In just two years, the number of mining exploration permits has jumped by nearly 100%, on average, in three regions of southern Quebec: Estrie, Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie. This abundance of mining titles could harm the protection of natural environments, according to the environmental organizations that compiled this data.
The Québec Better Mine Coalition identified, as of 1er November, no less than 7674 mining exploration permits in three regions of southern Quebec, namely Estrie (1739), Bas-Saint-Laurent (1242), but also Gaspésie and Îles-de-la-Madeleine ( 4693).
Over a period of barely two years, this is a jump of 139% for mining titles in Gaspésie, 87.5% for Bas-Saint-Laurent and 63.4% for Estrie. . The substances sought by the mining companies that hold these permits are mainly copper, zinc, silver and gold.
Maps of exploration permits show that many overlap protected areas, rivers, old-growth forests or important wildlife habitats, mainly in the Gaspé Peninsula.
Many mining titles are also located on the borders of national parks, including Forillon Park, Mont Mégantic Park and Gaspésie Park. This national park created by the Quebec government is bordered by permits to the south, north and east. These overlap the habitat of the Gaspésie caribou, a deer population on the verge of extinction.
Natural environments
According to the Society for Nature and Parks of Quebec, these permits could affect the protection of many natural environments in the south of the province. “The current mining regime represents an obstacle to the implementation of the next global framework on biodiversity, in particular for the achievement of the target of protection of 30% of the territory”, argues its principal director, Alice de Swarte.
A few days before the start of the UN conference on biodiversity (COP15), she urges the Government of Quebec to review the regulations, which currently allow companies to acquire permits on the Web that encroach on important natural environments. .
“Quebec cannot move forward with so-called minerals of the future with the laws and policies of the past. We must modernize the Mining Act, the rules governing territories that are incompatible with mining activity,” adds Ugo Lapointe, co-founder and co-spokesperson of the Quebec Better Mine coalition.
Municipalities and mining
In addition, more than 15,000 mining titles have been listed in southwestern Quebec (Laurentides, Lanaudière, Mauricie and Outaouais), according to data published in August by the coalition. In these regions, the number of exploration permits jumped by an average of 129% between January 2021 and August 2022.
In this context of increased interest from mining companies in the south of the province, the Quebec Federation of Municipalities challenged elected officials in Quebec City last September, asking the government to “recognize the precedence of development plans over other planning to ensure that the interests of our communities are respected”.
The Union of Quebec Municipalities will hold a Municipal Forum next January on the theme “Integration of mining activities: social acceptability and cohabitation”. “We want to reconcile mining activities more harmoniously with the economic levers of vacationing and tourism, while ensuring that we strengthen the safety and quality of life of the population,” said its president, Daniel Côté, when announcing the event.