New regulations, proposed changes to Quebec’s Mining Act target exploration sector – by Susan Bell (CBC News North – September 17, 2024)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/

New rules around consultation and authorization ‘a huge win for Cree Nation,’ says grand chief

Cree officials are welcoming changes to the way mining exploration happens in Quebec. Eleven per cent of the province, much of it in northern Quebec Cree territory and Nunavik, is currently under an active claim, according to provincial officials.

According to media reports, in 2022, there were 400 mining exploration projects within Eeyou Istchee, the traditional lands of the James Bay Cree. In the past, exploration was a largely unregulated corner of the mining world in Quebec.

Since May, new requirements have come into effect in the province that oblige exploration companies to engage with local Indigenous communities or municipalities, respond to their concerns and also apply for authorization for certain kinds of work. “It’s going to offer a lot more insight and input into the activities that are undertaken,” said Mandy Gull-Masty, grand chief of the Cree Nation.

For the rest of this article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/cree-exploration-mining-reform-indigenous-land-rights-1.7325031