Ontario falling behind in mining: industry: province holds consultation session to update mineral development strategy.

• Author: Migneault, Jonathan
• Position: MINING

Ontario is falling behind as a mining jurisdiction, agreed several industry players who participated in a consultation forum organized by the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, March 18.

"There's no tacit recognition by this provincial government that it believes in mining," said Gino Chitaroni, president of the Northern Prospectors Association. "All we hear about is the Ring of Fire. Let me explain something about the Ring of Fire, it's not the only thing going on in this province. I'm sick to death of it."

Chitaroni said that while the province has shifted its focus to the Ring of Fire--where development has advanced at a glacial pace, according to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce--other parts of the province have been neglected.

"We have a lot of projects out there that could be economic very shortly, but we have to encourage them," Chitaroni said. "I don't see it happening."

He said he could think of eight to 10 mining projects in eastern Ontario alone that would be viable with some investment, and much easier to access than the remote James Bay region.

While legacy mining jurisdictions like Sudbury continue to do well, Chitaroni said, other parts of the province don't have those advantages.

Chitaroni and other industry stakeholders gave the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines an earful to help inform the province's renewed mineral development strategy.

The province established the strategy in 2006, and according to Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle, has been due for an update because of different market conditions and changing technologies.

"Everyone is having a hard time raising capital," said Rob Merwin, an executive adviser with the ministry, who mediated the consultation session.

Merwin said the stakeholders he has met so far all want the same things.

"They want certainty of costs," he said. "That includes infrastructure costs and the costs related to electricity."

Junior miners and prospectors want more incentives to cover the costs of exploration and help attract investments when projects are at the early stages.

Philip Ng, Wesdome Gold Mines' chief operating officer, said Ontario's mining competitiveness has fallen on a global scale, alluding to the Fraser Institute's annual survey of mining companies in 2014, which saw Ontario slip in global rankings for mining investment.

Ontario fell nine spots on the list of 122...