Teck Resources Ltd., the company that operates Highland Valley Copper in Logan Lake, says 3rd quarter profits are down, which has the CEO saying it will focus on improving efficiency and productivity.

Mayor Robin Smith says those kinds of comments can be scary for employees and communities like Logan Lake that rely on the mining industry as an economic driver. “We always have to be concerned any time that they’re talking about reductions if the workforce and that sort of thing.” Smith says it is working closely with them as a community to ensure stability. “To do what we can to assist in maintaining that stability and that longevity. So, I think as long as we’re working together we got a pretty good picture of what that will look like going forward. Their current mine life is 2027. They do have a proposal in for extension to 2040 and beyond, so I think we can remain optimistic.

Despite Teck Resources saying its profits have gone down, that is manly attributed to its coal mining operations. It has actually reported an increase in copper production. Smith calls that good news for Highland Valley Copper. She does add though, that there is a need to try and diversify its economy and it is working on ways to do that.