To: jackjc who wrote (103205 ) 1/14/2008 1:06:25 PM From: E. Charters Respond to Taditionally with more socialsimo governments BC has turned up its nose at resource projects that would employ scads of people. The Big Ledge, a zinc project of some 30 million tons that would employ 6000 people in the construction phase and 2500 thereafter, was refused by the prevailing Socreds (emphasis on the red part) back in the 70's, becauze Cominco wanted a tax guarantee that they would make 16% rate of return on their investment (800 million). That was way too much new money for the Socreds. I can't figure it out. It is tax money, particularly the workers income tax they would not see otherwise. Who cares about the corporate tax? What about the VATs, manufacturing taxes, land tax, and income? The Wigwam, the Big Ledge and about 4 or 5 others in the Revelstroke to Slocan trough, constituting about 100+ million tons of fairly medium grade zinc (3 to 6% open pit Zn plus silver, some Pb) never got exploited and may never. I see the odd company is poking around the area today, but no news. And we have the Stikine to St. Elias range copper corridor. Cominco people used to fly the area in the 70's pointing some pretty special laser illuminated XRF equipment out the door of a helicopter. Even on a fly-by, the Gossans of those valleys would register copper, so they could get a preliminary idea which ones to land on and sample. Based on eyeballing the gossans a Veep of TeckCOM told me that there were probably 20 or more copper mines from Northern BC into Alaska. But their isolation and the prevailing copper price militated against their development at the time.
