Twitter

British Columbia Mining

Contrary to industry claims, red tape not slowing B.C. mineral boom, finds audit – by Stefan Labbé (Business In Vancouver – December 11, 2024)

https://www.biv.com/

Audit finds delays to approve dozens of B.C. mines were largely caused by market forces — not government permitting.

For several years, politicians and the mining industry have targeted Canadian regulations standing in the way of feeding a burgeoning critical minerals market. In advertisements and on its website, the Mining Association of B.C. (MABC) says the country’s westernmost province has a “generational opportunity” to supply the world with critical minerals needed for clean technologies.

The long-term economic impact, claims the group, could reach $800 billion. It’s a narrative that has been echoed by Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, and more recently picked up by B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad during the last B.C. election campaign. The only thing standing in the way, according to the MABC, is government red tape.

Read more

Mining company charged 10 years after spilling toxic waste into B.C. waters – by Andrew Kurjata (CBC News British Columbia – December 10, 2024)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/

Collapse of Mount Polley tailings dam considered one of the worst environmental disasters in Canadian history

More than a decade after spilling millions of litres of toxic wastewater into rivers in the B.C. Interior, Imperial Metals Corp. has been charged with 15 violations of the federal Fisheries Act.

The charges were announced Tuesday by the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, which said it worked with the Department of Fisheries and Environment and Climate Change Canada to build the case for taking the company to court.

Read more

First Nation goes to court, accusing B.C. of not consulting over major gold mine – by Ashley Joannou (Canadian Press/CTV News B.C. – November 25, 2024)

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/

A First Nation says it wasn’t meaningfully consulted before the British Columbia government “effectively greenlit” what has been called the world’s largest undeveloped gold mining project.

The Tsetsaut Skii km Lax Ha Nation has applied to the B.C. Supreme Court for a judicial review of the province’s decision to issue a “substantial start determination” for Seabridge Gold’s KSM Mine Project in Northwestern B.C., part of the final stage of the environmental assessment process.

Read more

Osisko Development surges on permitting milestone for Cariboo gold project – by Staff (Mining.com – November 21, 2024)

https://www.mining.com/

Osisko Development (NYSE: ODV, TSXV: ODV) shares surged as much as 25% on Thursday morning as it reached a significant permitting milestone for the 100%-owned Cariboo gold project in central British Columbia.

The approval of its BC Mines Act permit means that the company can now move forward the construction and operation of the underground mine, which is expected to deliver 164,000 oz. of gold production annually over a 12-year life, as outlined in a 2023 feasibility study.

Read more

Permitting delays impact BC projects valued at $38B, AME says – by Henry Lazenby (Canadian Mining Journal – November 21, 2024)

https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/

British Columbia’s exploration sector has over 60 critical mineral projects waiting for permits. It’s a $38-billion pileup of economic opportunities, some waiting indefinitely, Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) president and CEO Keerit Jutla says.

Without action, B.C. risks falling further behind Ontario and Quebec, whose streamlined policies and targeted funding have helped them attract more exploration funding, Jutla said. His group represents about 5,000 members.

Read more

Opinion: Can political leaders break the bottleneck in B.C.’s permitting process? – by Michael Goehring (The Orca – October 30, 2024)

https://www.theorca.ca/

Michael Goehring is the president and CEO of the Mining Association of British Columbia.

During the provincial election, both of B.C.’s main political parties emphasized the importance of mining and critical minerals to our economy and climate action. Both parties made solid commitments to expedite B.C.’s mine permitting process.

Governments globally are actively securing critical mineral supplies to support the clean energy transition and meet national security, defence and technology imperatives. Canada, B.C. and other provinces have critical mineral strategies with firm commitments to improve major mine permitting processes.

Read more

Teck cuts copper forecast again as it encounters more problems at anchor QB2 mine in Chile – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – October 25, 2024)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Teck Resources Ltd. has cut its full-year copper forecast yet again owing to setbacks at multiple mines, including at its giant QB2 copper operation in Chile. Vancouver-based Teck said on Thursday that its 2024 copper production will be between 420,000 tonnes and 455,000 tonnes, about 6.5 per cent lower than predicted.

The downgrade was driven in part by issues with its haul trucks at its Highland Valley mine in British Columbia, including labour availability and problems with its autonomous system. Teck also cut its guidance for the QB2 mine in Chile, reducing its forecast by 6 per cent to roughly 205,000 tonnes.

Read more

B.C. NDP releases mining support plan – by Nelson Bennett (Business In Vancouver – September 24, 2024)

https://www.biv.com/

NDP pledges guaranteed permitting timelines for critical mineral mines

On the heels of a B.C. Conservative platform on mining released earlier today, the B.C. NDP followed this afternoon with the release of their own plan for mining, with an emphasis on critical minerals.

One thing the two plans agree on: More than a dozen critical mineral mine proposals in B.C. need to be fast-tracked through the regulatory process.

Read more

OPINION: Canada’s mine decision was no rubber stamp – by R. Brent Murphy (Anchorage Daily News – September 23, 2024)

https://www.adn.com/

R. Brent Murphy is senior vice president for environmental affairs at Seabridge Gold.

Having spent my entire career at the intersection of mining and sustainability, I have grown accustomed to the widespread misinformation surrounding our industry. Unfortunately, it’s a reality my colleagues and I face daily on a global scale, and if we responded to every instance, we would have little time left for the work that truly matters.

However, the sheer level of inaccuracy and hypocrisy regarding the Substantially Started Determination, or SSD, status for our proposed KSM project in Brian Lynch’s recent commentary demands a response. First and foremost, Lynch’s commentary failed to acknowledge several key facts regarding our two decades of dedicated efforts and nearly CAD $1 billion of investments to responsibly advance the KSM Project.

Read more

Northern B.C. coal mine comes back to life after 24 years – by Hanna Petersen (CBC News British Columbia – September 09, 2024)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/

Company, mayor hope Quintette Mine will bring huge boost to Tumbler Ridge

After 24 years, a steel-making coal mine in northeastern B.C. has roared back to life. Last week, Conuma Resources received permits from the province giving it the green light to restart operations at a portion of the Quintette Mine, located 20 kilometres south of Tumbler Ridge.

“We were very excited to receive it,” said Conuma Resources CEO Brian Sullivan. “We’re going to spend upwards of $500 million bringing it back into production. It will have a permanent workforce of more than 400 permanent good paying jobs.”

Read more

Glencore scraps plans to ditch coal on investors pressure – by Cecilia Jamasmie (Mining.com – August 7, 2024)

https://www.mining.com/

Glencore (LON: GLEN) scrapped on Wednesday plans to separate its coal division, which it had announced following its acquisition of assets from Teck Resources last year (TSX: TECK.A, TECK.B)(NYSE: TECK), as shareholders opposed the move.

The Swiss miner and commodities trader said in November it would merge Teck’s steelmaking coal business with its own coal assets, after which it would demerge the combined unit.

Read more

Glencore’s coal takeover draws ire of MPs – by Natasha Bulowski (National Observer – July 29, 2024)

https://www.nationalobserver.com/

A Swiss-based mining company with a sketchy foreign business record that won approval to take over Teck Resources’ B.C. coal mines has MPs from multiple parties and environmental groups up in arms.

François-Philippe Champagne, federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, approved mining giant Glencore’s $12.3-billion takeover of Teck Resources’ coal mines — called Elk Valley Resources — on July 4.

Read more

Teck draws M&A attention from big miners in rush for copper – by Jacob Lorinc, Mariana Durao, Dinesh Nair and Thomas Biesheuvel (Bloomberg News – July 26, 2024)

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

(Bloomberg) — The world’s biggest miners are back in serious dealmaking mode and Teck Resources Ltd. is taking center stage.

The Canadian miner, which has exited its coal business with a sale this month to Glencore Plc, is drawing attention from across the industry because of its attractive copper assets, as the biggest names position for the next wave of activity in the wake of BHP Group’s failed bid for Anglo American Plc.

Read more

Sale of B.C. coal mines to Glencore was bad deal for Canada: report – by Nelson Bennett (Business In Vancouver – July 22, 2024)

https://www.biv.com/

MiningWatch report question’s Swiss mining giant’s track record

Canadian and British mining watchdogs are criticizing the Trudeau government’s approval of the sale of B.C. steel-making coal mines to Glencore Plc, saying it’s a bad deal for Canada.

On July 4, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, François-Philippe Champagne, approved the sale of 77 per cent of the B.C. metallurgical coal mines (Elk Valley Resources) owned by Teck Resources in the southeastern Kootenays to Glencore plc for $9.5 billion. The sale closed July 11.

Read more

Would Canada allow Rio Tinto to buy Teck? Miners aren’t so sure – by Alisha Hiyate (Northern Miner – July 12, 2024)

https://www.northernminer.com/

The federal government’s attempt to clarify its rules for foreign investment in mining is instead causing more confusion as the industry grapples with changing rules under the Investment Canada Act. But Rio Tinto’s interest in buying Teck Resources, as reported by Sky News, could serve as a test for what the feds will allow as it tries to keep critical minerals available for Canada.

Last week, the federal government formally approved Glencore’s purchase of a 77% stake in Teck’s coal business. At the same time, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne issued a statement saying the government would only greenlight future foreign takeovers of “important Canadian mining companies engaged in significant critical minerals operations… in the most exceptional of circumstances.”

Read more