Letters to the Editor Prospectors need more assay coupons

I am writing this letter primarily on behalf of independent prospectors who find it difficult to assess properly their discoveries with the limited assistance from Ontario’s Ministry of Mines in the form of free assay coupons alloted. I believe that after initial exploration work has been completed and preliminary assaying and evaluation concluded, which may indicate the need for further exploration of the deposit, sufficient additional assay coupons should be alloted.

This would be conditional upon presentation of pertinent data to the District Mining Recorder’s office and subject to inspection by the competent personnel.

Most of us are willing and able to further explore our discoveries by additional trenching and sampling. However, many occurrences are not fully explored due to the limited amount of assistance provided by the ministry. Again, I stress the importance of this measure which would be very beneficial and hope it would be incorporated into the new Mining Act.

This concern possibly should have been noted earlier. However, the Act should not be etched in stone but should be amenable to changes from time to time as conditions require. After all, the Ministry has been very generous to the established mining industry in the form of access development, flow throughs, forgivable loans and grants. J.J. Billoki Sudbury, Ont.