COMMENTARY — Investing in multiple land use (September 04, 1995)

From the prospecting stage to mine reclamation, the mining industry is dedicated to responsible land use. Reaching common ground among mining companies, native groups, environmental groups and individual communities is a priority for the mining industry in Canada, and one which can be accomplished through multiple land use agreements.

In 1992, the regional municipality of Rouyn-Noranda sat down with the Quebec Mining Association, the Quebec Prospectors Association and private industry to discuss potential mining operations in Aiquebelle Park. What resulted was the first multiple land use agreement in Canada. Issues were resolved regarding production, development and environmental concerns. Since then, many other projects, such as the Raglan, Troilus and Eastmain projects in northern Quebec, have successfully proceeded with participation from both native groups and environmentalists.

It is essential that reaching agreements for multiple land use becomes a more common approach to mining. It makes sense from every perspective. After exploration is completed, an operating mine takes up very little room. In fact, the entire sum of mining activity in the province of Quebec takes up less than one-fourth of the area of Montreal Island. The Canadian mining industry has shown maturity and foresight concerning land use. Companies and mining associations alike strive to work alongside environmentalists and members of communities to create a profitable operation which fits into a community today, and will be reclaimed for that community in the future. For instance, in a collaboration between industry and Ducks Unlimited, the Stadacona site near Rouyn was reclaimed by creating a wetlands area which now acts as home to more than 120 species of birds, and a former Chadbourne mine site, in downtown Noranda, has become a public recreation park.

The success of agreements for multiple land use is obvious in mining communities. However, the process to reach these agreements can be arduous. There are roadblocks with which to contend, many of which are the result of provincial and federal regulations. Land use policy varies from province to province, and federal and provincial land use policies often conflict, leading all parties involved into a maze of red tape and bureaucracy which may take months or years to resolve, and which may create uncertainty among potential investors.

Multiple land use is vital to the future of mining in Canada. All stake-holders have displayed a preference for this approach, including environmental groups, native groups, prospectors and developers, labor groups, mining companies and associations, and individual communities and municipalities. The Canadian mining industry believes a consistent policy on multiple land use issues, from the various governments within Canada, would foster a more amenable climate for reaching agreements, and would ultimately result in further investment in Canada by speeding up the agreement process and creating certainty. The mining industry is resolved to work towards this goal, as stated in the Whitehorse Mining Initiative.

— Dan Tolgyesi, general manager of the Quebec Mining Association, wrote the preceding at the invitation of Keep Mining In Canada, a national grassroots campaign designed to increase awareness of Canadian mining issues.