Guest Publication

Ontarians for a Just Accountable Mineral Strategy (OJAMS) Submission to the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines re: Revisions to the Ontario Mineral Development Strategy 2015

Ontarians for a Just Accountable Mining Strategy (OJAMS) is made of people from diverse communities and interests in Ontario that want to see a mineral strategy that

  • Sustains the environment and the resources for future generations,
  • Protects the public from the risks associated with mining, smelting and refining,
  • Heals the damage already caused by the industry
  • Captures a fair share of the revenues generated by the industry for Ontarians and First Nations, and
  • Respects the rights of First Nations to free, prior, informed consent to development on their lands

Ontarians for a Just Accountable Mineral Strategy has sprung from our outrage that, despite more than ten years of broadly-based advocacy, and despite reports from the Auditor-General and the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario supporting the need for change, the new proposals for a Mineral Development Strategy for Ontario are worse than they were in 2006. We hope the following submission will be helpful to the Ministry in shaping the final document.