Miramar Con Mines Heliport

Economic reasons. The heliport was a private facility that existed solely to support the operations of the Con Mine. When the owner, Miramar Mining Corporation, shut down the mine due to the depletion of economically viable ore reserves, the supporting infrastructure, including the heliport, was no longer required and was subsequently closed as part of the site's decommissioning.

The site of the former heliport is now part of the extensive Con Mine Remediation Project. The entire property, including the land where the heliport was located, is an active environmental cleanup site managed by the Government of the Northwest Territories and Public Services and Procurement Canada. The focus is on the long-term management of arsenic trioxide dust stored underground and the reclamation of the surface land. There are no remaining aviation facilities; the area is a restricted-access industrial remediation zone.

The Miramar Con Mines Heliport was an integral logistical asset for the historic Con Mine, one of Canada's most significant and longest-continuously-operating gold mines (1938-2003). The heliport's primary function was to support mining and exploration activities in the rugged and remote Canadian Shield. Operations included: transporting geologists and workers to and from remote exploration camps, slinging equipment (drills, pumps, supplies) to inaccessible sites, and providing a platform for emergency medical evacuations. It was a vital link that enabled the mine to operate efficiently across a wide and challenging terrain.

There are zero plans or prospects for reopening the heliport. Its operational purpose was tied exclusively to the Con Mine, which is permanently closed. The land is undergoing a complete transformation from an industrial site to reclaimed land suitable for potential future development, a process that will take many decades. All helicopter services for the Yellowknife region are now consolidated at the main Yellowknife Airport (CYZF) and other local heli-bases.