FILE PHOTO - Highland Valley Copper

(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

A day after Highland Valley Copper mine was placed under an evacuation order due to a nearby wildfire, the company that owns it decided to donate thousands to wildfire relief efforts.

Teck Resources Limited, which owns and operates Highland Valley Copper, announced today it will donate $100,000 to the Canadian Red Cross and $50,000 to the B.C. SPCA in support of emergency efforts in response to wildfires in the province, according to a company press release.

A further $25,000 will go to match donations made by Teck employees. The donation will help the non-profit provide food, clothing and temporary accommodation for evacuees, and the B.C. SPCA donation will support the rescue and relocation of pets and farm animals in affected regions, according to the news release.

“In addition to this donation, Teck is supporting employees that live within the area of evacuation orders in the Thompson-Nicola region and is also engaging directly with Indigenous communities in the region to support wildfire relief efforts,” according to the press release.

Yesterday, Aug. 14,  the mine was placed under an evacuation order by the District of Logan Lake due the Tremont Creek wildfire. The wildfire is currently 62,594 hectares in size and reached Logan Lake's boundaries last night.

READ MORE: Highland Valley Copper mine evacuating due to wildfire

Operations have been suspended at the mine due to the evacuation order and only a small number of workers remain on site to ensure safety and environmental protection, according to Teck. There is currently no risk to infrastructure at the mine.

“Impact to production at HVC is dependent on the length of the suspension of operations,” according to Teck’s news release.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Carli Berry or call 250-864-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2021