Back in October 2016, Centerra Gold CEO Scott Perry told investors that purchasing the Mount Milligan gold and copper mine would give the company an asset in “one of the lowest risk jurisdictions” in the world — British Columbia.

At the time, his company’s other flagship asset, a gold mine in the Kyrgyz Republic, was mired in disputes with the local government about pollution and corruption.

But about one year after Centerra acquired Mount Milligan — about 120 kilometres northwest of Prince George — as part of its US$1.1 billion takeover of Thompson Creek Metals in 2016, Perry is learning that even B.C.’s interior carries risks, including unpredictable weather. After experiencing drought through spring and summer, the company its water supply was dangerously low, and then froze when an unexpected cold snap hit in late December.

“Due to a lack of sufficient water resources, mill processing operations at the Mount Milligan mine … have been temporarily suspended,” Centerra told investors on Dec. 27.

The halt comes just as gold prices are up nearly 18 percent in the past six months. Centerra’s stock has is down 13.1 per cent in the last six months, at $6.10 as of Friday morning, even while other gold companies such as Agnico Eagle, Goldcorp and others surge.

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Now, Centerra has asked provincial authorities to expedite its application to pump water from nearby lakes that some First Nations groups claim overlaps their traditional territory.