Ontario mining companies say they’re ready to work with Indigenous communities, but this week’s PDAC conference shows rules for doing so are far from settled
Even with the United States trade war casting a shadow over the event, Indigenous participation in the mining industry was the hot topic at this year’s Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference in Toronto, which wrapped up on Wednesday.
At least one major deal was signed between a mining company and First Nations this week. Meanwhile, Canadian Mining Association President Pierre Gratton told investors at the conference Monday that the industry is eager to make deals with Indigenous communities and accommodate their needs.
However, what the industry needs is certainty in that process, he said. “Our industry (works) pretty well when the rules are clear. We just want to know what the rules are. We just want to know who we pay taxes to,” said Gratton. “What the industry, of course, doesn’t like is uncertainty.”
For the rest of this article: https://www.thetrillium.ca/news/indigenous-rural-and-northern-affairs/ontario-mining-industry-dealing-with-unclear-rules-for-indigenous-engagement-10328422