Goldcorp increases Yukon-based staff for Klondike gold claims

Goldcorp, the company that bought the Kaminak Gold Corporation and its mineral claims south of Dawson City, says it is gradually ramping-up the number of staff in the Yukon.

Brent Bergeron, Goldcorp's vice president of corporate affairs, says the company is moving ahead with plans to develop its claims in the Yukon and that includes applying for environmental approvals. To do that, Bergeron says Goldcorp's Whitehorse office will need more staff.

"We've actually just hired our mine general manager for the Coffee project, his name is Buddy Crill," said Bergeron, who notes Crill is in in the process of moving his family to Whitehorse.

Goldcorp, a Vancouver-based company, is the world's fourth-largest gold producer of Gold. It paid around $520 million dollars to acquire Kaminak Gold Corporation and its Coffee property in May.

Bergeron says many of Kaminak's former employees are now with Goldcorp.

"Some of them are going to continue to be based out of Vancouver and fly up, but some of them are actually going to be required to move to either Dawson City or Whitehorse."

He says the company also encourages local hires at its operations and provides training in some cases.

"The contribution we want to have at the local level has to be as high as possible, that we can achieve," he said.