Andrea Markey
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 21/05) - An auction at Ptarmigan Mine on Saturday saw the sale of all equipment and buildings from the former gold mine site.

After eight years of non-operation, all surface items will be removed from the site within four to five weeks.

Hay River auctioneer Wally Schumann strives to coax a few more dollars from unwilling bidders at the Ptarmigan Mine auction on Saturday. Bidders balked at having to fill in the mine shaft, too. As a result, the headframe and everything in it sold for just $150. - Chris Woodall/NNSL photo

The NWT Sheriff's office oversaw the auction by Expert Auctioneering at the request of the GNWT.

The property was seized by the government in June 2001 after a lapse of the $245,000 security deposit.

The equipment and buildings were seized from the mine's owner on July 5, 2005, after two buildings and some equipment disappeared off the lot this summer.

"Elkhorn (Mining) was sent a notice of seizure in 2001 and they did not reply," said deputy sheriff Adriana Zibolenova. "They were sent another one this year and again no communication."

Roughly 75,000 ounces of gold were extracted during the approximately 10-year life of the mine, located 10 km east of Giant Mine on the Ingraham Trail.

A 1997 estimate of the cost of clean-up was $350,000. As of 2002, Elkhorn owed the Worker's Compensation Board $15,000 and the GNWT almost $150,000 in property taxes.

"Our job is now done," said Zibolenova. "The site will be locked up again."

Site clean-up will continue, including removing the hundreds of core boxes filled with samples, she said.

$100 to $4,000 range

The total figure from the auction was approximately $45,000. The amount falls short of covering debts.

Equipment prices ranged from $100 to $4,000 for larger pieces.

Four trailers went for $100 total.

Gerry Borschneck plans to remove the buildings himself and fix them up to sell.

"Down south, they would sell for $3,000 each," he said.

The headframe sold for $150. A requirement to fill the mine shaft left some bidders quiet.

A large storage building sold for the most money.

Sean Erasmus bought that for $4,250. Although the price was much steeper than that of the headframe, Erasmus felt it was still a good deal.

After the auction ended Saturday afternoon, mine cars were going for $5 each.

Renee Lelievre and Niels Konge were buying a few for flower pots, and as mementoes.

"Yellowknife was built on this stuff," Konge said.