Yukon mining workers can now self-isolate on site, instead of in Whitehorse

Mining workers at Victoria Gold Corp.'s Eagle Gold mineno longer have to self-isolatein Whitehorse when they arrive in Yukonand can instead isolate while they start working at the mine.

The workers previously had tobe isolated at a hotel in Whitehorse for 14 days before travelling to the mine.Victoria Gold paid for the hotel rooms and gave a per diem to employees who were self-isolating.

The company's 35 employees from Alberta, Saskatchewanand Manitoba will now be able to self-quarantine at the mine, near Mayo, Yukon.

Victoria Gold president John McConnellsaid some employees broke self-isolation rules while unsupervised in Whitehorse.

"It's just increasingly got difficult for them because essentially they'rehome for two weeks and away for six weeks. And we also had a problem policing them when they were self-isolating in Whitehorse," he said.

"It was fine when the restaurants and bars were closed. But you can imagine a bunch of young men and women self-isolating [in] Whitehorse, it was tempting with restaurants and bars open to sneak out of quarantine and go for a beer once in a while."

McConnell said thefew employees who broke self-isolation rules while in Whitehorse were sent home.

Employees can start working while isolating

Employees will fly via charter fromVancouver to Whitehorse to Mayo, then go directly to the mining site.

McConnell said those employees will be able to start work while quarantining.

He said most of the workers from outside the territory are heavy equipment operators and work by themselves.

"They will be in a separate bunkhouse for their self-quarantine period, they won't be allowed to mix with the other employees in the cafeteria or the gymnasium or the TV room, they will be delivered food to their door," McConnell said.

He said being able to work fourweeks in and twoweeks off at the mine site will be a lot better for employees because they will be able to see their families more regularly.

McConnell said he approached Yukon Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brendan Hanley and proposed to him that employees coming from the Prairies could self isolate on site.

On Wednesday, Premier Sandy Silver said other companies can request similar adaptations to their self-isolation requirements.

McConnell said the company will see how the new system works over the course of the next couple of weeks.

The minewent into production last year and poured its first gold bar in September. There were about 400 workers on site last fall.

Currently, half of the employees at the Eagle Mine are from Yukon.