Giant Mine headframe set for demolition this summer

One landmark from Yellowknife's gold mining past is close to disappearing for good, while the future of another is in limbo.

Plans are underway to begin dismantling the iconic C-Shaftheadframeat Giant Mine this summer, representatives from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada said at a public meeting Thursday night.

It's part of an early "site stabilization" phase of the remediation project triggered in 2013by concerns about site safety.

It's sad. But things do change.- Jay Butler

"Peoplewill definitely notice a difference," said JaneAmphlett, an engineering manager with the project.

"We haven't finalized the plan, but it's likely that significant parts of the shaft will come down in the next year, and likely perhaps all of itwill comedown once [our engineers] finalize the actual plan for it."

Amphlettsaid the timber and steel tower, which is at the centre of the clean-up site, poses a potential safety risk to remediation workers.

The smaller A-Shaftheadframe, near the Yellowknife boat launch area and close to the intended site of a proposed N.W.T. Mining Museum, will also be taken down, though when has not be determined yet,Amphlettadded.

Earlier this week, city councillors voted to end discussions about taking over ownership of Con Mine's hard-to-miss RobertsonheadframefromNewmontMining Corporation

The decision comes after city administrationsaid it's simplynot possiblefor the city to absolveNewmontof any potential liability for the red-toppedheadframe.

"It's really a case of not being able to do what the majority of council wanted to do. It's not a case of us not being in support of [preserving theheadframe]," says Councillor CoryVanthuyne.

ThoughNewmontremains the owner of theheadframe,Vanthuyneand fellow councillors LindaBusseyandNielsKongesaid the option of lobbying the territorial government to save theheadframeremains.

Resignation and regret

News of the impending removal of the C-shaft headframe, and the unfortunately-timed news about the Robertson headframe, has beenmet with a mixture of resignation and regret.

"It's sad. My grandfather worked at Giant for a bunch of years in the1950s," said Jay Butler. "But things do change.

"The amount of money that would have to go topreserving these artifacts, I think, would be better used to make the area usable by the public.So if there's a trade-off, I would rather look to the future than the past."

DaveRitchie, a retired former Giant Mine draftsman, recently returned home from a six-month vacation that took him toParis.

"I was able to go up the Eiffel Tower," said the cane-wieldingRitchie."And even though that is more 100 years old, it's in good shape and it's a landmark for the town. I'm sure the Robertsonheadframecould be like a landmark for this town. Everybody that comes to town would want to see it, I'm sure."

The C-Shaftheadframeat Giant Mine was one of the first T-shirt andhoodiedesigns Erasmus Apparel co-owner Sarah Erasmus sketched before opening her store in 2012. It's since becomeone of her hottest sellers.

"We didn't think it would be as popular as it was but everyone loved it so we kept printing it," said Erasmus.

Her own feelings about the Giant Mine site are more ambiguous.

"The things it's done to the Earth and how big of a problem it is, with the arsenic, it's devastating. But at the same time, you can't denythat it's part of Yellowknife."