Any employee trying to transport contraband to a mine site is going to have to trick the noses of some determined canines.

Yellowknife North of Sixty K-9 Detection Services has been running since 2011 by a retired officer with 35-years on the force.

Mark Hicks, owner of the business, has been a dog handler for 25 years.

He created the service because he noticed many dogs travelling to the North to do K-9 detection work.

SA国际影视传媒淚 decided that me retiring in Yellowknife, I start my own business here but from a completely different perspective,SA国际影视传媒� he said, adding that most companies do it for security or enforcement while he brings a health and safety approach.

He started the company SA国际影视传媒渄oing alcohol and drug detection to keep the mines a little cleaner, a little safer for everybody.SA国际影视传媒�

As of earlier this month, Cheetah Resources, operators of the Nechalacho rare earths mine, began calling on Hicks before flying workers to the mine site at Thor Lake. Everyone that will step foot on the mine site will have to be sniffed first.

SA国际影视传媒淲e use the K-9 services several times a week.SA国际影视传媒� said David-Connelly, CheetahSA国际影视传媒檚 vice-president of strategy and corporate affairs.

Hicks said, SA国际影视传媒淐heetah is going to great lengths to keep the site clean and safe.SA国际影视传媒�

A black Labrador retriever named OD was the detection servicesSA国际影视传媒� first dog. OD has been on the job for 11 years, although Hicks said SA国际影视传媒済oing to work is his happiest time.SA国际影视传媒�

OD will continue to work as a detection dog SA国际影视传媒渁s long as heSA国际影视传媒檚 enjoying it and heSA国际影视传媒檚 healthy,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

HicksSA国际影视传媒� leads the dogs around people, letting the canines sniff everyone.

If the dogs pick up a scent of drugs, they will immediately sit down, letting Hicks know thereSA国际影视传媒檚 something suspicious on the person.

If itSA国际影视传媒檚 a legal drug, Hicks will return it when the individual gets back from the mine site.

SA国际影视传媒淲e encourage a healthy lifestyle away from work but we canSA国际影视传媒檛 enforce what you do in your private time,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e give the employees an opportunity to get educated that they canSA国际影视传媒檛 bring certain things to the [mine] site. On the first occasion, I may return it to you, or you can just say you want me to get rid of it or destroy it.SA国际影视传媒�

But if any illegal drugs is found, it is taken and destroyed.

The animals can detect alcohol or any type of drug that is methamphetamine or opiate-based.

SA国际影视传媒淭he dogs are considered a family pet when theySA国际影视传媒檙e off duty,SA国际影视传媒� Hicks said. SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 the environment that I want to keep SA国际影视传媒� I want the dog to be socialized to all people and not to be threatening in any way.SA国际影视传媒�

The detection services has two dogs in the NWT, one in Newfoundland and two in BC. Each dog has its own handler.

Training the dogs can take from two weeks to three months. Hicks starts with experienced dog handlers who are either retired or going into retirement.

While in training, canines are exposed to airplanes, airports, loud machinery, diesel engines, explosions going off and anything that could scare or make a normal dog jittery.