Prince George, B.C. – The Gibralter, Mine,    the single largest employer in the Cariboo,   is up and running again.

Taseko had idled the facility  five days ago because  wildfires  had  restricted access to the mine .

At this time no fires threaten the mine facility. However, an evacuation order remains in effect for the City of Williams Lake (65 kilometres south of the mine) and the risk of potential wildfire in the region persists but  President and CEO of Taseko Mines, Russell Hallbauer,  says it’s  important for  the mine to be  back at work “Simply put, it is the best possible road to recovery for everybody and that has been our collective objective”.

“Countless people and families in the region have suffered devastating fire loss, and that includes some who work for the Company as mentioned. Sadly, some folks may need months to recover, others may require years. The best thing Taseko-Gibraltar can do, and this would apply to other employers in the region as well, is help people return to work as quickly as they are able,” said Hallbauer.

He says it’s important to  get the payroll   rolling again,  as that is the best way to help the region   and its people recover from this disaster.

“With the talent and dedication of our workforce in combination with the expertise and success of thousands of professional and volunteer firefighters who have now come from every province in Canada and as far away as Australia to help in the battle and for which we are entirely grateful, we will be able keep the Gibraltar Mine running and productive and contributing to the recovery,” concluded Mr. Hallbauer.