WHITEHORSE - Yukon's Annual Mining and Geology Week, May 20-26, is being kicked off in Dawson City at the International Gold Show this weekend. This week-long event is hosted by the Yukon government, Yukon Chamber of Mines and Klondike Placer Miners' Association.
"Celebrating Yukon's Mining and Geology Week raises awareness of the important roles mining and geology play in our everyday lives," Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Archie Lang said. "It focuses some attention on the many positive ways mining and geology influences our history, culture and economy."
Lang, who is in Dawson for the gold show encourages people to drop by Energy, Mines and Resources' booths at the trade show. Two new important placer data products are being released from the department's Yukon Geological Survey: the online Placer Atlas and the latest version of the Placer Database. Energy, Mines and Resources will also be demonstrating new information available on line, such as mineral assessment reports, Mining Claims Database and Mineral Claims Interactive Map.
Many family activities are planned for the trade show including a community scavenger hunt, soapstone carving and field trips.
Dawson City is also the location of the Canada Northern Latitudes Mining Reclamation workshop on May 24-26. Energy, Mines and Resources is co-hosting this workshop with the federal government, Alaska State government and the Canadian Land Reclamation Association. Participants from governments, industry and northern First Nations, Alaska Native and Inuit groups will share information and experiences on their reclamation/restoration and land management projects in the north.
In Whitehorse, Yukon Mining and Geology week activities are taking place at Elijah Smith Building on Main Street, including gold panning, poster and rock displays.
Contests by the Yukon Chamber of Mines and sponsored by local businesses will run on the radio and in the local news papers. The mining and geology trivia contest on the radio stations offers prizes such as a helicopter ride and the top prize in the Birth of Mining Contest running in the newspapers is a $2,500 gift certificate.
The public is also invited to participate in geology field trips organized by the Yukon Geological Survey.
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| Contact: | |
| Peter Carr | Ron Billingham |
| Cabinet Communications Advisor | Energy, Mines & Resources, Mining Information Officer |
| (867) 667-8688 | (867) 667- 8786 |
| peter.carr@gov.yk.ca | ron.billingham@gov.yk.ca |
Yukon Mining and Geology Week Activities
May 20-26, 2005
Dawson City
At the Trade Show for the International Gold Show May 20-21
• Soapstone carving
• Community Scavenger Hunt
• Geology field camp – take a tour of a mock camp with our geologists
• Rock Doctor – bring in your rocks for a geologist to identify
• Posters – see how mining maps are made, careers in mining and geology, life of a prospector, anatomy of a mine and rock types
• Booths – online demonstrations of information
Geology Field Trip
• Friday, May 20 7-9 p.m. – Bedrock Geology of Midnight Dome. Meet at the base of Crocus Bluffs at 7 p.m.
Whitehorse May 24-26
• Elijah Smith Building foyer on Main Street, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Activities for adults and kids including, rock displays, gold panning, and poster displays
Geology Field Trips
• Wednesday, May 25 - 7-8:30 p.m. Miles Canyon Volcanic Rocks – Meet at the viewpoint on Schwatka Lake Road, overlooking Miles Canyon at 7 p.m.
• Thursday, May 26 - 7-8:30 p.m. Old Copper Mine, near Whitehorse, meet at the Alaska Highway rest area south of Robert Service Way at 7 p.m.