WHITEHORSE – On May 29, the Yukon Government (YG) announced temporary measures to address the territorial government’s delays surrounding exploration and mining project approvals. Although the Yukon Chamber of Mines (YCM) is relieved YG has presented a stop-gap solution to its bureaucratic backlogs, the YCM urges YG as the public government to recognize the dire consequences to the Yukon’s mining industry and the economy at-large if the situation is not permanently resolved.
“The Yukon Chamber of Mines is dismayed the territorial government took as long as it did to address its own capacity issues, placing unnecessary strain on our hard-working industry members,” says Yukon Chamber of Mines Executive Director Jonas Smith. “Especially as we have been raising this pending situation for many months.”
This situation also extended to the placer mining industry.
“The Yukon Chamber of Mines fully supports the Klondike Placer Miners’ Association, their members and their recent actions,” continues Smith. “The same problems plaguing placer miners are being experienced from low-impact grass-roots exploration programs through to advanced exploration and established operating mines.”
YCM is experiencing continued frustration about not being heard by YG across multiple files beyond project assessment, permitting and license renewals; including new resource road regulations, land use planning and most recently, new minerals legislation development.
In principle, YCM fully supports the new minerals legislation initiative and is committed to working with YG and First Nations on its development, yet after an initial round of engagement, there was a hiatus lasting almost two years.
In that two-year void of industry’s voice, the YCM is concerned changes to policy are being advanced without industry input. The mining industry has only recently been re-engaged in developing this key legislative framework, and what limited information has been shared to date is embargoed under a confidentiality agreement; meaning that the YCM has been unable to consult with its own membership on any proposed changes.
“We recognize and respect the government-to-government consultation process on successor resource legislation as outlined in the Final Agreements. We completely support Yukon First Nations governments’ role in the development of the framework and we share their sense of urgency to modernize mining legislation,” adds Smith. “The territorial government, however, is tasked to represent the interests of all Yukoners, and any process that does not include Yukon industry expertise is simply set up to fail.”
Public comments made in the Yukon Legislative Assembly suggest that the target for officials to table the draft new minerals legislation framework to First Nation and YG leadership will occur in the coming weeks; potentially in the same timeframe as the selection of a new leader of the Yukon Liberal Party, and therefore the Yukon’s next Premier.
“This timeline is entirely unreasonable. A new Premier could be handed a document on day-one that was developed without sufficient industry input and be beholden to commitments made by the previous leader,” concludes Smith. “I urge Yukon Government to reconsider this arbitrary deadline, allow the proper time for industry to assume its place in the new minerals legislation development process to get it right and to refocus YG’s efforts on the immediate threat of what our territory’s economy will look like without certainty for our responsible mining industry.”
For media inquiries, please contact:
Amanda Leslie
Mosaic Communications for the Yukon Chamber of Mines
yukonmosaic@gmail.com
867.334.4770