LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Students voice concern over new Mining Act

We are mature students attending, for various personal and career reasons, a course in prospecting at George Brown College’s St. James Campus, Toronto, Ont. We would like to inform Ontario’s Mines Minister Gilles Pouliot that we are concerned about the proposed changes to The Mining Act, particularly the regulations dealing with claim staking.

It is our understanding that these proposed fees would severely burden, and possibly entirely eliminate, the independent prospector and smaller companies from discovering and developing new mines, and would place this crucial, initial phase in the hands of the big companies that can better afford it.

Historically, 50% of all new mines have been discovered by junior companies and independent prospectors who have had the ambition, drive and adventuresome spirit on which this country has been built, and that has fuelled an essential and important industry provincially.

Should this new legislation be prohibitive to the small prospector, it will not only wipe out yet another career possibility in our province, but could be detrimental to morale and the economy by placing greater power, control and wealth in the hands of a few large organizations. Diane Strickland Joseph Mursec Donald Siemers Italo Di Nunzio Ralph Fytton Peter Ranford Jeanette Lourim Jose Bueno