Geologist Ryan Bachynski is determined to develop the first NWT-owned rare earth elements project through a newly incorporated Yellowknife-based company, Northern Critical Minerals Ltd. 

Not unlike the diamond play of the 1990s, Canadian juniors, and creative geologists are once again getting out ahead of the majors, staking their own claims and working to advance them to the next level. 

In 2016, Ryan, a recent graduate with a degree in geology from the University of Regina, sought a bit of adventure. He purchased a used camper and embarked on a journey from Saskatchewan to the Northwest Territories, a region which he had limited knowledge of regarding both the area and potential career opportunities.

His journey, to date, is yet another testament to where the NWT’s potential can take you. “The industry was in a tough place when I graduated, but as I attended conferences and met people from the NWT, their outlook was always positive and inviting,” he recalls, “I decided to head North.”

Ryan’s thirst for adventure brought him to Yellowknife where he was able to land a series of jobs as a contractor, working his way up to the title of Senior Project Geologist on projects in the Territory.

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Because it is underexplored and has areas largely free of claims, the NWT still has expansive packages of land open for exploration.  So, when he wasn’t employed directly, Ryan headed into the bush to do his own prospecting, eventually even staking his own claims.

The Northwest Territories Geological Survey was an important source of data and information, and he was able to build on its historic knowledge and previous geological work to help target his own exploration.

Past explorers have identified various commodities in different locations and the government has done a good job of preserving that information”, he notes. “Historical reporting contains the location of the occurrences or showings others have discovered and documented. I was able to go back and take another look.” 

His work may be paying off. Ryan and his business partner, Jared Suchan, are now developing two rare earth element properties north of Yellowknife which they have named Tharsis and Allende. 

The Northwest Territories Geological Survey, with its delivery of the NWT’s Mining Incentive Program, has been an important source of funding. 

Northern Critical Minerals, for which Ryan is now CEO, received $180,000 from the government’s Mining Incentive Program to offset costs for an inaugural drilling campaign intended to bolster the tonnage potential of the rare earth element targets. It’s only a portion of what they will need, but Ryan is confident in the geology and that hard work will pay off.

Resource availability, technology, market demand and global interest continue to come together to create extraordinary opportunities for explorers and investors in the NWT.

Thanks to his hard work and a search for adventure, Ryan Bachynski is hoping to be big part of what is in store.