The Honourable John Snobelen
Minister of Natural Resources
Queens Park
Toronto, Ontario
August 29, 2000
Dear Minister Snobelen:
I am writing this letter on behalf of the Porcupine Prospectors and Developers Association to register our objections to the recent advances on the Ontario’s Living Legacy initiative.
Our specific objection relates to the reclassification of virtually all of the Enhanced Management Areas and Stewardship Reserves into either the Provincial Park or Conservation Reserve categories as shown on Map No. OLL0699. This modification was made without any degree of public consultation or notice and impacts the mining and forestry sections in the most severe manner.
We can only state that we are outraged by this sleight-of-hand behavior. A great deal of damage will been done to our industry in what initially might be perceived as a minor amendment to the overall policy. Specifically, the prescriptions for permitted land uses for Conservation Reserves are significantly more restrictive in respect of mineral exploration and mining activities, and effectively remove a significant portion of the Ontario Crown land base from the mining sector. This sends an extremely negative message to the international mining investment community that Ontario is by no means open for business.
Minister, I remind you that the mining and exploration sector forms an important cornerstone to the Ontario economy. Indeed according to the most recent issue of the Ontario Mineral and Exploration Statistics as published by the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, the total value of Ontario’s mineral production in the four commodity groups which comprise the industry was $5.12 billion, a modest increase from 1998. In addition, an additional estimated $308.8 million were spent on mineral exploration and development in the Province. We call upon you to re-instate those sites which are now Conservation Reserves back to their former status as Enhanced Management Areas and Stewardship Reserves. We would be most willing to work with you to develop appropriate conditions and prescriptions by which the land remains available to mining exploration and preserving the desired values of those particular sites. We also call upon you to review and revise the prescriptions which are to apply to these new Parks and Conservation Reserves to have them more favourable to the mining and exploration sector.
Yours Truly,
Reno Pressacco
Chair, Lands and Environment Committee
Porcupine Prospectors and Developers Association
cc. Bob Calhoun - PPDA
Gilles Bisson - MPP
Mayor J.C. Caron