The Sullivan Mine in Kimberly, Canada operated for almost 100 years, and employed nearly 3,500 people at its peak – more than half of Kimberley’s population.
The City of Kimberley is now a tourism and recreation destination, and Teck-owned lands were turned over to the city to expand the local ski hill and recreational resorts. In addition, through a collaborative partnership a community solar power plant was completed and began operating in 2015 on reclaimed land at the Sullivan site.
Teck focused on the inclusion of the local community and indigenous peoples in planning for post mine closure land use. At the Sullivan mine, Teck started engaging with communities as early as the late 1960’s to co-create strategies that would mitigate the economic impact of the pending closure. This included career transition planning and training opportunities for employees, the formation of a multi-stakeholder committee to provide community input into closure planning and transitioning from mining to a tourism-based economy. Rehabilitation after mine closure included tree replanting, water collection, and water treatment system enhancements.