The mining reform proposed by François Legault’s government is not going through, either because it goes too far or because it does not do enough to protect the territory. Industry, municipalities, environmental groups: all have reasons to criticize it.
The Minister of Natural Resources and Forests, Maïté Blanchette Vézina, believes that these grievances legitimize the “middle position” she has adopted. “We think we have found a balance,” she told the Duty Wednesday.
Bill 63, “amending the Mining Act and other provisions,” was attacked from all sides on Tuesday and Wednesday as it began its study in parliamentary committee. Summoned to the National Assembly, the Quebec Mining Association, which represents most of the major players in the industry, was quick to denounce the “problematic, truly problematic” nature of the reform introduced by Minister Blanchette Vézina.
“Several provisions have the effect of reducing the industry’s ability to access the territory, lowering the level of certainty required to allow new sustainable investments and, obviously, increasing the financial burden on businesses,” said its president and CEO, Josée Méthot, on Tuesday.
Submitted in May, Bill 63 plans to require mining companies to carry out a minimum of exploration work on their claims, failing which their exploration permits would not be renewed. Quebec thus hopes to drastically reduce mining speculation.
At the same time, the Blanchette Vézina reform aims to prohibit the exploitation of mines on private land, a measure that regional county municipalities that wish to see a mine installed on their land could opt out of.
According to Josée Méthot, Bill 63 removes too large a portion of Quebec’s territory from the mining industry, which puts its “sustainability” at risk. “The current mines will continue to operate tomorrow morning, but it’s the expansions that are being prevented from happening. It’s these deposits that we won’t be able to share with the population, the economic spinoffs that the population won’t be able to enjoy,” she said Tuesday.
“So, it’s short-sighted. We’re going to slow down the economic development of Quebec,” she added.
“Multiple setbacks”
Asked by The Duty On Wednesday, Minister Blanchette Vézina agreed that her reform was “perfectible.” “But the approach we have, […] “It is about doing research, mining prospecting where there is real mining potential and where there will be social acceptability,” she said.
According to the latest data provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests, there are around 350,000 active exploration titles occupying approximately 11% of the surface area of Quebec. In 2023, 0.41% of these titles had been the subject of exploitation work, according to data from the Quebec Mining Exploration Association.
However, in the eyes of the spokesperson for the Coalition Québec meilleure mine, Rodrigue Turgeon, the explosion in the number of claims in recent years is unsustainable, and Minister Blanchette Vézina’s bill will not allow for the necessary tightening of the screws to reverse the trend.
“The meager advances for the environment and the rights of local populations currently on the table appear to be camouflaged, or even threatened, by the multiple setbacks [du projet de loi] “, the organization said in a memorandum submitted to the National Assembly in anticipation of its passage through committee.
Although it welcomes the government’s decision to reform the Mining Act, the Fédération québécoise des municipalités (FQM) is disappointed that Mme Blanchette Vézina has not decided to end the precedence of the Mining Act over the legislative and regulatory framework for land use planning. “Solving this problem would allow for better dialogue on the territory […] and greater acceptability of projects,” said the prefect of the MRC of Témiscamingue, Claire Bolduc, who represented the FQM on Tuesday.
Prior to the submission of the mining reform, the Coalition Québec meilleure mine had notably asked the government to provide for obtaining “consent from local populations before issuing mining rights” and to “impose a legal obligation to restore abandoned mining sites within 10 years”. “Bill 63 does not address any of [ces] priorities, yet reflecting demands made by the majority of the population,” according to Rodrigue Turgeon, who fears that Quebec’s climate targets are being put in danger.
“These are the objectives that the measures included in the bill should allow us to achieve. Currently, this is not the case,” he said on Wednesday.
Special consultations surrounding Bill 63 will continue on Thursday.