Grant: College and Community Innovation Program - Entry Level

This proposal supports capacity development in mining, a key industrial sector in Yukon, through the Cold Climate Innovation program of the Yukon Research Centre of Yukon College. Building on existing strengths, partnerships and planned investments, Yukon College intends to become a leader in cold-climate related innovation in the mining life cycle, focusing initially on mine site remediation. Yukon College has campuses in eleven of the territory's fourteen communities, and has established close partnerships with industry and students across the territory. In addition, growth of the research capacity at the College is a key element of the Yukon College Strategic Plan, 2008-2013, which includes the development of ""research leadership to address northern issues and opportunities"". In furtherance of this aim, Cold Climate Innovation proposes to partner with three local firms active in the bioremediation sector to assist them in developing innovative approaches to sustainable, ecologically benign and effective methodologies for remediation of the soil and ground water effects of mining activity. Specifically, we will partner with Laberge Environmental Services to examine the effects and effectiveness of commercially and in-situ-produced biochars on re-vegetation of mining soils; with Rising Sun Innovations to examine the effectiveness of a new, leading-edge technology in the treatment of groundwater contamination, the remediation of tailings piles, and the refinement of ores; and with Boreal Compost Enterprises for the testing of a three-vector bio-restoration technology for hydrocarbon-contaminated soils remediation; using fungi, municipal compost and willow to effect bio-attenuation and immobilization of contaminants, and to foster natural re-vegetation, while performing erosion- and runoff-control functions. It is anticipated that these three projects will lead to enhanced capacity of the partner companies, enhanced knowledge and training of Yukon College faculty and staff, and economic and ecological benefit to the mining community and to Yukon as a whole.