Elk Valley Resources and Nupqu Resource Limited Partnership have been recognized for their partnership restoring mine sites with native plants grown from locally collected seeds.
The two organizations received the Steelmaking Coal Mine Reclamation Award at the 49th B.C. Mine Reclamation Symposium in Fort St. John.
Nupqu, a Ktunaxa-owned business, collects native seeds from across the Elk Valley to support EVR’s reclamation work.
More than 60 plant species are collected each year, with the seeds used to grow native plants suited to specific reclamation sites. More than eight million seedlings have been planted since 2022.
The program is designed to return native vegetation to disturbed areas while supporting biodiversity and ecosystem restoration.
The partnership has also created economic opportunities for the Ktunaxa Nation and supported the development of new seed collection, propagation and planting techniques.
The B.C. Technical and Research Committee on Reclamation presented the award as part of its annual symposium, which included mine tours, technical presentations and an awards ceremony.
Other recipients included BHP Canada, which received the Jake McDonald Annual Reclamation Award for its ongoing work at the former Island Copper Mine near Port Hardy.
Glenda Ferris received a Special Tribute Award recognizing more than 40 years of contributions to mine reclamation in northern B.C.
Matthew Barnette, Jess Rodgers and Amanda Schoonmaker received the Tony Milligan Book Award for their paper, “Reclamation at the Site C hydro-electric project,” while Can Zhang, a PhD student at the University of British Columbia, received the Poster Award.
More than 250 people attended this year’s symposium, including biologists, engineers, mine workers, industry representatives, First Nations partners and community members and students.
