and to unifying resources and people
to build a “first class” organization
recognized for character and true
integrity,” says the mission statement.
Based in the Peace River coal field in
Northeastern B.C., the project consists
of three operations: the Brule Mine
(which became Conuma Coal’s first
operational mine in September 2016),
Willow Creek Mine, and Wolverine
Mine.
A few years after the region faced
economic hardship following a 2014
downturn that closed the district’s last
metallurgical fuel operations, Bart-
koski and a syndicated team devel-
oped a plan to take over the opera-
tions and, with the backing of AMCI,
one of the foremost international coal
brokers, Conuma was launched. The
opportunity to produce three excel-
lent steel-making quality coals while
riding an upswing in the markets and
a global downturn in supply made
fiduciary sense. But that wasn’t the
only impetus.
42 BUSINESS ELITE CANADA | NOVEMBER 2018
