First Nation of Nacho Nyäk Dun neutral on possible gold mine sale, slams Yukon gov’t handling of process
The First Nation of Nacho Nyäk Dun says it has no opinion about the possible sale of the mothballed Eagle gold mine to Boroo Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-based mining company.
The First Nation does, however, have concerns about the process that led to Boroo gaining the exclusive right to negotiate with the mine’s current owner, the Yukon government, for 90 days.
“[The] Yukon government’s endorsement of the exclusivity agreement between Boroo and the mine’s receiver demonstrates its preoccupation with ridding this historic disaster from its books rather than addressing the underlying causes,” the First Nation said in a news release Tuesday.
A massive failure of a heap leach pad — which prevents chemicals used in ore extraction from leaching into the surrounding environment — shuttered Eagle in 2024 and contaminated local waterways. The Yukon government took ownership of the mine after its owner, Victoria Gold, went belly-up. Since then, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has been acting as the receiver, managing the cleanup and trying to find a buyer.
The Yukon government lent $220 million to PwC to cover cleanup costs, and multiple ministers from both the Liberal and Yukon parties have said it wants to get something back for its trouble.
“At this time, FNNND neither supports nor opposes the sale of the Eagle gold mine site to Boroo or to any bidder,” the First Nation said. “We remain resolute, however, that all decisions with regard to the site’s current management and its future must be made in full collaboration and with the consent of the nation and our citizens.”
The First Nation said it would not grant interviews Tuesday.
Nacho Nyäk Dun said management of the Eagle site is “inadequate,” and the Yukon government is dragging its heels on systemic changes to the territory’s mining industry. The First Nation is suing both the Yukon and federal governments over their continued approvals of mining projects on its traditional territory before a finalized land use plan is in place.
In an email, Yukon government spokesperson Tim Kucharuk said any deal must have the support of the First Nation.
“The exclusivity period will give the purchaser and FNNND an opportunity to consider FNNND’s position on the purchaser’s proposed transaction and restart plan,” he said.
“The sales process is focused on ensuring that any potential buyer is responsible, experienced and well‑resourced and does not restrict bidders based on nationality. These criteria help protect the interests of Yukoners, workers and the environment.”
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