Norm Thompson departs Ajax for new job with TIB

The community relations co-ordinator for the Ajax mine project will leave the job for a new position with the Tk’emlups Indian Band.

Norm Thompson was hired by KGHM Ajax a year ago after the departure of John Froese from the same position. He will wrap up his duties with Ajax and start with the Band at the end of next week as general manager for economic development reporting to Chief Shane Gottfriedson.

Thompson said his exact responsibilities are still being sorted out and “it sounds like a lot of fun stuff” will be coming up with respect to the TIB’s marketing and economic development.

He views the change as “a new challenge and new opportunity,” he said.

Thompson feels KGHM is heading in the right direction in working through the process for its proposed open-pit mine south of Kamloops. “I’m quite happy where Ajax is at the moment.”

He said his move is not connected to changes in the company’s public-information structure that included the hiring in February of former Kamloops RCMP detachment superintendent Yves Lacasse as the mine project’s manager of external affairs.