Hope, B.C.- Another Mines Act permit has been issued, this time to Huldra Silver Inc for its Treasure Mountain silver mine about 29 kms east of Hope. 

The capital cost of the project is said to be $12 million dollars and will provide 25 full time jobs in the area. The mine is expected to produce 60,000 tonnes per year from an underground silver-lead-zinc operation. 

The ore from Treasure Mountain will be processed at the Craigmont mine, which operated from 1962 to 1982. Craigmont will receive a permit amendment, and 10 additional jobs will be created at that site. 

This new mine permit pushes the Provincial Government closer to its goal of permitting 8 new mines and nine expansions by 2015. 

The new mines, which have either started construction or are about to begin include:

•         Copper Mountain Mine, which began production in June 2011,
•         Mount Milligan by Prince George,
•         New Afton by Kamloops,
•         Barkerville by Quesnel and
•         Red Chris by Dease Lake

The mine expansions include:

•         Highland Valley near Ashcroft,
•         Elkview near Sparwood,
•         Huckleberry near Smithers,
•         Endako near Fraser Lake and
•         Quinsam near Campbell River.

Last year more than 29,000 people were employed in mineral exploration, mining and related sectors, mostly in rural B.C.