Grants for exploration in Ontario top $11 million

Ontario has approved more than $11-million worth of grants to exploration-related projects this year, announced Shelley Martel, minister of Northern Development and Mines.

— The Ontario Prospectors Assistance Program (OPAP) will provide $4 million for projects outlined in 430 applications. OPAP awards grants up to $10,000 to qualified individuals who conduct prospecting and grassroots exploration in the province. The ministry has received more than 880 applications. — The Ontario Mineral Incentive Program (OMIP) will give $7 million for mineral exploration to 85 successful applicants. Each grant pays for 30% of eligible expenses (50% in Northern Ontario). Maximum assistance is $300,000 per applicant per calendar year.

— Twenty-one geoscience research projects at 11 Ontario universities will receive $573,000, mostly on metallic mineral exploration and mineralogical studies. Five projects will focus on industrial minerals and environmental issues in southern Ontario. The money comes from the ministry’s Ontario Geoscience Research Grant Program. The projects, subject to annual review, may continue for up to three years.

“These programs help to sustain and stimulate an industry that directly employs more than 75,000 people in Ontario,” says Martel.