Hedley Restoration Project Copy

Overview

The Similkameen Valley lies in southern British Columbia, Canada, within the Traditional territories of the Smelqmix People. Historic mining in the region began in the 1890s, leaving behind a legacy of tailings and waste materials. The Upper Similkameen Indian Band (USIB) and the town of Hedley are immediately adjacent to a historic mine with tailing waste bordering the Similkameen River.

Hedley is an abandoned site under the responsibility of the Government of British Columbia. In 2024, Regeneration started working with the province to develop a solution to restore the contaminated lands. Regeneration is a public benefit company - we reprocess mine waste to stabilize the land and fund restoration to help people and the environment.

To date, Regeneration has completed various studies to understand the restoration needs and the opportunity to fund this through reprocessing the legacy tailings. We are now advancing through feasibility studies and design stages for the project.

What’s next?

• Establishing a Community Project Advisory Committee (2026)
• Technical and environmental feasibility studies for the project (2026)
• Final investment decision for the project (end of 2026 or early 2027)

We acknowledge that the land we work on in Hedley is the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of
the Smelqmix People.

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News

Community Open Houses
Join us in Hedley on May 27 and 28 for two upcoming Community Open Houses on the Hedley Restoration Project. Come by to learn more, ask questions, and connect with the project team.

Government of Canada Commits up to $15 million in funding for the Hedley Restoration Project
Read More →

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Characterization Work

‍Between 2025 and 2026 we have completed various studies for the project including:

• Tailings and heap leach sonic drilling and sampling, and geophysical surveying
• Tailings sample analysis for mineralogical and environmental characterization
• Geological engineering evaluations and design
• Geological modeling and metal estimation
• Groundwater monitoring
• Metals recovery testwork and technology options evaluation
• Reclamation and restoration options assessment

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Restoration Approach

‍Between 2025 and 2026 we have completed various studies for the project including:​

• We are co-designing a land-use vision with the peoples and communities of the Similkameen Valley.
• In partnership with USIB and the community of Hedley, and guided by Traditional knowledge, we will restore the land to strengthen the diversity and resilience of ecosystems, species and natural processes using native species, natural landform design, and seasonal restoration approaches.
• The project will fully remove tailings and restore the land and foreshore area next to Similkameen River.
• Our goal is to help rebuild trust in the water and land to sustain the Similkameen way of life.

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Reprocessing Design Approach

‍Between 2025 and 2026 we have completed various studies for the project including:​

• Modular, scalable design tailored for small-scale reprocessing.
• Compact footprint using existing infrastructure on site with a low power demand.
• Targeting recovery of gold and cobalt with test work underway to evaluate feasibility of recovering high purity arsenic
• Minimizing and mitigating dust, recycling and limiting water use to the greatest extent possible.

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