On the weekend of May 21, Kimberley City Council hosted a delegation from the countries of Peru and Colombia. The delegates came from communities dependent on mining, who faced future closure of mines. They were interested in looking at how Kimberley had transitioned from mining to tourism since the closure of the Sullivan Mine in 2001.
“One thing that did jump out is that the rules and regulations around closure are a lot more sophisticated in British Colombia than in Peru or Colombia,” said Mayor Don McCormick. “They operate under a completely different set of rules.
“One community has a gold mine closing in three years. They are where Kimberley was in the 90s. They are trying to understand the transition we made to tourism. They were impressed on how far we’ve come.”
McCormick says it’s helpful to take a step back and look at accomplishments occasionally.
“It’s astounding how far Kimberley has come in the last 16 years,” he said.
The visiting delegations were wined and dined and enjoyed a tour of the Kimberley Underground Mining Railway’s attractions.