Updated mineral strategy to provide more certainty, say mining reps – by Jonathan Migneault (Sudbury Northern Life – December 13, 2015)

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Mining industry representatives said they are hopeful Ontario’s updated Mineral Development Strategy, which was released Dec. 11 in Sudbury, will provide more certainty for the sector.

“Certainty is important,” said Garry Clark, executive director of the Ontario Prospectors Association. “If you have a good framework within the mineral development strategy that framework actually gives you the certainty to move forward.”

In a related announcement Friday, Clark and his association benefited from a $5 million investment from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation to create a Junior Exploration Assistance Program, that would provide support for mineral exploration projects.

“It will be a rebate on exploration they do in the province,” Clark said. “If they spend $300,000 they’ll get 30 per cent of the money back. They can use that to do more exploration.”

Michael Gravelle, Ontario’s minister of Northern Development and Mines, said the province’s investment in junior exploration is one example of how the mineral development strategy could encourage discovery rates and foster the mining sector.

“The overall strategy itself is so focused on working with our partners to keep us a competitive environment,” Gravelle said.

The new strategy, which updates Ontario’s previous Mineral Development Strategy developed in 2006, builds on four strategic priorities.

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