Prospector and president: Q & A with Jason Jacob of the East Kootenay Chamber of Mines

Delving deeper

1 of 3People of all ages enjoy the Minerals South Conference. — Photo courtesy East Kootenay Chamber of Mines

2 of 3Minerals South Conference. — Photo courtesy East Kootenay Chamber of Mines

3 of 3A number of display tables at the Minerals South Conference. — Photo courtesy East Kootenay Chamber of Mines

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Jason Jacob, a resident of Cranbrook, British Columbia, has done his time prospecting in the East Kootenay region of B.C. and now focuses on the East Kootenay Chamber of Mines (EKCM); Jacob is the chamber’s president.

He sat down with Mining & Exploration to talk about his history with the EKCM and the latest news, including the upcoming Minerals South Conference to be held in Cranbrook from November 5 to 7.

What is your involvement with the mining industry? Are you a geologist?

No, I am a prospector. I have been involved in a family placer mining business since 1984. We were in the Wildhorse, Perry Creek and Moyie area. From there I got involved in the chamber from a young age and eventually became a director. Two years ago, I took over the presidency. I had to fill the pretty big shoes of Ross Stanfield. Now, I focus mainly on the chamber, keeping everything up to date.

What is the latest with EKCM?

The core storage facility located near Fort Steele, B.C., is progressing—we initiated this a few years ago and it is an ongoing project that is growing. We have accumulated important drill cores from the (former) Sullivan Mine as well as the Estella, and Vulcan. Paul Ransom is a senior geologist who came from Cominco, and he is spearheading the project. He knows the Sullivan core better than anybody. We have also constructed core racks, which are covered with a concrete roof for protection. We will focus on the core library at Minerals South.

What is the benefit of the library?

The biggest benefit is companies and geology students can visit from universities and colleges and look at the mine in the core. Teck has actually been back to look at their core. Obviously if a company has a property and it has been drilled before, they can analyze it to see if it is what they are looking for in their program, and possibly save money—a very important reference point. This is the first core library in British Columbia. We are working towards a provincial core library that is functioning strictly for exploration and utilized by the mining community.

Is there anything else you want to share?

Basically, just come to the Minerals South Conference. It will be really interesting—rock displays and “ask the geologist” opportunities, great displays and academic talks on all things geology and mining.