@VPCh.

As a Canadian geologist, I've done internships at a few northern mining sites. Everything costs more to run up there, so you need a much higher grade of ore to make it worthwhile to mine.
In a more Southern project I was at, along the Trans Canada highway, we could economically mine ore that had just 0.25grams/tonne of gold in an open pit, or 2.5 for underground mining. In a northern remote site where everything needs to be shipped or flown in, that grade might need to be 10-20x higher to make up for the cost.
Oddly enough, the cold and dryness is one of the few benefits to mining up north. Mines heat up by about 20C/km depth, so it gets hot fast. If you run a mine in a regions like some parts of Africa where the average temperature is 30C, then you are going to be at 50C at a km depth, which requires lots of cooling. But if you start at -10C surface temperature, then your temperature at 1km is going to be a comfortable 10C. Permafrost means no groundwater issues. It also increases the efficiency of ventilation, as the air being pumped down doesn't require refrigeration and is more effective at evaporating moisture.

@shanegamble3746

The interior of the mine was covered in frost and ice. It was all white. In the mid 1990's some of my classmates at the UBC mining program worked there during summer break.

@devonmanik127

Cool video!!! I live in Resolute Bay, NU and often hunt around little Cornwallis Island, I hunted muskox and walrus a few years back on the island and just passed by last month 

They cleaned the sight up really well and only roads remain and one small hunting hut in Polaris Bay remain.
I know a lot of people that worked there before my time as I was born in 01 haha

@marilynscales9275

I went to the launch of the processing plant barge when it left Trois Rivieres for Little Cornwallis Island. I also had the privilege of a Polaris site visit shortly after the mine opened. What an ingenious project. The swimming pool had a floor-to-ceiling glass window between it and the North Pole. The pool water would have been used for fire suppression in an emergency. The ground conditions of the mine, being developed in permafrost, were subject to melting anytime water was introduced, so drilling was done with brine. Miners were encouraged to take their partners, and the presence of women at the site gave it a more community-like feeling. And everyone on site had a job. I was told the mine manager's wife worked in the laundry. The food was great. I was sorry when Polaris closed.

@normcameron2316

Thank you. I was up there during the start up phase, not for the mine directly but for a Cat dealer.
I lived in Northern BC and spent a lot of time in the Arctic so I didn't feel like a stranger. Most people treated me nice.
I felt although I wasn't a "local" I was a Northerner.
I was quite surprised a lead-zinc mine was allowed, since the Arctic is almost pristine I just found it weird.
I've thought about this mine from time to time and glad you have revealed the rest of the story.
My favorite scary memory was landing in a Twin Otter with a loader tire on board. 
What I didn't know was the landing strip was on a slope and the pilot was coming down onto the downhill, from the air with everything covered in snow and it being perpetual twilight it looked like we were heading straight for the ground.
Sit down, hang on and shut up.

@Yahno1

My Dad worked there for Years and years , He lived in oreland and travelled back and forth .

@tannertanner8769

I love your videos. You are serving up fascinating bite sized nuggets about places I would love to see in person but realistically would not be able to.

@Admiralgrusbil

There's still mining being done on Svalbard which is further north

@condovo

Another great video. I’m fascinated by the Arctic archipelago. Thanks, Ali.

@Geomargin

The Polaris mine seems like the arctic equivalent to pacific guano mines haha. Both remote and not ideal working conditions to say the least. Great video!

@billfarley9167

Spent several years in Canada's high eastern Arctic.  The Arctic wolf is NOT a threat to humans. The Inuit consider the wolf as their spirit animal for dead ancestors. You will NEVER find a soapstone carving of an Arctic wolf either. Why?  Respect.

@IAMalgol

The Northermost mine in the world is Pyramiden mine in Norway's Svalvard archipelago, at 78°39′22″N latitude North, or over 1,700 km or 1,100 miles north of the Artic circle and being commercially exploited since 1910. So that is significantly farther North and older than Polaris.

@lorrainekennedy2097

Thank you Ali, very interesting!

@t3hb0ss

hey man love your videos! always have been curious about tiny islands, ever since i took a trip to Kauaii. I have over 300 interesting places marked out on my google maps, most of which are islands <5km^2 in size. always wanted to learn more about them, youve covered several so far!

@Lornext

Imagine going down into that mine to explore now, so long after it's gone.

@floydt2029

Very interesting video, thanks!

@satelitemikedatapro2498

With our low population and huge amount of natural resources Canadians should all be rich

@cavetroll666

i used to visit mines as a kid all over Ontario but nothing anywhere close to the ones in the north anyways very cool topic thanks :)

@JimDavidson-d2u

Great video! I worked there during construction

@ZenithLegend

Sounds like basically a bare bones version of the bases at the South Pole. Polaris seems just as isolated, or even less frequently visited, and the climate is just as harsh.