Giant Mine

The Yellowknives Dene not only suffered disproportional health impacts from arsenic pollution, but also the loss of harvesting areas due to the appropriation of land for the mining operations and urban growth in the city of Yellowknife. [...] The report’s lead authors have conducted extensive archival research on the history of the mine at the Library and Archives Canada and the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife. [...] At a meeting of government officials held in June 1951 to assess the arsenic situation, the minutes suggest that inspectors of the Department of Resources and Development 7. Giant Mine: Historical Summary had noticed large concentrations of arsenic in snow in the Yellownife area, “particularly at the northern end of Latham Island.”7 In April 1951, arsenic deposition from the gold mines killed a tw [...] The local media did not mention the death of the Dene boy, and did not run any stories on the issue of arsenic contamination in 1951.12 Barriers of literacy and language likely reduced the effectiveness of the local advertising campaign.13 The Yellowknife Indian Agent claimed he had previously warned the local Chief of the arsenic danger, but government officials at the June 1951 meeting suggested [...] In the summer the cows would feed along the road and in the grassy places in the rocks.