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# Second Yukon Resource Gateway Project agreement reached

The Quick facts section of this news release has been corrected and updated.
The Government of Yukon and the Liard First Nation have reached an agreement for the first phase of the Nahanni Range Road component of the Yukon Resource Gateway Project.

Liard First Nation is collaborating with the Government of Yukon on the development, environmental assessment and regulatory aspects of the Nahanni Range Road Phase 1 upgrades. The bridge replacement and rehabilitation component of Phase 1 is expected to cost approximately $17 million.

The agreement includes funding to cover capacity, training, employment and business opportunities for Liard First Nation such as vegetation clearing, wildlife monitoring, post-secondary education, as well as the commitment to establish a joint committee to develop adaptive approaches for mitigating possible negative impacts of the roads.

The Yukon Resource Gateway Project will create new access and provide necessary upgrades of existing road infrastructure in areas of high mineral potential and active mining in Yukon, including the Dawson and Nahanni ranges.

> This agreement will ensure Liard First Nation meaningfully participates in the Nahanni Range Road upgrades. As the second agreement, it also represents a significant step forward in the overall Yukon Resource Gateway Project process. In partnership with First Nations and industry we are supporting lasting investment in Yukon’s mineral resource sector while maximizing the benefits for Yukon communities.

> We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the Government of Yukon on the Nahanni Road portion of the Gateway Project. This agreement will work to ensure proper environmental and social impact assessment and identify possible impacts to Kaska rights, while also maximizing potential economic opportunities.

> Golden Predator Mining Corp congratulates the Yukon government and the Liard First Nation in providing for valuable and beneficial infrastructure improvements on the Nahanni Range Road, in southeast Yukon, from the Gateway project. It’s a great step forward to improving access to exploration and mining projects and will provide numerous economic and social benefits to the Liard First Nation, the community of Watson Lake and the Yukon as a whole.

> The Nahanni Range Road is a vital link for the Selwyn transportation corridor and upgrades will help advance our activities in this area. We congratulate the Yukon government and Liard First Nation on reaching this agreement and look forward to the benefits it will bring to the region.

Quick facts

- The existing Nahanni Range Road connects with Highway 4, between Ross River and Watson Lake to the Yukon/Northwest Territories border. Phase 1 includes commencing the design, planning, and construction associated with two bridge replacements, one bridge rehabilitation, and improvements to lines of sight and road geometry.
  Correction: An earlier version of this news release indicated that the existing Nahanni Range Road connects with Highway 3, between Ross River and Watson Lake. However, the road connects with Highway 4 at that location.

- Golden Predator Mining Corp operates the 3 Aces Project in southeastern Yukon.

- Selwyn Chihong Mining Ltd. operates the Selwyn Project, a proposed zinc-lead mine located in Howard’s Pass in eastern Yukon.

- The Government of Yukon and Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation reached an agreement for the proposed Carmacks Bypass component of the Yukon Resource Gateway Project in March 2019.

Media contact

Matthew Cameron
Cabinet Communications
867-393-7136
matthew.cameron@gov.yk.ca

Natalie Pendergast
Communications, Energy, Mines and Resources
867-667-5809
natalie.pendergast@gov.yk.ca

Chief of Liard First Nation George Morgan
Liard First Nation
867-536-7901 ext. 30
chief@liardfirstnation.ca

News release #:
20-006
Related information:
Learn about the Yukon resource gateway project
Agreement reached for the Yukon Resource Gateway Project
Yukon resource gateway project: Nahanni Range Road component