The Yukon Chamber of Mines has prioritized outreach and community engagement as part of their programming. Heading into its 10th year, the annual Mining and Exploration Camp, which is held during Yukon Mining Week each spring, is one of two major events geared towards that work. (Family Day, held during the annual Geoscience Forum in the fall, is the other.)

Daniel Little, project manager with the Chamber of Mines, says that there will be some new things to check out at this year’s Mining and Exploration Camp on the Parks Canada grass near the SS Klondike.

The annual Mining and Exploration camp takes place adjacent to the SS Klondike May 7 to 11, which is during Yukon Mining Week

“It’s an outreach program to share and inform the community of what’s new this year,” Little said. “This year we’ve struck a deal with Parks Canada to open the SS Klondike early for the one day of the Discovery Camp when schools visit on May 11.

“Students will tour the SS Klondike and it will touch on the roles that paddlewheelers played. And then students will get a chance to see the advancements that have been made.”

The camp itself is an opportunity for the mining community to interact with Yukoners and inform them of the role mining plays in the territory, according to Chamber of Mines Executive Director Samson Hartland.

“It’s a chance for the mining community to provide Yukoners with a better understanding of geology,” Hartland explained. “It’s a chance to share how much the mining industry contributes to Yukon’s economy.

“And also to share how in the Yukon it is done in a stable and safe jurisdiction, and in an environmentally safe way.

“It’s a chance to educate not just the children, but the general public, about what the industry brings to Yukon.”

The SS Klondike tours are not the only new things added to this year’s experience at the Discovery Camp, according to Little. This year, Alkan Air will feature a flight simulator that students will have a chance to try out and Yukon College will be demonstrating small robots that have been programmed to move dirt.

Past exhibits that are returning again this year include geode smashing, gold panning and heavy equipment displays.

While the Discovery Camp is the main event during Mining Week, there are several other opportunities planned for the public. The Chamber of Mines has partnered with the Yukon Geological Survey to provide tours of the Copper Belt mining area. Geologists who specialize in doing surveys for the mining industry will be able to explain what goes into prospecting and how to identify minerals from the rocks.

Mining Week will be proclaimed at Whitehorse City Hall on Monday and there will be a Speaker’s Series Luncheon, date during the week to be confirmed.

For more information and full details on events, contact the Yukon Chamber of Mines by email at [email protected] or by phone at 867-667 2090.

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