Mixed reaction to Ontario's new mining legislation
Bill 71, Ontario's Building More Mines Act, the legislation is attracting its fair share of criticism.
The legislation, which amends the current Mining Act, passed third reading this week and is waiting for royal assent.
The law aims to help the government fast-track the approval of new mines and speed up production timelines.
"It's focused entirely on making the ministry more efficient and effective in getting the job done," Ontario Minister of Mines George Pirie told CTV News.
"We know that we're transitioning off of fossil fuels and into a battery economy. The electric vehicle revolution is happening and we've got the minerals required to secure the supply chain in northern Ontario but we can't take 15 years to get them out of the ground."
Pirie said the bill will help Ontario meet the growing demand for the minerals needed for electric vehicles.
"These are the fuels of the future, I can't stress that enough," he said.
"The rare earths for instance … none (are) produced in North America. They're coming from places, not Cobalt but rather the Congo and China. If the Chinese embargoed rare earths, we would be in tough shape because rare earths are required to build the magnets that are required to build the motors in the electric vehicles.”
While groups like the Ontario Mining Association welcomed the legislation, the bill has its critics. The NDP said it couldn't support the bill because it moved into third reading after the Progressive Conservatives had turned down all suggested amendments.
The Minister of Mines was quick to jump on the results of the vote tweeting a graphic on his Twitter feed later that suggested the province's official opposition was voting against jobs and economic prosperity for the North.
"It's really disappointing because the NDP is not, we're not against mining," said Guy Bourgouin, MPP for Mushkegowuk – James Bay.
"We want to develop these green energy mining materials."
Bourgouin said the bill falls short when it comes to consulting First Nations.
"We saw at Queen's Park a few weeks ago (people) from nine First Nations come and give their case to the government,” he said.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
“First Nations have said enough is enough, we have communities that have 21-year boil water advisories, we have communities that are land-locked, in my riding, on their traditional territories and we have a government that is not consulting even though they say they are."
Matawa Chiefs Council released a statement ahead of the vote opposing the bill, as did Atikameksheng, just outside of Sudbury.
It said, in part: “Ontario has a legal requirement to consult, engage and accommodate Atikameksheng Anishinawbek when it chooses to infringe upon our treaty rights and has not approached Atikameksheng Anishinawbek to consult with us to discuss our concerns in a meaningful way.”
Pirie insisted the concerns are unfounded.
The bill will become law once it receives royal assent.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.