According to the latest report from Coalition Québec Meilleur Mine, the number of mining claims in the south of the province continues to rise. A situation that worries citizens in several regions, as confirmed by the summary report of a government public consultation published on Thursday.
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What there is to know
- Several regions in southern Quebec have seen a significant increase in the number of mining claims over the past two years.
- The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests (MRNF) conducted a public consultation last spring to hear concerns from citizen groups and the city community.
- A summary report from the consultation shows that citizens have significant concerns about exploration and mining in their region.
- The MRNF is currently working on a revision of the Mining Act.
According to the latest Coalition Québec Meilleur Mine report, the number of mining claims in southern Quebec continues to rise. Between August 1, 2022 and August 1, 2023, five MRCs in the Outaouais, Mauricie, Lanaudière and Laurentides regions recorded an average increase of 52% in the number of new mining claims in their respective areas.
This new increase also worries environmental groups, including SNAP Quebec and the Quebec Coalition of Lakes Incompatible with Mining Activities, which are still calling for reform of mining laws in the province.
A mining claim is an exclusive right that allows proof of the presence of ore over an area of approximately 0.5 km2. For less than $100, purchasing a claim can be done in just a few minutes through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests’ Mining Title Management Platform (GESTIM).
MAP OF THE QUÉBEC BETTER MINE COALITION
Mining claims in southern Quebec
In the MRC of Maskinongé, in Mauricie, the increase in the number of mining claims has been breathtaking: an increase of 146% in a year. This increase is partly due to a new phenomenon: citizens buying claims to prevent companies from taking over exploration rights in their region. According to the Coalition Québec Meilleur Mine, a little less than a third of the 399 new entitlements granted in the MRC last year belong to the region’s citizens.
In Mauricie, resistance to mining claims is particularly evident in the municipalities of Saint-Élie-de-Caxton, Saint-Boniface and Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc.
MAP OF THE QUÉBEC BETTER MINE COALITION
Mining areas around Mont Tremblant National Park
In Outaouais, the MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais recorded an increase of 49%, followed by the MRC de la Vallée-de-la-Gatineau with 39%. Less significant increases were observed in the Matawinie MRC (19%), Lanaudière and the Antoine-Labelle MRC (10%) in the Laurentides.
“More and more conflicts on the territory”
The Outaouais and Laurentides regions are also the ones where possible mining activities raise the most questions among the population. Last spring, the Minister of Natural Resources and Forests, Maïté Blanchette Vézina, held a public consultation to ensure the “harmonious development of mining activity.” According to the report released by the MRNF on Thursday, a total of 105 briefs were submitted during the year. Just over 40% of these memories come from these two regions.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
The Minister of Natural Resources and Forests, Maïté Blanchette Vézina
With the development of the electric battery industry, “there will be more and more conflicts on the territory,” believes Éric Pineault, professor of sociology at UQAM. “We will need a new framework that respects communities. »
“For many of the minerals we want to look for [au Québec], that requires opencast mining. “This is the case with graphite and lithium,” he specifies, indicating in passing that he shares the concerns of several communities.
According to Mr. Pineault, mining law in Quebec needs to be reviewed to allow cities and MRCs to better manage their territory.
It’s currently the Wild West; we operate with rules that have a somewhat primitive side [avec les claims].
Éric Pineault, Professor of Sociology at UQAM
“The monitoring of the process of granting and revoking claims was mentioned in the interventions, for example with regard to the ease of acquiring a mining title without consulting the community,” also mentions the report of around forty pages that was published Thursday from the MRNF.
A bill in the pipeline
“We are waiting for the minister [Maïté Blanchette Vézina] takes into account the concerns of citizens who wonder why it is so complicated to protect parts of the territory but so easy to claim them, emphasizes Rodrigue Turgeon, spokesman for the Coalition Québec Meilleur Mine. Unless the minister puts in place mechanisms to withdraw entitlements that have already been granted, this will not happen,” he adds.
“I fully understand the concerns associated with the demands on the population, which is why I launched consultations last spring on a more harmonious development of mining activity. We listen to citizens and act, which is why we are currently working on solutions. The aim is to find a balance between mining development, environmental protection and solutions to the concerns of the population,” explained Ms. Blanchette Vézina in a statement to La Presse.
In an interview with the Journal de Québec on Thursday, the minister indicated she wanted to amend the mining law to develop the battery sector using minerals mined in Quebec. However, she reiterated that without social acceptance there would be no new mines in Quebec.
The ministry is preparing a draft law, but it seems certain that it will not be presented this fall, the minister said.