Ministry not making the grade: auditor general slams province's performance on minerals program.

AuthorRoss, Ian
PositionNEWS

A harsh critique of the effectiveness of Ontario's mines and mineral program by provincial auditor general Bonnie Lysyk was greeted with enthusiasm by the Minister of Northern Development and Mines.

"I'm not exaggerating when I say I'm grateful for her recommendations," said Michael Gravelle.

Gravelle expressed surprise that Lysyk's annual report could be viewed as a scathing review of a ministry that appears to have fallen short of expectations in encouraging mining investment, has been disengaged in First Nations-industry consultation, shown no evidence of advancing the Ring of Fire, and lacks the resources and technical expertise to oversee mine closure plans and inspect abandoned mines.

"It's funny, I just don't read it that way. I do not interpret it that way. When I look at the recommendations regarding abandoned mines, regarding our closure plans, they are all things that we take very seriously regardless."

Gravelle said all of the issues raised in the report are "total priorities for us, and in that regard her recommendations strengthen our operations, our direction, and our goals. That's why I'm pleased.

"But there's nothing quite like an objective viewpoint such as the auditor general to certainly freshen your viewpoint in the work that you're doing. That, again, is how I see it."

Many of the issues raised in the report, Gravelle said, will be addressed shortly when the government rolls out its new mineral development strategy, last updated in 2006. Gravelle was scheduled to attend a Northern Ontario Heritage Fund board meeting in Sudbury on Dec. 11, but he refused to confirm that and dropped no hints on the contents of the strategy.

"The bottom line is we are more than listening to what the auditor general has to say and taking it very seriously."

In her report, Lysyk wrote five years after the creation of a 19-member Ring of Fire Secretariat, there is no evidence of a "detailed plan or timeline for developing the region," noting the government-created entity has constantly missed development milestones established by the province.

A Ring of Fire Development Corporation, established in 2014, remains non-operational, with a board of directors consisting of five senior bureaucrats that has not engaged industry, First Nation leadership or the federal government.

Gravelle staunchly defended the Secretariat and the development corporation saying he's "very proud" and "grateful" for their work in building partnerships and overseeing...

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