This speech was given by Pierre Gratton, President & CEO of the Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC), at the BC Natural Resource Forum on January 13, 2011

“Fifteen years ago, there were fewer than twenty agreements between mining companies
and Aboriginal communities in Canada. Today, there are almost 200, and many more are
being negotiated.” Pierre Gratton, President & CEO of MABC. (Jan/13/11)

New Partnerships New Markets

Thank you for that kind introduction. It’s an honour and a pleasure to be a keynote speaker at the 8th BC
Natural Resource Forum in Prince George. Opportunities in the mining and supporting industries are really
starting to pick‐up in PG, the northern supply centre for our sector. It has taken time, but with the Endako
expansion, the major growth in the northeast coal block, Mt. Milligan, Red Chris on the horizon and a
resumption in exploration activity, there is lots to be excited about.

I have been asked to speak to you today about mining and Aboriginal partnerships. As I do so, I want to turn the clock back to look at where we’ve come from, then look at where we are and where we need to go.

The New Face of Mining

Before I became President of MABC, I served as Vice President of Sustainable Development and Public Affairs for The Mining Association of Canada. While working for MAC, I witnessed and participated in a
transformation that has taken place and continues to take place across the mining sector. It is clear to me that we are on a path from which there is no turning back – the path of sustainable development.

Read the rest of this entry »

The following speech was delivered by Randy Hawes, British Columbia’s Minister of State for Mining, at the opening of AME BC Roundup 2011 conference in Vancouver on January 24, 2011.

“British Columbia is the first province in Canada to share direct provincial tax revenue
generated from new mines or mine expansions with First Nations. This only applies to
new mines and expansions. Resource revenue sharing will not cost the industry a cent.
This is a commitment to sharing revenue that the province will receive from new mine
developments.” (Randy Hawes – B.C. Minister of State for Mining – Jan/24/11)

This year’s theme, “exploring today for tomorrow’s resources,” is particularly apt. After spending $154 million on exploration in 2009, that figure more than doubled to $322 million in 2010.

This represents the third-highest total ever and a 109% increase on 2009. In 1999, the figure was just $25 million. This is an extraordinary turnaround and is indicative of a reinvigorated and optimistic mining industry.

It also underlines the importance the mineral industry is playing in the province’s economic recovery. Exploration investment is a key indicator of mining’s future and this suggests a very bright future indeed.

Perhaps the greatest indicator of mining’s excellent health is the development of new mines. The mining industry invested over $1 billion last year, expanding existing operations and developing new mines in B.C. Major mine expansions at Endako, Gibraltar, Highland Valley Copper, Wolverine and others underline the attractiveness of operating in British Columbia. Read the rest of this entry »