Energy and Mines Ministers’ Conference

MINES MINISTERS CONFERENCE 2009

Mining and exploration activities have contributed significantly in terms of economic and social benefits to provinces and territories. It is more important than ever to position Canada’s natural resource sectors to take advantage of opportunities as the country rebounds economically.
The mines ministers agreed to collectively move forward on key issues requiring continued attention and coordinated responses.

Key Priorities

I.     Leveraging Canada’s Comparative Advantage in Mining

As government and industry consensus in key policy areas is critical for sustaining an internationally competitive industry, the ministers endorsed collaborative efforts aimed at leveraging Canada’s comparative advantage in mining. They identified the top priorities going forward to position the sectors for economic recovery. These priorities include:

II.     Social Responsibility

Ministers showed support for opportunities in both performance improvements and communication. Performance improvements are key to improving the public image of the mining sector and can enhance an industry’s competitiveness by affecting the ability of the industry to ‘secure a social licence to operate’. They recognized the progress made to date, while also noting the need for on-going environmental and social improvements through initiatives such as the National Orphaned and Abandoned Mines Initiative (NOAMI) and the Green Mining Initiative (GMI). Ministers support the development of multi-stakeholder approaches to effectively communicate performance improvements. Ministers also approved the release of the Final Report of the Social Licence Task Team.

III.     Regulatory Regimes

Ministers agreed to continue efforts to ensure the competitiveness and sustained growth of Canada’s mining and energy industries. The ministers approved the release of two reports: “A Review of the Project Scope and Environmental Assessment Scope for Energy and Mining Projects across Canada” and “The Environmental Assessment Scoping Guidance for Energy and Mining Projects Activities.” The ministers suggest that officials focus on developing performance metrics for environmental assessment in 2009/10.

The Major Projects Management Office (MPMO) at Natural Resources Canada was created in 2007 to address some of the regulatory challenges facing the natural resource sector and provide a single window on the federal regulatory process for industry and other stakeholders. It is a key component in realizing the government's objectives of improving the accountability, transparency, timeliness and predictability of the federal regulatory process.

IV.     National Orphaned and Abandoned Mines Initiative

Ministers reaffirmed their support for the continued work of the National Orphaned and Abandoned Mines Initiative (NOAMI). The ministers supported the release of the 2002-2008 Performance Report highlighting the activities of NOAMI since its inception, the accomplishments of jurisdictional partners in support of orphaned/abandoned mines remediation across the country, and the remaining challenges to be met. 

Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial mines ministers established the multi-stakeholder NOAMI advisory committee in 2002 to address the legacy of orphaned and abandoned mine sites, many of which are a risk to the environment, human health and communities. This committee works to address issues related to orphaned and abandoned mines, such as environmental liability and other barriers to rehabilitation, and makes recommendations to governments on the implementation of remediation programs and partnerships to achieve objectives.

V.      Green Mining Initiative

Ministers endorsed the Green Mining Initiative as a pan-Canadian initiative to improve the mining sector’s environmental performance and create green technology opportunities for Canadian business. Additionally, they encouraged participation of all jurisdictions through both partnership and public policy measures to advance green mining.

Announced this past May, the $8 million Green Mining Initiative will help develop and demonstrate new green technologies and processes, creating new opportunities for Canadian mining technology and service industries. Building on the success of multi-stakeholder initiatives, the Green Mining Initiative will reduce environmental impacts of mining through footprint reduction, innovation in waste management, ecosystem risk management as well as mine closure and rehabilitation.

VI.      Canadian Mining Innovation Council

Ministers support the continued work of the Canadian Mining Innovation Council (CMIC). They were updated on CMIC’s progress to date and believe the organization represents an opportunity for federal, provincial and territorial governments to promote the importance of innovation and people development, as critical to the sector’s long-term competitiveness and responsibility.

The creation of CMIC was endorsed by mines ministers at their 2007 annual conference. It is a network of industry, government and academic leaders working together to enhance the competitiveness of a responsible Canadian mining industry through excellence in research, innovation and commercialization and education.

Natural Resources Canada provided a $250,000 grant in 2009 to support CMIC in its start-up phase.

   

 

   

Mining is a Major Asset

   

Mining is a mainstay of the Canadian economy.

   

Canadian-headquartered mining companies account for 44 percent of the world-wide exploration expenditures.

   

Canadian business expertise is the globally dominant force in mining.

   

The industry directly employed over 351,000 people in 2008, and contributed $40 billion to Canada’s GDP from mining to downstream processing.

   

In 2008, Canada had about $110 billion of mining assets globally.

   

In 2008, Canada had over 1200 junior exploration and mining companies and over 2400 internationally competitive suppliers of equipment, technology and knowledge-based services.

   

Creating New Opportunities for Canada’s Mining Sector

   

Natural Resources Canada manages two programs that facilitate and promote private sector investment in the exploration and discovery of mineral and energy resources in Canada:

   

       
• the Geo-mapping for Energy and Resources program, designed to provide the public geoscience knowledge that industry needs to guide its exploration strategies in the territories and the provinces, and
       
• the Targeted Geoscience Initiative, scheduled to end in April 2010, which has been very successful in introducing new ideas to make industry exploration more effective.
   

   

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