Nahanni Range Road

Roads to Resources

The Northwest Territories and Yukon have 10 to 15 percent of the world’s known tungsten reserves and almost all of the available reserves outside of China. Mactung is one of the largest tungsten deposits in the world.

Tungsten is one of the world’s hardest materials and has the highest melting point and tensile strength of all the metals. It is used in mining, petroleum, military, construction and metalworking industries.

Cantung

Axel Berglund was looking for copper when he staked the Cantung Mine tungsten deposit in 1954.

Canadian Tungsten Mining Corporation, formed in 1959, mined the Cantung ore from an open pit until 1974 when mining activity moved underground. Cantung was the western world’s largest tungsten producer from 1962 until 1985 when the mine closed. After prices improved in 2000, North American Tungsten reopened the mine in 2002 and again in 2004. The company continues to look for ore at Cantung although their major focus is expected to shift to Mactung on the North Canol Road. Canadian Tungsten Mining Corp. and the Yukon government started to build the 217 km Nahanni Range Road in 1961, one year after construction started on the Robert Campbell Highway. The route was completed in 1965.

The Nahanni Range Road follows a chain of lakes and winds along the Hyland River. This route was long used by the First Nations in their seasonal travels to hunt and fish.

The Logan Mountains are named for Sir William Edward Logan, founder and director of the Geological Survey of Canada.

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