Manitoba slipped to 19th out of 109 jurisdictions in terms of attractiveness for mining investment, according to the Fraser Institute’s 2015 mining survey, down from fifth out of 122 jurisdictions in 2014.
The province’s recently released score for 2015 was 75.27, down from 84.14 in 2014, leaving it sixth among Canadian jurisdictions for mining attractiveness.
Saskatchewan was second overall worldwide, with Quebec in eighth spot, Yukon 12th, Ontario 15th and BC 18th.
The investment attractiveness index is calculated from the survey’s policy perception index, which measures policy factors such as regulations and taxation levels; and the best practice mineral potential index, which measures a jurisdiction’s geologic potential for mining regardless of policy considerations.
The investment attractiveness index weights mineral potential at 60 per cent and policy perceptions at 40 per cent, in accordance with the relative importance that the 449 mining executives who responded to the survey assign factors in making investment decisions.
The methodology for calculating policy perception index scores was different this year than in past surveys. Under the previous methodology, Manitoba would have been 17th in 2015, sixth-best in Canada.
In the best practices mineral potential index, Manitoba ranked 42nd, down from fifth in 2014.
– Thompson Citizen
