Yukon town stops to protest federal rules

Gary Park, PNA Canadian correspondent

Dawson City, whose population has declined to 2,000 from 40,000 in the Klondike gold rush of 1898, was shut down by a general strike March 12 to protest new federal rules that the town says will devastate its gold mining industry.

The Canadian government unveiled plans in December forcing miners to further filter runoff from placer mines to protect fish stocks — a move the Yukon government says could wipe out 54 percent of the territory’s placer miners.

Yukon Premier Dennis Fentie said “we won’t accept this … placer mining is part of our history.” The Yukon has about 100 placer mines which pump C$50 million a year into the economy.