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The glass is half full

The glass is half full Keno City residents should be pleased a considerate company like Alexco is trying to work with them to accommodate their interests. Despite efforts to date by the company to discuss well thought out proposals to Keno residents, th

Keno City residents should be pleased a considerate company like Alexco is trying to work with them to accommodate their interests.

Despite efforts to date by the company to discuss well thought out proposals to Keno residents, they continue to be criticized by the dozen, or less, residents in the area.

That is not to say that the views of a few are less important. But, realistically, many of the complaints have poor foundation and, at the end of the day, are only serving to hold a junior company ransom.

These residents should be more cognizant that their negative press has likely impacted the company in terms of stock price and value in today’s market, where investors are very difficult to find and are nervous.

Investing in a junior mining company is on the upper end of risk consideration. Keno appears to be blind to the challenges of financing and proceeding with projects in these very trying market conditions. They should be more careful about their public relations efforts as they could backfire and stall a development that, in actuality, they do want to have proceed.

At the same time, these residents are arguing for impossibilities, both in terms of practicality and economics.

Anyone with any knowledge of environmental liability knows Canada would never continue to hold liability for the former tailings site near Elsa if another operation started to reuse that site. Keno residents noted they had discussed this with government and they had agreed to continue to hold the liability on the site.

If that is the case, then let’s see the evidence. It sure would be a change in direction of governmental policy at the federal level relating to liability of contaminated and abandoned mine sites.

Next, they complained about the noise of the mill.

Well, to my understanding the company has proposed various mitigations to reduce noise from the mill. I suspect, in reality, the mill will eventually not create a lot of noise in the community level.

The residents have also noted this operation could impact their tourism. Well, this is where they can look at the situation as being one where the glass is half full rather than half empty.

They have a wonderful opportunity here to promote a concept of historic mining and modern mining. I am sure there are ways to generate a strategy to promote that concept and take a positive from the development as a lot of people are very interested in learning about mining and Bellekeno could be a place where this may be possible.

So this is not only an opportunity for the residents of Keno to work with Alexco who is a company committed to responsible development, but it is also a massive business opportunity for them in terms of generating a living from the operation and enhancement of current tourism of the region.

So Keno residents, stop writing the ransom note, be reasonable, be factual and think abut the glass being half full rather than half empty.

Many unemployed Canadians may be wishing that they lived in Keno where they can readily have a job if they want one.

Christopher Harrison

Whitehorse