Hot Topic: MINING

FOCA has encouraged all interested property owners to express opinions on the proposed regulations regarding Exploration Plans and Permits.

Effective November 1, 2012, the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines (MNDM) has new regulations for exploration plans and permits, which apply to exploration activities on mining claims, mining leases and licenses of occupation. Learn more.

Much of Ontario's Mining Act is over 100 years old. It was written to facilitate access to Ontario's considerable mineral resources. Today's busy rural landscape needs a modern approach to recognize the interests of all land uses. 

Through our membership on the Ministers Mining Act Advisory Committee, and the Plans and Permits subcommittee, FOCA has been  encouraged that the new Act  provides a more transparent process and ensures attention to aboriginal issues, the interests of Surface Rights Owners (SROs), and the environment generally. Although many reforms to the new Act focus most specifically on Aboriginal issues, we recognized the new Plans and Permits process governing early exploration work is a key opportunity to represent our members, and allows for their input.

FOCA goals and expectations from a renewed Act and regulations have been fairly simple.
1.    We wanted to see some relief for surface rights owners (SROs) who did not own their mining rights and this was addressed in phase one of this process. If your land was not already staked – the mineral rights to staking have been withdrawn.(S. Ont).In N. Ont, you can now apply to have them withdrawn.
2.    We wanted to see the interests of cottagers and other landowners, who live adjacent to crown land that is used regularly for recreation and that might be staked and subject to exploration activities, recognized in addition to and separate from the interests of SROs.
3.     We wanted to see a process that was transparent, that included full public information and opportunities for input at early stages in the process when the Ministry could intervene to mitigate potential impacts on landowners and nearby cottagers, or the environment when the community raised legitimate concerns.

An overview There is an overview of Mining Act changes can be found on the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines website.

Click here for:

* FOCA's summary of the Mining & Exploration file

* what FOCA is doing related to this issue

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