Faro Mine

After the Mining Rush: A Visit to Faro Mine, One of Canada’s Costliest, Most Contaminated Sites

The Yukon’s giant Faro Mine was once the world’s largest open-pit lead and zinc mine.

In operation from 1969 to 1998, when its last owner declared bankruptcy, the mine once generated more than 30 per cent of the Yukon’s economic activity.

Now, Faro Mine is considered the second-worst contaminated site in Canada.

After nearly 20 years of maintenance and remediation planning, more than $350 million has been spent via the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan but remediation isn’t expected to begin until 2022.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada has released a timeline and draft details on the remediation plan for the Faro Mine and is currently seeking public input.

Remediation activity is currently expected to cost $500 million over 10 to 15 years. The biggest cost of remediation will be covering 320 million tonnes of waste rock and 70 million tonnes of tailings. Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada says the waste would cover 26,179 football fields, one metre deep.

Without remediation, the Pelly and Yukon Rivers could be polluted with toxic metals.

The Narwhal (then DeSmog Canada) sent photographer Matt Jacques to Faro to see the mine’s toxic legacy first-hand.

Faro Mine
Located in south-central Yukon, the community of Faro was established in 1968 to service the open-pit lead/zinc Faro mine, some 15 kilometres north in the mountains of the Anvil Range. The town derives its name from a card game, which was one of the most popular forms of gambling in the late 19th century. Photo: Matt Jacques / The Narwhal
Faro Mine abandoned homes
Abandoned homes in Anvil Range. Photo: Matt Jacques / The Narwhal

Home to more than 2,000 residents at the peak of the mine’s operation, the current population sits at 348, leaving many buildings and entire residential blocks unoccupied.

Faro mine
Remediation at the Faro mine is not expected to begin until 2022. Photo: Matt Jacques / The Narwhal

The Faro Mine occupies more than 25 square kilometres, roughly 25 per cent larger in area than the city of Victoria, B.C. At one point, it was the world’s largest open-pit lead/zinc mine.

In addition to this primary mine, there are two smaller open-pit mines on site.

Waste rock piles at the Faro mine. Photo: Matt Jacques / The Narwhal

Mine operations left behind more than 320 million tonnes of waste rock and 70 million tonnes of tailings before the mine’s final closure in 1998.

Faro mine
Drainage flows from the mine’s water treatment plant toward the tailings pond below. Photo: Matt Jacques / The Narwhal
Faro mine tailings
The Faro water treatment plant sits at the northern end of the mine, while tailings make their way to the tailings pond. Photo: Matt Jacques / The Narwhal
The tailings pond itself stretches nearly 5 kilometres down the Rose Creek valley, and consists of multiple ponds and supporting dam structures.
Faro mine
The Rose Creek tailings pond, separated from the Intermediate and Cross Valley ponds via a series of dams. Photo: Matt Jaques / The Narwhal
Faro Mine
Aerial view of Rose Creek tailings pond. Photo: Matt Jacques / The Narwhal
When the owners of the Faro Mine declared bankruptcy in 1998, the company left behind more than 320 million tonnes of waste rock and 70 million tonnes of tailings. Aerial view of the refuse left behind in the Rose Creek tailings pond. Photo: Matt Jacques / The Narwhal
faro mine rose creek
Adjacent to the mine site, Rose Creek winds through a wetlands ecoystem that feeds the Pelly River. Without remediation the Pelly and Yukon Rivers could become contaminated by toxic metals from the Faro mine. Photo: Matt Jacques / The Narwhal

Adjacent to the mine site, Rose Creek winds through a wetlands ecoystem that feeds the Pelly River.

faro mine
The Rose Creek valley downstream of the Faro mine and its tailings pond. Photo: Matt Jacques / The Narwhal

The Faro Mine remediation consultation and planning process continues, with a plan to be finalized prior to the project being submitted to the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB) in 2018.

Threats to our environment are often hidden from public view.
So we’ve embarked on a little experiment at The Narwhal: letting our investigative journalists loose to file as many freedom of information requests as their hearts desire.

They’ve filed more than 300 requests this year — and unearthed a veritable mountain of government documents to share with readers across Canada.

But the reality is this kind of digging takes lots of time and no small amount of money.

As many newsrooms cut staff, The Narwhal has doubled down on hiring reporters to do hard-hitting journalism — and we do it all as an independent, non-profit news organization that doesn’t run any advertising.

Will you join the growing chorus of readers who have stepped up to hold the powerful accountable?
Threats to our environment are often hidden from public view.
So we’ve embarked on a little experiment at The Narwhal: letting our investigative journalists loose to file as many freedom of information requests as their hearts desire.

They’ve filed more than 300 requests this year — and unearthed a veritable mountain of government documents to share with readers across Canada.

But the reality is this kind of digging takes lots of time and no small amount of money.

As many newsrooms cut staff, The Narwhal has doubled down on hiring reporters to do hard-hitting journalism — and we do it all as an independent, non-profit news organization that doesn’t run any advertising.

Will you join the growing chorus of readers who have stepped up to hold the powerful accountable?

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Investigative reporting like The Narwhal’s is now blocked on Facebook — and soon Google will do the same. One way to make sure you still get the facts? Sign up for our free newsletter.