Resilience and innovation have never been more at the forefront for mining in B.C. than today.
During this pandemic, B.C.’s mining and smelting industry demonstrated its leadership and operational strength as responsible operators. We worked closely with our Indigenous partners and governments, health services providers and Northern Health to support community-led preparedness. We partnered with government to co-develop a rapid point of care testing program and to vaccinate workers at our operations and camps in the North, keeping local and Indigenous communities safe and working.
We are taking this same proactive mindset to address our global competitive position at a pivotal time in world metals demand.
MABC recently published the BC Mining Innovation Roadmap,outlining our industry’s path to boost competitiveness, improve sustainability and build industry resilience through innovation. We’ve long embraced innovation to improve our efficiency, reduce waste and decrease our environmental footprint. The roadmap builds on that success by establishing a path to further improve our position as Canadian leaders in innovation with the support and collaboration of our stakeholders and Indigenous partners.
We are at a critical juncture. According to the World Bank, the large-scale energy transition underway to meet the Paris Agreement’s climate targets will drive significant demand for the minerals and metals we produce to build the clean technologies and infrastructure needed to reduce global greenhouse gases. Importantly, these commodities must come from responsible sources. Changing societal values and customer preferences are driving demand for companies to meet stringent environmental, social and governance performance metrics. This puts our industry and B.C.’s economic potential in an enviable position.
We already have home advantage. Owing to abundant, clean hydropower and advanced mining and refining methods, B.C. has some of the lowest greenhouse-gas (GHG) emitting mines and smelters in the world. We also meet some of the highest regulatory standards in the world for environmental assessment, operational permitting, compliance and enforcement, and post-closure monitoring and reclamation.
Changes to the Mines Act, the Health Safety and Reclamation Code, BC’s water quality guidelines, and the creation of independent review boards for tailings management have all been implemented by government in the past few years with the support of B.C.’s mining industry, demonstrating our commitment to continuous regulatory improvement. Industry also supported the creation of a new Mines Health, Safety and Enforcement Division in 2019 to enhance oversight and monitoring of operating and closed mines. Many BC mines have adopted the Mining Association of Canada’s Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) protocols, which include an internationally recognized system for best practices in tailings and water management.
Today, there are seven B.C. mining projects – new mines or mine extensions – well along in their development that can contribute to our economic recovery by capitalizing on a stronger-than-expected global recovery and rising commodity prices. MABC estimates these projects could deliver more than $4 billion in investment, 2,000 construction jobs, and more than 4,000 operating jobs with an economic impact approaching $8 billion.
Artemis Gold’s proposed Blackwater Mine, near Vanderhoof, could boost the economy of the central Interior, a region coping with a shrinking timber harvest and mill closures. If approved, this project would directly support 825 people jobs during construction and 457 new operating jobs. Importantly, the Lhoosk’uz Dene and Ulkatcho Indigenous Nations have already signed participation and resource revenue sharing agreements with Artemis.
These projects are either in the environmental assessment (EA) process or seeking an amendment to an existing EA or seeking regulatory authorizations after receiving an EA certificate. All are within a year or two of making a final investment decision, the ultimate project greenlight. If constructed, they will accelerate our province’s economic recovery and deliver significant social and economic benefits for local and Indigenous communities and suppliers throughout our province.
However, to fully realize these opportunities when British Columbians need them most, government needs to process the permitting of these important projects in a timely way and provide industry with greater certainty throughout the permitting process.
As the Mining Association of British Columbia celebrates its 120thyear, we are proud to continue to be a world-class mining jurisdiction and a foundational contributor to the provincial economy. Resilience and innovation have been foundational to our success as responsible operators. We’re excited to work with our industry and Indigenous partners and stakeholders to be a catalyst to our economic recovery and leverage our BC brand as responsible producers of the critical metals and minerals the world needs for a better, low carbon future.
Michael Goehring is the President and CEO of the Mining Association of BC, the voice of British Columbia’s steelmaking coal, metal and mineral producers, smelters and advanced development companies since 1901.
