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
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
What a U.S. farmworker’s case of bird flu tells us about tracking the infection
A U.S. farmworker who caught bird flu after working with dairy cattle in Texas appears to be the first known case of mammal-to-human transmission of the virus, a new study shows.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.