Prospecting opportunities abound
Nunavut program supports grassroots exploration since 1999
Walter Strong
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, July 2, 2014
ARVIAT
"I would definitely recommend that everyone goes ahead and searches for their fortune," said John Tugak, Arviat resident and recent graduate of Nunavut's long-standing prospectors training program.
Last year, Tugak completed one of several courses taught by resident geologists in Nunavut offered throughout all 25 Nunavut communities on a rolling basis.
"We like to be able to make seven or eight (course) delivers per summer, to stay on top of 25 communities," said Mike Beauregard, resident geologist with the Nunavut department of Economic Development and Transportation.
This summer will be Tugak's second season on the land collecting rock samples as he explores another section of relatively uncharted geological terrain.
Beauregard said Tugak's contribution to mineral exploration in Nunavut is both welcome and needed in the North.
"Nunavut is the least explored of all three territories," said Beauregard.
"There's still opportunity up here."
Beauregard speaks from his own extensive background as a working prospector in just about every mineralogically interesting region in Canada, including the three territories.
Beauregard, along with Nunavut's other resident geologist, Hugh MacIsaac, deliver Nunavut's introduction to prospecting course.
They not only deliver the courses, but they work with graduates of the program to become successful participants in Nunavut's mining incentive program, which offers up to $8,000 in funding for eligible Nunavut prospectors.
"It has to be a collaborative effort," said Beauregard.
"We'll advise an applicant as best as possible to give them some ideas of where to look."
Prospectors bring back samples for assay, and detailed documentation of their exploration.
Although prospecting can lead to a big strike, that's not really what prospectors are looking for.
"The prospector is not looking for the big hit per se," said Beauregard.
"The local prospector can be finding targets and looking at a lot of ground not covered by mining companies, trying to find the potential for a deposit."
Some graduates from the program have gone on to stake their own claims in the hopes of optioning the property to a junior mining company, but the most immediate economic opportunity for graduates of the program is work with junior mining companies and exploration geologists.
