Joe Oliver Photo Credit: Reuters
Postmedia News reports, “The federal government is taking steps to modernize the regulatory system around mining and resource exploration in this country, Canada’s natural resources minister (Joe Oliver) told industry players from around the world (at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada international convention on) Monday. …’There is no question that regulatory modernization will have a positive impact on the people in this room, this city, this province and this country,’ Oliver said. …(He noted) Canada’s tax regimes are the most competitive in the world (but added) the government will take action to streamline the approval process for major economic projects across Canada. …’By integrating the federal and provincial processes, we’re eliminating duplication and saving time and money, without compromising the quality of the review,’ Oliver said.”
“There are more than 200 active mines in Canada, Oliver said, producing more than 60 minerals and metals. Canadian mining and exploration companies are active in more than 100 countries around the world as of 2010, Oliver said, with 826 mining companies having total assets worth more than $129 billion outside Canada.”
Some of the mines the Council of Canadians has expressed concern about in terms of their impacts on water and the environment include:
British Columbia
-the Taseko Mines Ltd. ‘Prosperity’ gold-copper mine near Williams Lake that threatens Teztan Biny/ Fish Lake, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=5718
-the Compliance Coal Corporation ‘Raven Underground Coal Project’ on Vancouver Island that threatens Baynes Sound and the Cowie Creek and Tsable River drainages, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=10089
-the KGHM Ajax Mining Inc. copper-gold open pit mine near Kamloops that threatens Jacko Lake and Inks Lake, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=6508
-the Imperial/ Selkirk Metals Corp. lead-zinc mine at Ruddock Creek that threatens the headwaters of the Adams, Columbia and Thompson Rivers, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/08/10/bc-blockade-mine-deal-delay.html
-the Thompson Creek Metals Mount Milligan open-pit copper and gold mine that threatens Rainbow Creek, Williston Lake and Peace River, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=13046
Saskatchewan
-the Vale potash mine near Kronau, Saskatchewan that would pump 40 million litres a day from Katepwa Lake, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=13372
Ontario
-the God’s Lake Resources gold mine on KI territory in Ontario, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=12216
-Flag Resources interest in gold, copper, cobalt and palladium near Wolf Lake in Temagami, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=12789
-the 9,000 claims staked by international mining companies in northern Ontario, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=9378
Quebec
-the 11 mining projects already planned with more to come with Plan Nord in Quebec, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=6832
Most recently, we joined with 40 other groups to express concern about the defunding and limiting of public participation in environmental assessment review processes in Canada, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=13860.
Shout Out!
The Council of Canadians will be raising issues relating to mining injustice in Latin America and in Canada at its ‘Shout Out against Mining Injustice’ this June 1-3 in Vancouver. More on that soon.
