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.
Manitoba Industry, Trade and Mines Minister Maryann Mihychuk will review 18 recommendations designed to fortify the province's mineral and petroleum industries. The Mining Task Force, a group of MLAs who last year unearthed input from industry stakeholders across the province, including Flin Flon, has presented the minister with their suggestions. The recommendations include the maintenance and enhancement of the province's financial incentive programs, such as MEAP (Mineral Exploration Assistance Program), "so that Manitoba remains one step ahead of other provinces." They also advise that the Mining Community Reserve Fund be used to stimulate economic and community development in the North, and to allow the fund to be used for infrastructure investments in mining communities. In addition, they've asked the province to "strongly encourage community and regional partnerships to support mining activity and to make optimal use of existing infrastructure and other resources already available." "...communities such as Bissett, Lynn Lake and Leaf Rapids have a proven track record of excellent support to the needs of the mining industry, with existing infrastructure," reads the task force's report. "The establishment of new mining communities should be avoided at a time when there are opportunities to explore maximum utilization of Manitoba's existing communities." The task force also felt that the province should pay more attention to small-scale mining through the establishment of a pilot program designed to encourage such activity. "Some emphasis on small-scale mining can contribute to the enhancement of the industry as a whole by building familiarity with the industry among non-geologists," states the report, "and by strengthening Manitoba's database of locations for new mineral occurrences." Consisting of Flin Flon MLA Gerard Jennissen and his counterparts from Burrows, Interlake and Rossmere, the task force hosted public consultations last year in Flin Flon, Thompson, Lac du Bonnet, Stonewall, Virden and Winnipeg. Those present at the meetings were asked to consider the question, "What steps does Manitoba need to take to strengthen and sustain its mineral and petroleum industries?" See 'Input' P.# Con't from P.# Mayor Dennis Ballard commended the province for its firsthand approach to the process. "I'm glad that they did it this way, they did actually come into the communities, and get some input from the residents of the communities both in the mining field and outside," he said. "That was a good step. It sounds to me that this task force took this matter seriously. It wasn't, in my opinion, just window dressing." The province established the task force last year in part due to "competitive pressures and technological changes" that have resulted in "significant challenges" for the mineral and petroleum industries. Minister Mihychuk has agreed to consider all of the task force's recommendations as a guide to future planning activities. The other recommendations were: The government should consider targeted educational initiatives to build community support and critical mass, and develop the workforce of the future in communities where the mineral and petroleum industries are predominant. The government should also work in partnership with other community organizations, such as the Minerals Society of Manitoba, to encourage greater citizen awareness of the industry. The government should continue to encourage the federal government to undertake a thorough investigation of its competitive position in the mineral industry in relation to other competing nations. The government should appoint a business development analyst with a background in geology to communicate the results of the work of the Manitoba Geological Survey, and to assist in the development of additional minerals-related projects, specifically smaller micro-mining initiatives. The government should prepare for new mineral industry developments, particularly in the fledgling diamond resource industry and other greenfield mineral occurrences, by beginning a series of proactive consultations with communities. The proposed consultations should advise communities of exploration activities taking place in their regions, and foster dialogue between exploration companies and affected communities. In addition, the government should take steps to encourage further aboriginal involvement in mineral exploration. To enhance business development efforts, the Manitoba Geological Survey should publish an analysis of direct and indirect economic, environmental and social impacts and benefits as part of every completed study. See 'Steps' P.# Con't from P.# The government should move swiftly to ensure that environmental concerns are respected while providing greater certainty in the province's mining investment climate, and continued progress towards achieving biodiversity. The Voisey's Bay development in Newfoundland and Labrador provides both new challenges and new opportunities. The government should work to ensure, with federal assistance, maximum utilization of existing smelting and refining facilities in this province and the possibilities of using the Port of Churchill for shipping both concentrate and finished materials. The government should continue its work in remediating orphaned and abandoned mine sites, and should also encourage the federal government to consider its responsibilities for mine clean-up, as many abandoned mines were originally initiated to produce ore to assist in the war effort. The development of technologies to mitigate climate change holds considerable promise. The government should monitor all developments around emerging environmental technologies with an eye toward possibly using Manitoba minerals to facilitate the development of such technologies. The government should immediately begin dialogue with industry and First Nations to discuss a framework for maximizing benefits for local communities. Manitoba Hydro's initiative to maximize training, employment, business opportunities and potential aboriginal partnerships is an excellent example of what could be pursued. The peat industry in Manitoba is worth $50 million annually to the province, and provides 300 jobs for Manitobans. The government should review its tax treatment of the peat industry as a means of gauging its competitiveness with other provinces. As the government continues its activities on protected areas, there is the continued need to ensure that a consistent consultation process with the mineral industry is maintained, and that all Areas of Special Interest continue to have technical merit as they pertain to the preservation of biodiversity. Consistent technical criterion, and the principle of working in partnership with industry and environmental stakeholders should be extended to the ongoing heritage rivers designation process, and Manitoba should encourage the federal government to adopt the Mining Sector Consultation process as used in the Protected Areas Initiative as a model for the consideration of heritage river designation in Manitoba. The government should consider integrating the activities of the Manitoba Geological Survey with its broader climate change initiatives, and encourage the collection of data relating to the effects of climate change in the North as a means of catalyzing new environmental industries in northern communities.
