Seabridge Gold contributes $100,000 towards trades training in northwestern British Columbia

VANCOUVER, Feb. 4, 2013 – Seabridge Gold Inc. (TSX:SEA) (NYSE:SA) is proud to announce a $100,000 donation to Northwest Community College (NWCC). This contribution will assist in delivery of trades training to northwestern British Columbia, in which Seabridge’s proposed KSM project is located. Seabridge presented the cheque to Northwest Community College at a reception held at the Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia’s Mineral Exploration Roundup Conference 2013 in Vancouver, B.C. on January 29.

“One of Seabridge’s goals is to maximize the training and employment opportunities for the communities in which we operate. This donation to trades training in northwest B.C. illustrates our continued commitment to local communities, as we continue to advance the KSM Project. We are confident that an operating KSM project will make a significant contribution to the B.C. economy. It is forecasted to generate over 6,500 full time jobs and approximately $48 billion in total contribution to GDP during its more than 50-year expected mine life,” said Rudi Fronk, Seabridge’s Chairman and CEO.

Seabridge’s KSM Project, located 65 km northwest of Stewart, B.C., submitted its official Environmental Assessment and Environmental Impact Statement on January 31, 2013. The project offers multi-generational employment for residents of northwest B.C. over the project’s 52-year mine life. Seabridge recognizes there will be challenges finding and retaining skilled workers in the area. This financial contribution will fund a mobile unit to deliver programs to local communities which will train future electricians, carpenters, heavy duty equipment operators, welders, and millwrights.

“Northwest Community College is about making training accessible to anyone who wants to participate in our booming economy,” said Dr. Denise Henning, President and CEO of NWCC. “With this investment from Seabridge, geographic challenges will not hamper our ability to deliver training in the Northwest, while making sure that when we talk about distributed learning, we are putting accessibility front and centre.”

Northwest Community College has nine campuses in Northwestern B.C. from Houston in the East to Haida Gwaii in the west, serving 35 communities, 28 of them First Nations. Their School of Exploration and Mining in Smithers has been designated as a B.C. Centre of Training Excellence in Mining by the B.C. Government.

According to the B.C. Government, the mining sector, like almost every other sector, faces a series of challenges in making sure it has the right people, with the right skills, in the right places. Even with a multitude of programs in place, there may not be enough workers to fill job openings over the next decade. Programs like Northwest Community College’s mobile trades program, made possible with sponsorship from Seabridge Gold, will assist in filling this gap by bringing education to industry and communities that need it most.

 

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