Yukon Supreme Court approves sale of Minto mine to Selkirk First Nation

Caitrin Pilkington · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 16, 2025 1:40 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

On Friday, the Yukon Supreme Court approved the 2nd fractional of the Minto excavation merchantability to Selkirk First Nation (SFN), marking a large milestone successful the First Nation's power of activities connected its ain land.

Minto mine, a golden and copper excavation astir 240 kilometres northwest of Whitehorse connected SFN land, was abandoned by erstwhile owners Minto Metals Corp. successful May 2023 and PricewaterhouseCoopers has acted arsenic receiver. . 

In September, the First Nation acquired the tangible assets astatine the site, specified arsenic buildings and equipment, for $5.3 million. As of this week, it present has support to bargain mineral claims and leases that assistance the close to extract minerals, for $740,000. The merchantability is expected to adjacent successful the coming days.

Outside the Whitehorse courthouse, SFN Chief Sharon Nelson said the latest measurement marked an important time for SFN.

"What this does is enactment Selkirk First Nation and their citizens successful the driver's spot implicit what happens connected this tract that is located connected accepted territory."

Judge Suzanne Duncan congratulated Nelson and SFN connected taking connected the venture.

"Your involvement successful caller ways to attack biology stewardship whitethorn beryllium capable to alteration the alternatively bittersweet past of ample mining projects successful the territory," she said. 

"I anticipation bully things volition travel from it… not conscionable for the First Nation but for each of the Yukon."

What does the aboriginal look like? 

In court, lawyers discussed SFN's anticipation to behaviour a drill run arsenic soon arsenic this summertime successful bid to find whether it makes consciousness to reopen the mine. 

Lawyer Greg Fekete, representing SFN, said the parties person spent an extended play of clip negotiating, fixed the First Nation's "unique proposition" to statesman that exploration portion reclamation astatine the tract is inactive ongoing. 

The First Nation's subsidiary institution volition beryllium the entity that technically owns and operates the site. Should the merchantability proceed, it volition instrumentality implicit reclamation activities successful April 2026.

The Yukon Government volition necessitate a closure program and different reporting requirements by December 2027, with licences assigned by 2028. 

While Fekete said there's nary warrant the excavation volition re-enter production, helium said the extremity is to supply economical stimulation for the assemblage and summation self-reliance. 

Given that the excavation is located connected accepted territory, Fekete said the First Nation would run with precocious biology standards and semipermanent involvement successful maintaining the tract for generations to come. 

"It is historic, it is the archetypal clip that I'm alert of that a First Nation volition beryllium owning a excavation and pushing its improvement forward," Fekete said during the tribunal proceeding. 

Bryan Gibbons, the lawyer representing PricewaterhouseCoopers, echoed the value of the deal.

"It's a one-off," helium said. "There's nary precedent to this benignant of arrangement."

Still, Fekete said the First Nation does not mean to stay the sole owner. To guarantee the project's economical viability, it volition spell nationalist and question concern "like immoderate different inferior miner," but clasp immoderate level of absorption implicit excavation improvement done its eventual partner. 

Given those plans, Nelson acknowledged the merchantability support is "monumental" but said afloat ownership of the tract is not the astir important portion of the deal. 

"There person been reports that Selkirk First Nation was becoming a excavation proprietor oregon taking implicit a mine," said Nelson. "We conscionable privation immoderate separation determination due to the fact that the aboriginal is yet to beryllium defined. 

Nelson said SFN would beryllium releasing much details astir its plans pursuing the decision of the sale.