The federal government announced an investment of up to $25 million to build an all-season road from Liard Highway 7 to the Prairie Creek Mine site.
The National Trade Corridors Fund has granted this funding to NorZinc Ltd. (privately held mining company headquartered in Vancouver, BC). The National Trade Corridors Fund, with a budget of $4.6 billion, finances infrastructure projects across Canada. These projects may include improvements to airports, ports, railways, transportation facilities, and access roads.
This project will provide year-round access to the Prairie Creek mine (zinc, silver and lead mine) site, national park areas, and Indigenous traditional territories. It also unlocks the economic potential of the Prairie Creek mine site by supporting the transportation of critical minerals to global markets. This initiative has the potential to generate approximately $8 billion in revenue for Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) over the next two decades. The benefit of year-round access also extends to local Indigenous communities, enhancing tourism and eco-tourism opportunities in the Nahanni National Park Reserve. The project also facilitate the transportation of goods to local communities.
