The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor As the industry struggles with aboriginal protests and fleeing prospectors, the Flin Flon and District Chamber of Commerce wants the Manitoba government to shift its approach to mining. The chamber has approved a resolution calling on the NDP to accelerate the process by which it consults with stakeholders on new mineral projects. '(We did) request some assistance from the provincial chamber (in writing the resolution) in order to get the point across,' Kory Eastman, president of the chamber, told his membership last week. The resolution will now be forwarded to the provincial chamber, the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, which may adopt the resolution itself at its upcoming annual meeting. It calls on the province to 'prioritize, engage and deliver on their requirement to consult with key stakeholders to ensure that the exploration and development of natural resources can remain a vibrant, positive economic engine in Manitoba.' Lack of leadership? The introduction to the resolution accuses the NDP of 'a lack of Government leadership on the required consultative process' for mineral projects. Members approved the resolution after Tom Goodman, a director with the Mining Association of Manitoba, painted a dismaying picture of mining in the province. As guest speaker at the meeting, Goodman said far fewer mining firms are active in Manitoba _ just 39 in 2011 _ than in years past. Canada has 1,400 mining firms. See 'Firms...' on pg. 3 Continued from pg. 1 What's more, he said, over 10 per cent of the firms working in Manitoba have been experiencing delays of one to three years in the mineral permitting process. Goodman said it's up to the province, as per a Supreme Court of Canada ruling, to consult with First Nations as part of the process of approving mineral projects. But the resulting timelines 'have been very challenging to companies,' he said, with 'a real struggle to really understand what the actual protocol is from project to project.' Goodman went so far as to say that unless the province improves the situation, the junior miners _ or 'juniors' _ that perform vital exploration work 'will be gone.' 'Juniors go where the money is and where they can get permits and where they can get activity,' he said, addressing 20-plus chamber members at the Victoria Inn. Stressing the importance of exploration companies, Goodman said 'it takes an awful lot of grassroots exploration activity in order to generate even one mine.' And for all of the exploration that takes place, mines are rare. Manitoba, Goodman said, has seen exploration at over 2,600 sites but 'only 70 mines' _ six of which are active today. Dollars rare Goodman said Manitoba's troubles are compounded by the fact that exploration dollars are currently hard to come by in Canada. 'In this current snapshot in time, we've got a diminishing ability to raise capital overall and Manitoba struggling mightily to compete for what's shrinking,' he said. Before pumping money in a mineral project, Goodman said, investors 'want to know that there's a regulatory climate that's going to allow the project to go forward.' 'Investors and other regulatory authorities really do expect timely and efficient decisions,' he added. 'A decision might be 'no,' but it's a decision and people rely on that.' But in an interview, a spokesperson for the NDP government said the current challenges in mining are hardly unique to Manitoba. 'For many years, Manitoba has had a vibrant mining sector,' the spokesperson said. 'This important industry is a key economic driver for the province, particularly in the North. 'The industry has its ups and downs. Commodity prices are lower than historical peaks and the number one issue raised at the international Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada mining convention (recently) was access to capital. The lack of venture capital is a global challenge. Clearly that is affecting exploration and mining activity across the country.' The spokesperson said the province's objective is to issue work permits for mining projects within 30 to 60 days of an application. 'The majority of work permits are issued within that timeframe,' said the spokesperson. 'Where, because of Crown consultation or other reasons, permitting is not completed within that timeframe, the applicant is advised.' The spokesperson mentioned the the pending establishment of a 'Mining Table' group to bring the mining industry, government and First Nations together to discuss areas of mutual concern. 'This table will examine the current framework for mining, the issues facing the industry and communities, and seek common ground and solutions,' the spokesperson said. 'We have shared goals. We must work together with communities and industry to ensure the environment for mining is healthy and people in the community benefit from the opportunity it brings. If we effectively communicate and work together, we can ensure a sustainable industry and prosperous communities.' Goodman stressed that he was making his comments as a representative of the Mining Association of Manitoba, not Hudbay, where he is a director and former vice-president.