Vaughn Palmer: NDP limits mineral exploration even as it promotes B.C. mining

The moratorium on new mineral claims was set to expire Wednesday. The extension pushed the ban out to Jan. 31. Photo by BJP7images /Getty Images

Article content

VICTORIA — The New Democrats this week extended their moratorium on new mineral claims in a vast area of northern B.C., banning further exploration at a time when they are also promoting the province as “rich in critical mineral and precious metal resources.”

Article content

The year-long moratorium, banning claims staking within the land-use planning areas for the Tahltan, Taku River Tlingit and Kaska First Nations, was set to expire Wednesday. The extension pushed the ban out to Jan. 31.

Article content

Article content

Article content

The three plans comprise an area of 175,000 square kilometres in northwestern and north-central B.C., according to background papers from the mining and critical minerals ministry.

Article content

Article content

The Mines Ministry said the extension “will support continued land-use planning in partnership with First Nations and broad engagement with stakeholders and communities.”

Article content

The announcement brought an immediate blast from a key mining group, the Association for Mineral Exploration B.C., with more than 6,000 members engaged in mineral exploration and development, here and elsewhere.

Article content

“Extension of Staking Ban in Northwest B.C. unhelpful for exploration,” read the association news release.

Article content

Its CEO, Todd Stone, complained the government had failed to consult the association the extension. It provided only perfunctory notice Tuesday evening that something was coming the next day, with no details on the contents.

Article content

Though the cabinet restrictions on mineral exploration applied to smaller tracts within the larger land use plans, the ban would nevertheless affect dozens of claim holders and hundreds of overlapping mineral tenures.

Article content

Article content

“Our members are tired of waking up and wondering whether government is going to shut them down,” said Stone. “This flies in the face of investment certainty from a government that has big goals around finding and developing mines in our province.”

Article content

Article content

He faulted the government for using its “draconian” powers under the Environment and Land Use Act to extend the moratorium in a way that was as sweeping as it was arbitrary.

Article content

The act, says Stone, allows the cabinet to “lock off the area they want for as long as they want” without further consultation or feedback.

Article content

Late last month, the mining association attended a consultation session co-managed by the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship and the Tahltan Nation.

Article content

“We left, as we were being asked to weigh in on the northwest land use planning and we have not been provided ANY details of the plan we were being asked to talk about,” said Stone.

Article content

He also reflected on the irony of the moratorium being extended in the same week as Mines Minister Jagrup Brar was leading a “team B.C.” mission of government and industry representatives to Ottawa to promote mining prospects in B.C.