COMMENTARY — Crucial year for Canadian mining

This year will be crucial for Canadian mining, says Dennis Prince, an ambassador for “Keep Mining in Canada” and the director of international exploration for Falconbridge.

The “Keep Mining in Canada” campaign, he says, has an important function to fulfill by focusing the attention of elected officials on the urgent need to sustain and increase mineral exploration and production activity into the next century.

“In the past, we have focused on gaining the support of mining communities and companies across Canada,” he says. “We have had a tremendous response. Mining executives, prospectors and developers, mayors and municipal governments in mining communities, as well as mine workers, have rallied to support `Keep Mining in Canada.’ And government is starting to listen. “The December, 1994, report of Standing Committee on Natural Resources, called `Lifting Canadian Mining Off the Rocks,’ directly endorsed two key points in our 10-point plan. These points are supporting calls to stimulate explorations and treating mine reclamation funds like ‘environmental RSPs’ by deferring the tax on income generated by the funds until they are actually used.”

This year, “Keep Mining in Canada” will take its messages to Canada’s major urban centres. Business leaders and media in these cities, Prince says, need to understand how vital mining is to the national economy and how important it is to ensure the future of mining for all Canadians.

“Throughout the year, we will bring you regular updates on campaign activities from the perspectives of various people in the industry,” he continues. “Presidents of mining associations, mining company CEOs and notable industry spokespeople will share their views on the state of the Canadian mining industry from their own unique viewpoints, and suggest how they believe we can all help to keep the Canadian mining industry thriving.” “Keep Mining In Canada” is a national grassroots campaign designed to increase public awareness of mining matters and to encourage government to take action on key mining policy issues.