Small mine raises big hopes for northern Sask.

Joan Duncan, the new Minister of Northern Affairs, is no stranger to the healing power of gold. As a pharmacist in Maple Creek, Sask., Duncan prepared gold compounds as a treatment for arthritis.

And on her recent tour of Vista Mines’ (TSE) gold mine at Creighton, Sask., Duncan learned what gold can do for small northern Saskatchewan communities.

The town of Creighton is half a mile from Flin Flon, on the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border. According to Creighton Mayor Richard Carnegie, Creighton is “a single industry town,” with about 70% of its work force employed in mining related jobs.

Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting (TSE) is the biggest employer in the area, employing as many as 2,200 people. However, when the prices of zinc and copper fell in the early 1980s, Hudson Bay was forced to cut back on its operation and its staff.

That’s where Vista Mines came in.

In 1986, Vista acquired six mineral properties in the Flin Flon gold belt and began its exploration.

According to Mayor Carnegie, “Vista has had a stabilizing effect on the community (by) taking up some of the slack” after Hudson Bay slowed its operations.

Vista currently employs 56 people as welders, electricians, geologists, miners and engineers. And according to mine superintendant Bernard Hughes, “Seventy per cent of those people are from the (Creighton-Flin Flon) area.”

Recently, according to Hughes, “We approached the local Manpower people to discuss the possibility of setting up training programs for diamond drillers and shrinkage gold mining stope miners specially trained to work in gold mines.

Besides employing local people, Vista purchases supplies from local companies like the lumber yards, mining equipment retailers and repair and maintenance businesses.

Remarked Hughes, “It is surprising what can be supplied right here.”

Vista has also undertaken the reconstruction of the mill located on their property.

According to Hughes, “The mill (which was originally constructed by Flin Flon Mines in 1984) was rated for 100 tons of ore a day. We started renovations in January, 1988, and now the mill has been upgraded to handle 300 tons per day.”

“The mill is the key to development,” says Nathan Hollick, chief operating officer of Vista Mines. “It was the first mill built in Saskatchewan since the 1930s, and it is the only mill in the area,” he explained.

The mill has been used to do bulk sampling of the ore taken from Vista’s promising Rio deposit and according to Hollick, “The mill is running at 95% efficiency.”

That spells good news for Vista and for other gold companies in the area. Said Hollick, “We will be able to do custom milling and there are other developments in the area that we can get involved in.”