At Candrone Demo Day 2025, we had the pleasure of speaking with Christina Grandbois from Galore Creek Mining Corporation, who offered an insightful look into how drone technology is helping mining teams collect data from some of Canada’s most rugged and inaccessible terrain. In an interview with Jacky Heshi, Christina shared how drones are not just a helpful tool—but a critical asset—in the early exploration phase of mining.
Taking Flight in the Prefeasibility Phase
Galore Creek is currently in the prefeasibility phase of a major exploration project, situated in a region defined by glaciers, steep ridges, and other hazards that make traditional fieldwork challenging or even dangerous.
To overcome these barriers, Christina leads the drone program for the company, primarily using drones for photogrammetry, with occasional LiDAR scans. Equipped with a DJI Matrice 350 and a P1 camera with a 35mm lens, her team is able to safely and efficiently collect high-resolution data for geotechnical and structural modelling.
From Days to Hours: The ROI of Drone Adoption
One of the most compelling aspects of Galore Creek’s drone integration is the efficiency boost. Christina explained that with drones, she can cover up to 1 square kilometre in just a few hours, whereas a geologist might spend an entire day traversing the same area on foot—assuming it's even accessible.
While drone data doesn’t entirely replace ground crews, it acts as a force multiplier, providing a wealth of information that can then be validated by geologists. This “tool in the toolbox” approach results in an order of magnitude more data while reducing safety risks and operational delays.
Turning Big Data into Actionable Insight
Drone data is rich—but massive in size. To manage and share this effectively across departments, Christina uses Skycatch’s Data Hub, a geospatial data management platform that allows team members to access, download, and work with drone-generated models from anywhere in the organization.
Still, managing expectations is key: “Most people aren't fully aware of what size of data files they're going to be getting,” Christina noted. As the designated drone expert on her team, she often facilitates access and helps translate the raw data into insights that other departments can apply directly to their workflows.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Drones in Exploration
As the only drone operator on her team, Christina admitted she sometimes feels siloed—but she’s optimistic about the future. “I'm excited to see it grow in the use I'm using it for in other exploration-type situations,” she said. With the right setup, the return on investment is clear. Once a program is established, the rate and scale of data acquisition becomes a game-changer.
Her hope is that more mining and exploration teams adopt drone workflows—not just for efficiency, but to access critical data from dangerous or previously unreachable locations.
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