Mineral Exploration

S umm e r 20 1 8 13 50TH ANNIVERSARY PHOTOS: RICHARD HARTMIER + STEVE SHAWCOURTESY TRANS NORTH HELICOPTERS LTD.; KLOHN CRIPPEN BERGER Trans North Helicopters Ltd. has been providing helicopter charter services in Yukon and northwestern Canada since 1967, one year before the founding of AME's member guide and service directory. From its headquarters in Whitehorse and six Yukon bases, Trans North ošers its clients flexibility and economy. It's involved in virtually every kind of helicopter application, including mining and mineral exploration. The company's unošicial motto is "Where the roads end, we begin." "The company operates 13 helicopters and employs between 25 and 35 people, depending on the exploration season," says Arden Meyer, Trans North's Whitehorse- based general manager. The company operates in Yukon, north-central B.C. and northern Alberta. "Most of our customers are in the mineral exploration industry," says Meyer. "As a result, our fortunes depend on how successful the industry is." the ledger, companies are using better geoscience techniques for finding minerals, says McLeod. "There is better awareness today of the environment and the need to protect it," he says. "But, at the same time, there are a lot of misperceptions around mineral exploration and mine development. And there is more regulatory risk aversion and challenges in working with Aboriginal and local communities." KCB has benefited from, and continues to benefit from, its corporate membership in AME, says McLeod. "We support AME because KCB does a lot of work in the mineral exploration industry," he says. "It gives us contacts and enables us to keep in touch with the rest of the industry." McLeod says AME plays an important role in supporting mineral exploration and educating it in best practices. "And Roundup keeps going, which is great," he says. "It enables us to engage with everybody else in the mineral exploration industry in B.C. and Western Canada." Meyer says the impact of the industry on the environment has been receiving much more attention than it used to. "There are many more regulations and requirements to consult with First Nations and local communities than there were 25 years ago," he says. Meyer, who has been with Trans North for almost 50 years, says AME has been doing a good job of informing the exploration industry about best practices. "And Roundup is a great outreach event," he adds. "Where the roads end, we begin." Trans North Helicopters supporting mineral exploration work in Yukon; (right) Arden Meyer. KCB sites through the years: (clockwise from left) Early cone penetration testing rig, 1960s; Greens Creek and Bethlehem mines; (far right) Harvey McLeod; (bottom) geotechnical lab c. 1960.

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