TORONTO - Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, issued the following statement today about the Mining Working Group and Meet the Miners Day at Queen's Park:
"Today marks the annual Meet the Miners Day at Queen's Park. For 41 years, representatives from the mining industry and the government have come together to acknowledge the vital role of the mining and mineral industry in the economic prosperity of Ontario.
Ontario is Canada's No.1 mineral producer, generating $10.1 billion worth of minerals in the past year while creating more than 26,000 direct and 50,000 indirect jobs across Ontario. Despite our successes, we know there is still work to do.
That's why our government is committed to improving the competitiveness of Ontario's mining industry, reducing red tape and, by doing so, creating jobs and prosperity for people across this province.
To support this goal, we created an expert Mining Working Group earlier this year, made up of accomplished leaders from mining and exploration companies, prospectors and Indigenous business organizations.
Today, members of the working group met at Queen's Park to discuss ways to reduce red tape and attract major new investments. I am encouraged by our discussions so far and look forward to our continued collaboration. Through the proposed Better For People, Smarter For Business Act, 2019, which our government announced yesterday, we are proposing changes to the Mining Act that will help speed up approvals, reduce confusion and create more business certainty.
Meanwhile, our government is putting people to work by supporting the opening of three new mines and the expansion of five others across Northern Ontario.
I'd like to thank Chris Hodgson, President of the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), his Board of Directors, and the entire OMA team for their participation, support, and ongoing commitment to improve the competitiveness of Ontario's mining industry.
We will continue to work together to increase awareness about the importance of mining and exploration to Ontario's economy, ensuring miners across the province have good-paying jobs today, tomorrow and for generations to come.
Together, with the mining industry, we are sending a strong signal to the world that Ontario is open for business and open for jobs."
Chris Hodgson, President of the Ontario Mining Association, said the following about the Mining Working Group and Meet the Miners Day at Queen's Park:
"In its 41st year, Meet the Miners offers a valuable platform for MPPs, senior government officials and representatives of the mining sector to gather at Queen's Park and exchange ideas to ensure that Ontario leverages our sector's potential to create jobs and drive economic development, while enabling innovation and green tech solutions. We appreciate the opportunity to continue building on this tradition of constructive dialogue through our involvement in the ministry's Mining Working Group."