Klondike miners want dozens of families moved to make way for digging

The Yukon government needs to modernize the territory's mining laws to prevent more conflicts between residents and the owners of mining claims, according to Roberta Joseph, the chief of the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation.

Michel Vincent and Michael Heydorf have applied to the Yukon Surface Rights Board to evict members of the First Nation living in dozens of homes in the subdivision. The miners say the homes are on part of eight placer mining claims they own.

Chief Joseph said the threatened evictions were a shock and proof Yukon's mining laws are out of step with modern times.

"Basically outdated mining legislation needs to be brought into conformity with the way we live now, not the way we lived 100 years ago," she said.

Documents filed with the Surface Rights Board say the dispute goes back almost 15 years when the First Nation said Vincent's demand for $80,000 in compensation amounted to extortion. The First Nation's offer of $10,000 was rejected.

A release from the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation says construction of the homes began in 2001 and cost several million dollars. It says almost 40 families live in the subdivision, although another document indicates there are more than 50 homes.

It says the two men also sent a letter to the First Nation in June demanding it "remove all buildings, power lines, sewer and water lines, survey stakes and any other possessions," by July 15.

The miners also paid for research to verify their belief that there could be a significant amount of gold underground. A report says the large dredge that worked in that area around 100 years ago could only dig as deep as 17 metres while the gold bearing dirt and gravel is about 25 metres deep.

The First Nation responded to the miners' demands with a legal letter telling them they are financially responsible for any damage done to property and possessions on the site.

The Surface Rights Board also deemed their application incomplete and told the men they have 60 days to re-submit the required documentation, said executive director Ian Pumphrey.

Neither Heydorf, nor Vincent, could be reached for comment.

This is not the only dispute involving mining claims within Dawson City limits.

There's been an ongoing controversy over placer miner Darrell Carey's activities on the Midnight Dome. Some residents have objected to his mining operations adjacent to their properties.