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Yukon mine inspector directs Victoria Gold to shore up water treatment efforts

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WHITEHORSE – A Yukon mine inspector has ordered Victoria Gold to shore up its water treatment efforts, finding the company’s plan to clean up after a disastrous spill of cyanide-laced-rock and water last month at its Eagle Gold mine is insufficient.

In an inspector’s direction issued July 20, mine inspector Sevn Bohnet said Victoria Gold was required to come up with a water treatment plan earlier this month, and the company submitted a pair of “unsigned memos” in response.

The memos, the inspector’s direction says, don’t “sufficiently describe” the company’s ability to handle and treat the amount of contaminated water at the site, including its ability to source “large quantities of reagents,” the compounds or substances needed for the water treatment process.

The company’s “groundwater interception plan” is also insufficient because it doesn’t describe how it would “effectively” intercept groundwater in the Dublin Gulch valley, the document says.

About two million tonnes of ore spilled over an embankment in the heap leach facility at the mine site on June 24, resulting in a landslide 1.5 kilometres long and the escape of about 300 million litres of the cyanide solution. The mine had been using the cyanide solution to percolate through the crushed ore to extract gold.

An earlier Yukon government directionissued to the company required Victoria Gold to build a water storage facility to hold up to 50,000 cubic metres of contaminated water by July 15, but Bohnet’s latest direction says two days after that deadline, “a natural resource officer observed that no lined water storage facility had been constructed.”

The direction orders the company to meet six new conditions, including not to discharge contaminated water that can’t be completely contained, to build more water treatment capacity and to provide “certainty” that it can treat between 15,000 and 20,000 cubic metres of contaminated water a day, among other conditions.

“This series of additional directions is aimed at addressing potential stability risks of the heap leach facility, and enhancing contaminated water storage and treatment, which includes setting up a system to pump and treat groundwater,” Yukon Mines Minister John Streicker said in a statement Tuesday.

“The Government of Yukon is applying a progressive enforcement approach to the Eagle Gold failure response,” the statement said. “The inspector’s directions issued on Saturday build on the previous ones and are based on our updated understanding of the site conditions and potential risks.”

Randi Newton, conservation manager with the Yukon chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, said Victoria Gold hasn’t come up with a “viable plan” to treat contaminated water at the site.

“When I looked at the direction, what stood out to me is Victoria Gold’s complete and utter failure to respond in a capable way to this disaster,” Newton said. “I hope it signals that the Yukon government will step in in a more concerted way this week because the company can no longer be counted on to do so.”

Newton said both the territorial and federal governments should take on a greater role and should treat the heap leach facility failure as “the emergency that it is.”

She said the millions collected as security for the mine by the government accounted for an “orderly closure” of the Eagle Gold mine, rather than a catastrophic failure of its heap leach facility.

“This is going to be very complex and very expensive,” Newton said.

The company did not reply to emails or phone calls for comment on the inspector’s latest direction.

Yukon officials said at a technical briefing last week that the government was “contemplating” stepping in at the mining site, and would convene an expert-led independent review to determine the cause of the disaster.

In a public statement issued July 12, Victoria Gold said production at the mine has been suspended, and may never restart without government authorization.

“Victoria will continue to work to minimize impacts to the environment, with the safety of employees as a foremost priority,” the statement said, adding that Victoria Gold may not “have the financial resources necessary to repair damage to equipment and facilities or remediate impacts caused by the incident or restart production.”

— By Darryl Greer in Vancouver

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2024.

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Sonia Furstenau staying on as B.C. Greens leader in wake of indecisive election

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The B.C. Greens say Sonia Furstenau will be staying on as party leader, despite losing her seat in the legislature in Saturday’s provincial election.

The party says in a statement that its two newly elected MLAs, Jeremy Valeriote and Rob Botterell, support Furstenau’s leadership as they “navigate the prospect of having the balance of power in the legislature.”

Neither the NDP led by Premier David Eby nor the B.C. Conservatives led by John Rustad secured a majority in the election, with two recounts set to take place from Oct. 26 to 28.

Eby says in a news conference that while the election outcome is uncertain, it’s “very likely” that the NDP would need the support of others to pass legislation.

He says he reached out to Furstenau on election night to congratulate her on the Greens’ showing.

But he says the Green party has told the NDP they are “not ready yet” for a conversation about a minority government deal.

The Conservatives went from taking less than two per cent of the vote in 2020 to being elected or leading in 45 ridings, two short of a majority and only one behind the NDP.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Toronto FC captain Jonathan Osorio making a difference off the pitch as well as on it

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Toronto FC captain Jonathan Osorio is making a difference, 4,175 kilometres away from home.

The 32-year-old Canadian international midfielder, whose parents hail from Colombia, has been working with the Canadian Colombian Children’s Organization, a charity whose goal is to help disadvantaged youth in the South American country.

Osorio has worked behind the scenes, with no fanfare.

Until now, with his benevolence resulting in becoming Toronto FC’s nominee for the Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award, which honours an MLS player “who showed outstanding dedication to charitable efforts and serving the community” during the 2024 season.”

Other nominees include Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and CF Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.

The winner will be announced in late November.

The Canadian Colombian Children’s Organization (CCCO) is run entirely by volunteers like Monica Figueredo and Claudia Soler. Founded in 1991, it received charitable status in 2005.

The charity currently has four projects on the go: two in Medellin and one each in Armenia and Barranquilla.

They include a school, a home for young girls whose parents are addicted to drugs, after-school and weekend programs for children in a disadvantaged neighbourhood, and nutrition and education help for underprivileged youth.

The organization heard about Osorio and was put in contact with him via an intermediary, which led to a lunch meeting. Osorio did his due diligence and soon got back to the charity with his decision.

“It was something that I wanted to be a part of right away,” said Osorio, whose lone regret is that he didn’t get involved sooner.

“I’m fortunate now that to help more now that I could have back then,” he added. “The timing actually worked out for everybody. For the last three years I have donated to their cause and we’ve built a couple of (football) fields in different cities over there in the schools.”

His father visited one of the sites in Armenia close to his hometown.

“He said it was amazing, the kids, how grateful they are to be able to play on any pitch, really,” said Osorio. “But to be playing on a new pitch, they’re just so grateful and so humble.

“It really makes it worth it being part of this organization.”

The collaboration has also made Osorio take stock.

“We’re very fortunate here in Canada, I think, for the most part. Kids get to go to school and have a roof over their head and things like that. In Colombia, it’s not really the same case. My father and his family grew up in tough conditions, so giving back is like giving back to my father.”

Osorio’s help has been a godsend to the charity.

“We were so surprised with how willing he was,” said Soler.

The TFC skipper has helped pay for a football field in Armenia as well as an ambitious sports complex under construction in Barranquilla.

“It’s been great for them,” Figueredo said of the pitch in Armenia. “Because when they go to school, now they have a proper place to train.”

Osorio has also sent videos encouraging the kids to stay active — as well as shipping soccer balls and signed jerseys their way.

“They know more about Jonathan than the other players in Colombia,” Figueredo said. “That’s the funny part. Even though he’s far away, they’ve connected with him.”

“They feel that they have a future, that they can do more,” she added. “Seeing that was really, really great.”

The kids also followed Osorio through the 2022 World Cup and this summer’s Copa America.

Back home, Osorio has also attended the charity’s annual golf tournament, helping raise funds.

A Toronto native, he has long donated four tickets for every TFC home game to the Hospital for Sick Children.

Vancouver’s Berhalter was nominated for his involvement in the Whitecaps’ partnership with B.C. Children’s Hospital while Montreal’s Sirois was chosen for his work with the Montreal Impact Foundation.

Follow @NeilMDavidson on X platform, formerly known as Twitter

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.



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Five Things to Know: Toronto Raptors’ 2024-25 season

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TORONTO – The Toronto Raptors kick off the 2024-25 season on Wednesday night when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Scotiabank Arena. Here are five things to know ahead of the Raptors’ home opener:

THREE DECADES — It’s the Raptors’ 30th anniversary and the team has plans to celebrate all season, including bringing back their purple jerseys from the mid-1990s. Toronto will also be honouring former players, including Hall of Famer Vince Carter. He’ll be the first-ever player to have his Raptors jersey retired in a ceremony at Scotiabank Arena on Nov. 2.

DEPTH CHART — The Raptors lacked depth to start last season with essentially one player coming off the bench — shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. — with then-rookie swingman Gradey Dick sometimes rotating in too. That short bench was evident with a -4.4 net rating over the season, tied with the San Antonio Spurs for third-worst in the NBA. Net rating is an advanced stat that indicates how much better or worse a team performs on a per-possession basis.

However, a series of trades and four draft picks remade the roster and greatly improved Toronto’s depth.

Point guard Davion Mitchell, power forward Ochai Agbaji and centre Chris Boucher of Montreal will lead the reserves to start the season. All three have serious NBA experience, averaging more than 17 minutes per game in their careers. They’ll be joined on the second unit by centre Kelly Olynyk (back) of Kamloops, B.C., and small forward Bruce Brown (arthroscopic knee surgery) once they’re healthy for a robust veteran bench that can handle big minutes. Ja’Kobe Walter, Toronto’s 19th overall pick in this past summer’s draft, will presumably be Dick’s backup at the two-guard once he’s recovered from a sprained shoulder.

COMMUTERS — Walter was the highest of Toronto’s four picks selected in the 2024 NBA draft in late June. Power forward Jonathan Mogbo (31st), point guard Jamal Shead (45th) and centre Ulrich Chomche (57th) were also selected. Although all four will see some NBA minutes this season — especially Shead, whose dogged defence was a highlight of the Raptors’ pre-season — they’ll also be regulars for the G-League’s Raptors 905 in nearby Mississauga, Ont.

IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT — The Raptors are in Group B for the NBA’s second-annual in-season tournament. They’re grouped with the Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons. Toronto’s so-called Cup Nights will begin Nov. 12 in Milwaukee and continue when the Raptors host Detroit on Nov. 15. Their third tournament game will be Nov. 29 in Miami and then their group stage will end Dec. 3 when Indiana visits Scotiabank Arena.

Financial incentive has been added to the NBA Cup playoffs this season, with players on the winning team earning US$514,971 each, while $205,988 goes to each player on the runner-up team. Players who lost in the semis will get $102,994 apiece and players that lose in the quarters will get $51,497.

PORTER SENTENCING — Former Toronto backup centre Jontay Porter will receive face sentencing on Dec. 18 after he pleaded guilty in the summer to a U.S. federal conspiracy crime. Porter, 24, was banned from the NBA after admitting that he helped bettors by intentionally underperforming in games. Prosecutors have estimated that he could be facing a range from just under 3 1/2 years in prison to a little over four years.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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