Taranis also requested the court to ask the Mines Minister Josie Osbourne for clarification on her statement that First Nations were “the rightful owners of the land,” and her reference to a “Ktunaxa-declared moratorium”, which Taranis thought to be contrary to law.

The Thor copper project, an amalgamation of five historic mines, sits in Ktunaxa traditional territory, northeast of the village of Nakusp, in the West Kootenay region.

“We’re incredibly pleased,” said John Gardiner, president and chief executive of Taranis, in an interview with the Valley Voice. “It took two years and approximately $200,000 in legal fees to reach this stage.” According to executive, permits are typically approved within about three months.

Taranis had been granted in 2021 a permit to execute bulk sampling activities at the project for up to five years.