kms from Port McNeill and 35 kms from Port Hardy, the Orca Quarry is also just 1 km from the shore of the Broughton Strait and only 150 kms north of Vancouver which makes it ideally situated for receiving materials from the mainland as well as shipping its products to offshore buyers.

In fact, most of the approximately 2.2 million tonnes of sand and gravel which is expected to be produced this year, according to the NI 43-101Technical Report on the Orca Quarry, will be shipped to either San Francisco, Vancouver or Hawaii. But long before any of