Timmins MPP talks the future of mining in the north
George Pirie, the Ontario's Minister of Mines and MPP for Timmins, gave his first state of mining address for his new role at a Timmins Chamber of Commerce event Friday.
Pirie, the former mayor of Timmins, is not new to talking about mining; but says he will now have a hand in helping the region and the province lead the charge in building Canada's green economy through critical minerals.
This was a key topic he covered during the address; Canada and Ontario are doubling down on critical minerals to grow the country’s green energy economy, amid energy pressures due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"You can't be green without mining. If we're going to transform our economy, we have to mine. The minerals have to come out of the ground and Canadian miners are the best the world of getting this done sustainably, ethically," Pirie said.
Pirie also boasted an estimated three billion dollars worth of economic mining activity in the north–and highlighting expansions in Sudbury, Kirkland Lake and Wawa as examples of how the local industry is growing.
But Pirie said the region needs to be more aggressive in bringing new critical mineral projects to fruition.
"I think mining is going to be huge for Timmins and there's a ton of expansion there, so I'm really excited to have somebody that's going to lead the charge and really, I think, make a difference," said one of the event’s attendees.
Many people in attendance said the urgency is nice to hear and projects need to develop in a reasonable amount of time.
On the topic of new mining projects, amid news of IAMGOLD's Cote Mine delaying its opening to 2024–Pirie thinks it's too big to fail and believes the company can follow through.
"The project is–it'll happen, it's 20 million ounces in the ground. At any rate, I think they've moved in the right direction, from an operational point of view, I won't talk about that. But the asset itself is huge," Pirie added.
Pirie has said since his term as mayor that he believes Timmins and area can be home to the future of critical mineral development. He said he thinks that the region has what the world needs, as long as stakeholders bridge the gaps between northern and southern Ontario and take those resources to the world stage.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
This Toronto restaurant is no longer accepting tips. Here's how it's going
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff – tipping is no longer accepted.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.