According to the Times Colonist, company officials are working to get the shuttered Wolverine, Brule and Willow Creek mines operational and have made offers to every unemployed miner in the community.
PCI coal-focused Brule and hard-coking mine Wolverine could open in the spring of 2017 with 200 employees each; the higher cost but also higher quality Willow Creek operation would follow at some point later.
Tumbler Ridge, hard hit by the industry downturn, hasn’t seen coal production since early 2015. More recently, met coal prices have begun to rebound.
ERP’s Tom Clarke declined to comment about the details of their plan until the transaction has closed. That approval could come as soon as this week, according to local media.
