Economic Development

Notes for Jamie Kneen's response to Pierre Gratton, Vice President for Sustainable Development and Public Affairs of the Mining Association of Canada in a debate entitled "Earth: What is Mining All About? The Up and Down Sides", presented as part of the Ottawa University Institute of Environment 2006-07 Lecture Series “Elemental Environmentalism: Water, Air, Fire and Earth”.

Many of the junior mining companies creating havoc in communities these days have no intention of developing a mine, and their investors don’t care, but these companies are raising millions in equity to keep their exploration programs going. This is possible because of two federal programs: Canadian Exploration Expenses and the Super Flow Through Share Program.

Presentation to the Seventh Annual Global Conference on Environmental Taxation, Ottawa, October 23, 3006 (revised November 10, 2006) by Dr. Joan Kuyek, National Co-ordinator, MiningWatch Canada

(Revised November 2006.) Investigating mining as it relates to aspects of the economy, the environment, and communities; a cross-curricular programme relating Reading, Geography, and Science, this package contains everything needed to deliver an effective, skill-based unit. Prepared by Beth Nicol and Marilyn Crawford. Available as a PDF file (2.3 MB) (58 pages). Published by the Canary Research Institute of Mining, Environment and Health.

The Ontario Mining Action Network (OMAN) was launched in Sudbury, Ontario on December 5, 2004, at the conclusion of a two-day workshop on mining in Ontario. Representatives from First Nation communities, labour organizations, environmental groups and mining-affected communities from Southern and Northern Ontario identified a number of obstacles to more responsible and better regulated mining in the province and agreed to use the strength of a network to address these issues in their communities and at the government/policy level.

When the Mining Association and the Prospectors Association talk about “sustainable mining”, they often neglect to tell us several key facts about the industry.

The presentation builds on the idea that the mining industry is propped up by seven myths:
- Mining is about the extraction of minerals
- Mining has a small footprint
- Communities are eager to have mining
- Government will protect us, and there are laws and regulations in place to do this
- The economic benefits from mining justify the disruption
- We need more raw materials
- Mining is okay somewhere else but not here

Available here as a PDF.