(Sainte-Adèle) Prime Minister François Legault has no intention of letting mining companies set up shop wherever they want if their projects are not accepted by the population.
Posted at 1:30 p.m.
Residents of Mont-Laurier and the surrounding area, in the Upper Laurentians, are extremely concerned to see the development of a graphite mine in the area of the Parc régional du Reservoir-Kiamika.
“There is no mining project that will be done without there being social acceptability. It’s true for this project, it’s true for all the other projects, ”said Mr. Legault to the hearty applause of a hundred activists in Sainte-Adèle, in the Laurentians, as he presented the CAQ candidate in Bertrand, France-Élaine Duranceau, who will try to keep the seat stolen from the PQ by Minister Nadine Girault in 2018.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Francois Legault
The firm Northern Graphite has expressed its interest in this territory which, like many others in Quebec, has attractive potential for a graphite mine.
François Legault is in no way surprised by the marked interest in Quebec’s mining resources.
“When I meet with American representatives or German representatives – who are very dependent on China for many of these minerals – they want and need the minerals. And some of those are needed, for example, to build batteries for electric vehicles. »
This is the case, in particular, of graphite.
“So it is normal that there is a craze. In addition, the price of metals, the world price of metals has increased. But what is important is to say: one, there has to be social acceptability around the mine; two, there is a BAPE, a Bureau of Public Hearings on the Environment. So the whole process is going to be followed. »
Nadine Girault has announced her withdrawal from political life for health reasons, after having had to suspend her ministerial activities a few times during her mandate. She delivered a very emotional testimony in front of the activists to express her disappointment at not being able to pursue her political career and her gratitude to those who had supported her.
France-Élaine Duranceau is a chartered accountant who has previously served, among other things, on the board of directors of the Canada Revenue Agency.
Nadine Girault won the seat in 2018 with more than 6,000 majority votes after 20 years of undisputed reign of PQ member Claude Cousineau, who did not run for the last election.