Location & Access
The Prairie Creek Mine (the "Project") is located in the South Mackenzie Mountains of the Northwest Territories, Canada, at 61° 33' North Latitude and 124° 48' West Longitude. The mine site is situated on Prairie Creek about 43 km upstream from its confluence with the South Nahanni River.
Click Here to View the Prairie Creek Mine in Google Earth
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Year round access to the mine site is by charter aircraft, generally from Fort Simpson, NWT or Fort Nelson, B.C. The mine is serviced by a 1,000 m gravel airstrip located approximately 1 km to the north of the mine site. To experience an air approach and landing to Prairie Creek airstrip you can view this video.
In 1980 a 170 km winter road was built from the Project to the confluence of the Blackstone and Liard Rivers connecting the Project with the Liard Highway. This access road was used to transport the equipment and buildings presently on site. On April 11, 2007 the Company received a Land Use Permit from the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board which permits the re-establishment of the winter road. In July 2008, the Company commenced rehabilitation work on the Winter Road.
Nahanni National Park Reserve
The Prairie Creek mine site is situated 35 kilometres upstream of the present Nahanni National Park Reserve boundary. For more information on Nahanni National Park Reserve, click here.
In August 2007 the Prime Minister of Canada visited Fort Simpson to announce the proposed expansion of NNPR. The Prime Minister announced that the Government of Canada had approved an Order in Council (PC-2007-1202 July 31, 2007), withdrawing certain lands for the proposed park expansion. The area surrounding the Prairie Creek Mine, containing approximately 367 square kilometres, is not included in the interim land withdrawal area and, as specified in Schedule 2 to the Order, is specifically excluded and exempted. Canadian Zinc had been assured by the Government of Canada and by Parks Canada that the final boundaries of the expanded park will not include the site of or the access road to the Prairie Creek mine and that in the proposed expansion of the NNPR the existing mining and access rights of Canadian Zinc to the Prairie Creek mine will be respected and protected.
Canadian Zinc Corporation has recently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Parks Canada July 31, 2008, for more information see the Canadian Zinc press release, click here.
On June 9, 2009 the Government of Canada introduced new special legislation into Parliament on the proposed expansion of Nahanni National Park Reserve, which excludes the Prairie Creek Mine, for more information see the Canadian Zinc Press Release of June 9, 2009 click here. This special legislation subsequently received royal assension in the House of Commons and the Senate. Nahanni National Park Reserve has now officially expanded to include an area of 30,000 square Km as indicated on the following map:
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