[4] In 1964 Vancouver-based Cominco optioned all the mineral claims in Canada's Arctic that were controlled by Bankaro Mines.

Mineral and economic assessments resulted in a 23 million ton reserve at a zinc grade of 14.1 per cent.

Approval of the project was obtained in 1979, then Prime Minister Joe Clark waived environmental assessment hearings and pledged to ship half of the concentrate from the mine in the federally owned icebreaker MV Arctic.

Concentrate from the mining operation was stored in a 210 m (700 ft) long warehouse, which was the largest structure in Nunavut.

Cominco intended to bury most of the buildings and materials in a nearby quarry, with the permafrost preventing contamination.